New Delhi, September 6, 2016: ‘Lumens’ is the unit in which lighting is measured. The amount of lumens / square feet is called lux. The human eye can bear with .001 lux .
Using natural light is always preferred during the day as it saves cost and has psychological beneficial impact on the customers.
To enhance the aesthetics looks ,lighting plays a vital role. Functional lighting will be preferred in kitchens where as aesthetic lighting will be the best suitable for dining hall/areas.
Lighting is categorized in two types:
1) Fluorescent Lighting – eg tube lights/CFL bulbs with white colour
2) Incandescent lighting – eg helium bulbs of yellow colour.
In recent days, LED lights are preferred because of cost advantages and also because of soothing appearance they provide.
Depending upon the space available and the area need to be covered ,the types of lights are decided. The décor plays a very vital role in selecting a lighting design. The color scheme affects the mood of the guests.
In recent studies it has been known that lighting is an important tool for the restaurant architect and designer. Appropriate lighting design completes the thought that starts with the design of the physical space and the furniture and objects within that space. Unfortunately few very few can appreciate the art of well-designed lighting.
A tickle to all senses — taste, aroma, sound and music, form, surface finishes, color, art, light, and people — is a expectation from every customer when he/she wants a fine dine experience.
Lighting, an important partner of architecture, completes and reinforces the restaurant design theme and contributes to the positive impression indirectly resulting in profits.
The lighting designer addresses:
1.Perception
2.Impression of the brand
3.Color and space usage
4.Textures/materials
5.Ambience
There are several ways to approach lighting design for restaurants depending on the type of venue and desired ambience.
The illumination designer uses varied lighting methods and patterns to evoke impressions of privacy or intimacy, relaxation, spaciousness or pleasantness. There can be several types of lighting used for all different reasons.
Right after the atmosphere to be created is understood, the lighting designer starts with a lighting layout and fixture selection.
A perfect lighting is often not immediately describable or recognized. You may not realize why a room looks and feels so great. Is it the architecture, the materials and colors? Is it the lighting that accents the walls? All the things together result in an aesthetic feel.
Good lighting done for restaurants is layered by providing ambient illumination, accent lighting and decorative lighting elements. In restaurants, different types of lights are overlapped to get a desired effect.
Low lighting provides uniformity throughout the space.
General illumination can be achieved in various ways: recessed lighting; track lighting; indirect illumination of ceiling and wall surfaces, where the light fixture is hidden and the surface becomes the light source; or a combination of these methods.
Accent lighting is generally brighter than the ambient level, depending on the overall reflectance value of the surfaces to be illuminated. Hence the highlighted art is to be illuminated very carefully without losing its aesthetic essence.
Always keep in mind that when ever using a mix of fixtures, try to minimize the number of lamp (bulb) types used for ambient and accent lighting .It will reduce the effort of maintenance.
Types of light and their levels vary from space to space, depending on each area’s use. Entry spaces, dining rooms, bars and display kitchens all demand their own requirements for light.
Lighting scheme is the key:
A control system allows for changes for the time of day and the time of the year with programmable lighting “scenes,” astronomical clocks, gentle fade timing between scenes.
Energy conservation standards should be achieved.
Government is strict about the awareness and technical knowledge of current light sources, are critical in this phase.
Now a days ,the designer has many types of light sources available to consider. Line- and low-voltage options include halogen, LED, and the various types of fluorescents.
In this process it is important to see and compare actual lamp samples when combining sources on projects.
This art is very much combined with scientific background. Where and how to use/spend the allowable watts-per-square foot in each restaurant space can be a challenging task .
Each and every restaurant is striving for a well-designed casual or fine-dining restaurant. Their goal is to provide a welcoming, relaxed environment in which guests can enjoy the food and leave with all senses satisfied. Lighting is essential to achieve this target.
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
