Conference Room Lighting
Posted by STARS AND STRIPES LIGHTING
Many locations have unique lighting needs. When it comes to conference room lighting, you want to implement the best overall lighting option to a encourage cohesive, workplace setting. Below are some suggestions on implement the best conference room lighting for this important functional space.
When in the planning stages of choosing the right conference room lighting, it is very important to understand that there are two main types of tasks being performed in this space with each one having different lighting needs. One task that commonly takes place in conference rooms is the sharing of ideas among colleagues by way of face to face communication and note taking. So, lighting not only needs to be adequate enough for note taking and keeping employees focused, but its also important that it cast a gentle light to avoid making human faces look harsh or unfriendly. Another task that is performed in this type of space is technology-based communications, which can include presentations on a monitor or projector system, video conference calls with clients, the use of individual technology devices during meetings such as tablets, or hosting other technology communications. For addressing the lighting needs for this area, several factors need to be considered such as reducing glare, lowering light levels for better visibility of screens, and other impactful elements. Once you take into account the lighting needs of these two types of common communication types, it will make it easier to implement the right conference room lighting solution.
Even though its important to understand that your team will be using different forms of communication in this space, the most important factor for conference room lighting is to choose versatile lighting with dimmable controls. A dimmable lighting system will help provide bright illumination for meetings and discussions, while allowing for lower illumination levels needed for presentations, or other uses of technology devices. Dimmable light systems can also have timers installed that will prevent lights from remaining on at the end of the day, which will help save on utility costs overall.
Besides dimmable controls, you also want carefully choose the most appropriate color temperature. Color temperature describes either how warm (yellow) or cool (white to blue tinged white) a light source will be. Warm temperatures will be more relaxing to people, whereas cool temperatures will keep people alert and ready to focus. Even though you may be tempted to go as cool as possible, it would actually be more beneficial to sticking with a more neutral option. We suggest avoiding warm temperatures, instead opt for a more middle ground tone, which will give the focus needed for staying alert, while also helping to make faces look friendlier rather than appearing washed out or too harsh. This is very important for face to face communication among colleagues. A great choice is to stay within a range of 3500K to 4000K on the Kelvin scale of color temperature.
In addition to color temperature, you also want to look into color rendering index (CRI) of the lights. CRI measures how well a lighting solution picks up and highlights colors to the human eye. This important aspect is often overlooked in corporate lighting. For example, if your team will be doing a lot of presentations or displaying graphic design work to clients or colleagues, everyone would benefit greatly from the installation of lamps with a high color rendering index, since it will make colors easier to differentiate, helping them to stand out more. We suggest you opt for a CRI of around 80+ or higher for the overall best results.
