Office Lighting: 3 Best Practices
Lighting is one of the most important elements of office design. Just like the color, layout, and furniture selections, lighting has a significant impact on the way employees and visitors feel and behave.
Lighting affects everything from decision making to sleep quality. So while it is easy to overlook lighting when designing your office space, it’s best not to leave it as an afterthought. After all, thoughtful lighting design will boost staff productivity and employee satisfaction. For a healthy, thriving workplace, be sure to follow these three best practices for office lighting.
Have questions about how to light your office? Reach out to the lighting experts at TCP! We will work with you to make sure your office lighting complies with regulations and supports the health and productivity of your employees.
Update To LEDs
In the past, fluorescent tube lights were the fixture of choice for offices. They are inexpensive to buy and install and are suitable to light large areas with tall ceilings. So what’s the catch?
Unfortunately, fluorescent tubes are not the friendliest option to our eyes. Many fluorescent office ceiling lights flicker. They may give off inconsistent light as they dim with age. Fluorescent tubes may also let off a low buzzing sound that can be irritating over time. These flaws combined can cause headaches and eyestrain.
If you want to prevent these problems and protect your employees’ health, look into fluorescent tube alternatives, most commonly LED lights. LEDs are the modern standard for offices. They are far friendlier on the eyes, not to mention less expensive to run thanks to their excellent energy efficiency. LEDs for office lighting also last decades longer than outdated alternatives, which means fewer maintenance and replacement costs.
Use Linear Lights for Large Spaces
Large spaces, especially ones with high ceilings, require powerful, well-designed office lighting fixtures that distribute light evenly throughout the room.
In large spaces like conference rooms, linear pendant lights are the perfect choice to make sure tables are well lit. Linear pendants create a contemporary, upscale look above rectangular conference tables. LED linear lights are bright and efficient, without the flickering that can cause headaches. These office lighting fixtures serve as the source of ambient light in the room, while task lights like desk lamps serve to fill in the gaps for a well-rounded lighting scheme.
For even larger spaces with high ceilings, choose linear high bay lights. High bay lights are perfect for gymnasiums, warehouses, and industrial settings.
Don’t Forget about Task Lighting
Task lighting is the key to an office facility that feels warm, welcoming, and comfortable. It is easy to forget about task lighting, leaving overhead ambient lights to illuminate the whole space. But this creates overhead glare and over-illumination, which can negatively impact employee health and lead to overspending on energy bills. This is an especially common pitfall in open plan offices which sometimes rely on high bay lights.
A well-rounded lighting scheme includes ambient (overhead) light, task lighting, and accent lighting. Instead of all the light coming from the ceiling, light is provided in layers for a more comfortable work environment.
In an office, the most obvious way to add task lighting is through desk lamps. If possible, provide your employees with dimmable LED desk lamps for the healthiest lighting option. This gives them better control over their personal workspace.
LED Office Lighting with TCP
For office lighting that creates a productive and healthy work environment, shop office lighting LEDs from TCP. Our broad range of LED bulbs and linear lights includes everything you need for a comprehensive, energy efficient lighting scheme.
