An insight from Ideaworks Creative Design Principal, Paul Richardson

One of the most beautiful sights we can see is freely available and has not changed for millennia. The light from the stars and moon on a clear night have the ability to impress us with their magnificence to the extent that we will happily pause to reflect on the view. How often do we stop to reflect on artificial lighting in a space? Yet stars are simply another light source. The difference perhaps is in our evolution.

If the history of mankind were condensed into 24hours we have only known artificial light in the last few seconds.

We are only just scratching the surface of our understanding of how light affects us. We have evolved within a highly complex algorithm of natural lighting from the sun, moon and fire. How this affects how we feel, behave and see the world around us is significantly understated.

Architectural lighting designers are skilled in providing beautiful static artificial lighting, yet technology and our understanding of light is allowing us to be much more dynamic. Lighting ‘scenes’ should not simply be different levels of dimming but allow the lighting to dramatically adapt in position, highlights, shadows, colour temperature and intensity. Seeing the space in a different light continuously to suit the moods we want to create; energise, dramatic, relaxation, cosy and so on.

Lighting plans don’t need to simply be about ensuring a space has adequate continuous illumination and picking out artwork or features. Lighting designers can also consider what doesn’t get lit at certain times. The shadow and contrast can be as crucially important as the highlighting in making a space beautiful. Most of all the lighting designer can be considering how the light is making a person feel within a space. Light is an emotional tool as much as an aesthetic one. At Ideaworks we have a team of highly creative and technically expert lighting designers fascinated and inspired by the opportunities new lighting technology and ideas are bringing. We are supported internally by product designers, engineers and programmers that love the challenge of creating something special and unique. Something amazing.