Lighting Design in Computerised Offices

Abstract: This thesis is concerned with the design of the artificially lighted environment in computerised offices. Its aim is to describe which kind of lighting solution is best suited to accommodate VDT-based tasks, and whether or not working in front of a VDT affects visual comfort and well-being. The research question has been approached in four studies: 1) A questionnaire study aimed to establish how different criteria are used in the office lighting design process. 2) An experimental study comparing the influence of different office light settings on perceptions. 3) A comparison of an LED light setting with a conventional light setting. 4) The final study retrieved articles describing research related to office lighting, and resulted in a state-of-the-art article in office lighting research. The findings show that there is a need for lighting education within the group of lighting practitioners, as well as for research that is accessible and applicable to lighting designs. The experimental studies could not verify that office lighting affects performance, even though it was shown that a varied light setting was perceived to enhance well-being more than a monotonous lighting solution. One important contribution in this thesis is the unfolding of the inadequacy of the methodology used in current lighting research. It is shown that quantitative measures alone cannot explain the complex interactions between human perceptions, well-being, visual comfort and performance.