Lighting Design Glossary

Direct/Indirect Lighting

(Term of lighting design)

Lighting that is mixed from direct sources and indirect reflection. In daylighting this means that some part of the light of the sky or the sun is bounced off some surface, while at least part of the sky is still visible from the point in question. In electrical lighting, it says that luminaires of different types are installed, or there are luminaires that emit light both up to the ceiling and down to the workspace.

Advantages:

• Good balance between ambient illumination of the room and accent lighting.
• Relatively good energy efficiency even in large spaces.
• The smaller direct component required makes it easier to control reflective glare in computer screens.
• Renders three dimensional objects well without harsh shadows.

Disadvantages:

• Relatively high installation and maintenance costs.
• Users often need instruction on how to use the system effectively.

Alternative lighting patterns are direct lighting and indirect lighting.