Notes from the lighting studio
Practical writing on design, specification, controls and the regional market — from the people who issue the calculations.
Five places to start
Lighting Design
How schemes are composed — layering, contrast, colour and the decisions that shape a room after dark.
Read the categoryCommercial Lighting
Glare, energy targets, controls and the standards that govern lit workspaces.
Read the categoryArchitectural Lighting
Lighting buildings themselves — grazing, integration, mock-ups and the restraint good facades need.
Read the categoryLighting Guides
Straightforward guidance on specifying, dimming, controlling and maintaining a lighting installation.
Read the categoryIndustry Insights
What is changing in the regional lighting market, and what it means for people specifying today.
Read the categoryRecent articles
Why your ceiling has too many downlights
The default villa ceiling is a grid of identical downlights. Here is what to do instead, and why it costs less.
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Layered lighting: ambient, task and accent explained
Three layers, one room. What each layer does and how to balance them without over-lighting.
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Colour temperature and CRI, in practice
What 2700K, 90 CRI and R9 actually mean when you are standing in the room.
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Designing offices for screen work
Glare, not illuminance, is what makes an office uncomfortable. UGR, screen reflections and practical targets.
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Daylight harvesting that actually pays back
Where photocell dimming earns its cost in a Gulf office, and where it quietly does not.
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Choosing between DALI, Casambi and DMX
Three control protocols, three very different jobs. A practical guide to picking the right one.
Read articleFurther reading
Facade lighting: the case for restraint
The best-lit buildings in any skyline are rarely the brightest. Grazing, depth and knowing when to stop.
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Integrating light into the architecture
Coves, slots and handrail details work only if they are coordinated at shop-drawing stage.
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How to light a dining room
A practical, room-specific guide: pendant heights, table levels, dimming and what to avoid.
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Specifying exterior lighting for Gulf conditions
Heat, humidity, salt and irrigation destroy under-specified fittings. What to insist on.
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A practical guide to dimming
Why LED dimming disappoints, and the driver and dimmer decisions that fix it.
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LED efficacy has plateaued. What comes next?
The easy efficiency gains are behind us. The next decade belongs to control, quality and longevity.
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What circularity means for lighting specification
Repairable luminaires, replaceable engines and the end of the sealed disposable fitting.
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Reading is no substitute for a walkthrough
Most lighting questions resolve in twenty minutes standing in the actual room. We are happy to do that.