Interior Lighting for Designers

High-Contrast Environment
A small proportion of diffuse light and a large
amount of focused light produce ahigh-con-
trastenvironment. High-contrast lighting sys-
tems render patterns of light and shade; they
intentionally establish a hierarchy between
foreground and background. High-contrast
spaces increase stimulation; they are
intended to evoke specific moods or emo-
tions (figure 2.4).
A single spotlight on a stage is an
extreme example of the influence of bright-
ness contrast in creating focal points. A room
lighted in this way dominates the people in it;
the brightness contrast directs their attention
and holds their interest, producing visual
direction and focus (figure 2.5).
Attention is involuntarily drawn toward
areas of brightness that contrast with
the visual background. When a person
approaches an unfamiliar space or activity,
brightness contrast and color contrast help to

establish an initial response. High-contrast

environments are useful for guiding the circu-

lation of people entering an unfamiliar room.

The Three Elements of Light

The three fundamental elements of light are:

ambient light, focal glow, and sparkle. The

ratio of ambient light to focal glow estab-

lishes the degree of brightness contrast in a

space; sparkle adds the highlights that con-

tribute to feelings of well-being. The propor-

tions of these three elements yield the

desired emotional setting.

The late lighting designer Richard Kelly

poetically defines the three elements of

light. To Kelly, ambient or general light is

a snowy morning in open country...

twilight haze on a mountain top or a

cloudy day on the ocean... the light

in a white tent at noon... moonlight

coming through the fog.

Figure 2.3Low-contrast lighting.