As one of the world’s leading specialists in sustainable architectural lighting with LED Technology, ERCO Lighting boasts a unique set of expertise in architectural lighting with a human-centric and sustainable approach.
The company’s investments in technology and product development pave the way to workplaces that are illuminated in such a thoughtful way that it boosts overall productivity and well-being for employees.
What is human-centric lighting?
Human Centric Lighting is an element of lighting design that places people and their activities at the centre of qualitative lighting design. It addresses the visual, emotional and biological effects of light.
The approach follows the work of architectural lighting pioneers such as Richard Kelly and William Lam, who advocated the theory of perception-oriented, qualitative lighting design that distinguished between ‘activity needs’ and ‘biological needs’ of the users, while Kelly distinguished the qualities of light into three basic functions: ambient luminescence, focal glow and play of brilliant.
Based on the research, ERCO Lighting devised a formula to explain what Human Centric Lighting is all about – AAA stands for architecture, activity and atmosphere. The Architecture component is about making our surroundings perceptible through light, and emphasising functional areas in rooms with functional lighting, and integrating lighting units into architecture with appropriate mounting methods and arrangements.
Activity represents the different visual tasks to be carried out in a space, and how lighting can help optimise visual comfort. The final A for atmosphere is about achieving individualisation through changeable lighting scenes that can be set according to personal preferences and moods
Lighting in the workplace
Lighting plays a part in enhancing productivity, well-being, and the overall aesthetic appeal of office spaces. To draw workers back to the workplace in a post-pandemic landscape, the environment needs to be welcoming, healthy, and collaborative. The right lighting design will provide flexibility for teams, prioritise the needs of people and teams working in the space, and reflect Circadian rhythm, all while enhancing the interior design of the space.
ERCO Lighting recently developed a custom-designed lighting system for the renovation of the Zaha Hadid Architects office in London. The lighting plan allowed the historic building to become a flexible environment for multi-faceted and collaborative forms of work. With low ceilings and a stair and lift core located close to the end wall, natural light was unable to reach much of the interior.
In the revitalised space, Opton wall-washers improve the overall perception of brightness, while Jilly downlights for track create the impression that ceilings are higher than they actually are. Illumination is delivered discreetly to where it is needed, rather than across the entire space.
Sustainable lighting
Concerns for sustainability and a common goal to build a greener future is driving the construction sector, so energy efficiency in essential. Championing a more sustainable path to lighting design, ERCO Lighting developed ERCO Greenology which is a strategy that combines ecological responsibility with technological expertise. The strategy is divided into four key pillars; innovation, efficient, effectiveness and sustainability, with an emphasis on understanding the effects of luminous efficacy (lm/W) versus effectiveness (lx/W).
This means that whether you are choosing accent lighting, wallwashing or aiming to illuminate a workstation, the decisive factor should be how effectively the expended energy is utilised in the light reaching the target surface.
From investing in the development of new technologies to improve products and production processes to using light precisely where it’s needed and avoiding spill, the business is working towards a CO2-neutral production of lighting tools to make light as effective and therefore as sustainable as possible in application.
About Erco Lighting
Founded in 1934, the family-owned business is based out of Lüdenscheid, Germany. In the 1960s, the firm pioneered architectural lighting across Europe and some 50 years later, ERCO is the first established luminaire manufacturer with a portfolio based entirely on LED technology.