Interior Lighting for Designers

Vertically mounted fluorescent channels
are used for wash light when the ceiling
height is low and the placement of overhead
equipment is difficult (figure 12.33), but
great care must be taken to avoid glare. The
shielding angle for blocking the view of the
vertical light source is even more critical than
it is for horizontal slots and valances.
The close placement of the light source
to the wall makes the luminance on the wall
much higher near the source. Fluorescent
continuous slots and vertically mounted
channels are useful techniques when this
nonuniformity of luminance is acceptable.

Lighting the ceiling plane

“Washing” with light has come to mean the

use of a continuous row of lighting devices

located at the edge of the “washed” surface.

Ceilings are usually not “washed”; they are

lighted by devices known asuplightsorindi-

rect luminaires (figure 12.34). These are

INTERIOR LIGHTING FOR DESIGNERS

Figure 12.32Uniformity is slightly improved when the

floor has a high reflectance or has a high-reflectance

border at the wall.

Figure 12.33Illumination from two opposite sides with

vertically mounted fluorescent channels. When fluores-

cent lamps are used, the cross-section dimension of

the luminaire can be made smaller by locating the bal-

lasts remotely.