Hi. Is that “spend” question to me or...? Jerome
> On Mar 5, 2018, at 8:32 AM, Jen Luby <jennife...@gmail.com> wrote: > > A follow up question: How much did you guys spend, and how big is your space? > > On Sat, Mar 3, 2018 at 11:03 AM, Jerome Chang <jer...@blankspaces.com> wrote: >> Hi. >> >> Another alternative is to use fluorescent lights, or their LED equivalents, >> as Liz mentioned. I find them quite good to provide a general, “ambient” >> light for the entire office. I had assumed that track lights would cause >> some hot/cold spots, but it seems that even if they were to do so, some >> people still prefer them in an office space setting. >> >> It’s creative to point these track lights against a wall or ceiling, making >> them indirect lighting. However, I wonder if that effectively makes them >> perform inefficiently...which then leads me back to fluorescent lights that >> point down, but in an ambient not-hot/cold way. >> >> Different people do respond differently with 3500-4200K lights (btw, K = >> Kelvin temperature), so it can be hit/miss. Above this range are usually for >> clinical/hospital or warehouse environments; below for intimate, residential >> or hospitality environments. >> >> Another spec to notice is CRI, which is color rendering index. Basically, >> anything higher than 90 will allow you to see an object in its true color. >> Sometimes you can have the right Kelvin temp, but a bad CRI...no good. >> >> I’ve found LED lights range from about $150-$300+ for 4-foot length >> fixtures. If you get an 8’ length, you’ll spend less $ per lineal foot. >> >> As for designing lights in the office to be as comfortable as at home, I do >> want to clarify the reason that office lights are typically “whiter” than at >> home, which are typically “yellower,” is that you’re usually at home in the >> early part of the day, or evenings, both of which the sun is more yellow. >> You also associate homes during these times more for relaxing. Offices are >> usually occupied in the daytime and for work, hence the brighter and often >> whiter lighting. No choices are actually wrong - it can often be a matter of >> personal taste. >> >> For proof that fluorescent lights can look good, see here: >> https://flickr.com/photos/27479309@N03/sets/72157627309965154 >> In this case, I mixed daylight and fluorescents. Also, this space was >> designed before Title 24 regulations required LED’s. >> >> Finally, some might read these posts and interpret that LED’s are optional - >> it’s a good point that they’re worth the upfront costs to avoid any future >> operating/replacement costs. BUT, in some areas like California, they’re >> required to comply to Title 24 regulations, not optional, for nearly all >> cases. FYI. >> >> >> Jerome Chang >> Architect, founder >> www.BLANKSPACES.com >> >>> On Mar 1, 2018, at 10:55 AM, Alex Hillman <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Alrighty, here goes. This is going to cover a lot of what I learned, and >>> how we got lighting results we're really happy with. >>> >>> Again, it's basically impossible to give direct advice on how YOU should >>> budget without seeing the floorplans and even photos of the space itself. >>> >>> But here's what we did: >>> >>> These numbers are rough, but if I reverse engineer our lighting budget from >>> the overall project fit-out.... >>> >>> - We spent ~$7.50 per square foot on all of our electrical work, which was >>> almost entirely brand new (new wiring, power sockets, breaker panels, >>> lighting fixtures, switches....everything with power running through it was >>> basically brand new. >>> - Approx 25% of the electrical budget was lighting fixtures. That included >>> tracks + LED track heads as our primary light source, accent lighting, and >>> special fixtures for inside our meeting rooms. So roughly $1.80/square foot >>> on light fixtures alone (this doesn't include installation, wiring, >>> switches, etc). YMMV, of course, but stacking this number against other >>> lighting upgrade projects I've seen and done...it seems about right, >>> plus/minus 10%. >>> >>> Keep in mind, that's with all LED fixtures, which are often appear 2-3x >>> more $$$ up front but save a boatload in energy costs and you basically >>> never need to buy another bulb (which, in our old space, we spent several >>> hundred dollars a year on replacement bulbs for various non LED fixtures). >>> >>> Now, I had a really hard time getting useful advice from folks who had lots >>> of experience with lighting for "traditional" offices. It seems like >>> lighting design for workspaces tends to be based around two assumptions: >>> >>> 1 - brighter is always better >>> 2 - desks and workspaces are bolted down and won't ever change location >>> >>> As a result, I kept noticing lighting design that was both inflexible, and >>> gave off what I can only describe as "office vibes." I'd never light my >>> home the way these offices are lit. Our goal is always to create spaces >>> that feel as comfortable as working from home...but are more productive. >>> >>> The best design advice I got was from someone whose primary experience >>> wasn't office lighting design...but theater lighting design. He was someone >>> who really thought about how lighting impacts moods, how people move >>> through space, etc. He also had a lot of experience adapting this knowledge >>> to creative lighting installations, etc. He totally understood what I was >>> trying to achieve in terms of a lighting experience and that we still >>> needed lighting that would be good for working under. >>> >>> On the downside...he ended up being a pretty shitty, unreliable business >>> person, so I can't confidently recommend him. But his lighting advice was >>> really good. :) >>> >>> To maximize flexibility, the bulk of our primary lighting source are a >>> standard (white, in our case) 3 wire "h-style" track system, which we laid >>> out like this. The diagram is a little tough to understand at if you don't >>> know what you're looking at, and there's one important piece that's >>> missing entirely, so here's the gist of our strategy: >>> >>> - We wanted to make it easy to turn all of the primary lights on/off >>> without having to walk across the entire space (our old location had lights >>> all over the place, turning them all on/off took a solid 5 mins of walking >>> around the space). >>> - We broke the tracks into "clusters" that would light each of the primary >>> work areas, and allow us to flexibly move the track heads around >>> - EVERYTHING ON DIMMERS. Some people like working in low light. Others like >>> it bright. Give yourself options. >>> - We used clusters of 3-5 white frosted glass pendant lights as "accent" >>> lighting in corners and other areas that were likely to be cozy little >>> lounge or breakout areas, like this. >>> - We found this incredible fixture for inside our meeting rooms, phone >>> rooms, really any room that was going to have a closed door on it. It's >>> sleek, throws really nice light in all directions, and is easy to mount >>> either nearly flush with a ceiling or, if you have the height to support >>> it, suspended at a comfortable height. We get a ton of compliments on these >>> fixtures. They're also only ~$120 US a piece. The only downside (and it's a >>> big one) is you have to order them in minimum of 10 units, and they're >>> coming directly from a supplier in China so it's going to take a few weeks >>> minimum AND shipping can get expensive. Thankfully, I was ordering enough >>> (and early enough) to make it worthwhile. >>> - Our original fit out used a direct-from-china track head as well, and I >>> like them just fine, but when we expanded we couldn't get more of the >>> fixtures so I had to look elsewhere and ended up finding a great dimmable >>> LED track fixture that, even with domestic shipping, cut our per-fixture >>> cost in half (from ~$60/head to around $30). >>> - When choosing color temperatures, I tried to get fixtures that were on >>> the cool end of warm, more like residential bulbs. 3000k-3500k tended to >>> give the best color, more feeling like natural sunlight without being too >>> "glowy." 4k seems to be more "popular" in office settings but in our tests >>> it always felt too cold and sharp. At the same time, I learned that these >>> numbers aren't super consistent across manufacturers. When possible, try to >>> get sample fixtures and test them in the real setting, mixed with whatever >>> natural light you're working with. >>> >>> The big thing that's not obvious about the lighting plan is that over half >>> of our tracks are actually turned upside down, and point the fixture at the >>> ceiling. >>> >>> Originally, we installed all of our track heads the way you're used to >>> seeing them: pointed down and at an angle. The trouble we hadn't calculated >>> was how often a light would end up pointed directly in somebody's face. We >>> tried tweaking track positions, but avoiding one person's eyes almost >>> always meant pointing them into someone else's eyes. >>> >>> The other problem was that - and this might sound obvious but bear with me >>> - lights work best when they have something to reflect off of. >>> >>> The "shadow" problems you mentioned are a symptom of direct lighting, >>> something we generally were trying to avoid because it's harsh (especially >>> with glossy computer screens). We wanted the space to appear bright, but >>> without work areas (desks, etc) feeling like they were under a spotlight. >>> >>> We tried filters and gels, too, but the most effective technique was to >>> make sure that our track fixtures were directed at a nearby surface: a >>> wall, a column, a beam, ductwork...any surface that would help distribute >>> the light to the surrounding areas. Like this example, in our gallery >>> space. By pointing fixtures at the walls, the surrounding areas are cast in >>> a very comfortable indirect light. That seems to be the key. >>> >>> The trouble we ran into with our space was that in so much of our space, >>> the "walls" are just our windows to the outside world. They're great for >>> letting natural light in, but pointing lights at them was horrible. They'd >>> just shine the direct light back into someone's eyes, and do very little to >>> actually light the space. >>> >>> So in the rest of the space, we decided to flip the tracks upside down so >>> we could point the fixtures at our ceiling. Like this. >>> >>> By treating our ceiling like another wall (we'd already painted it a bright >>> color to reflect the natural light), and now we're able to get the same >>> general effect of LOTS of bright but soft, indirect lighting covering >>> almost every area of workspace. Nobody has to work under a spotlight. >>> Success. >>> >>> When we expanded our space in October, we took the same approach of >>> flipping the tracks from the start. The electricians looked at us a little >>> funny when I asked for it, but after it was in even they commented how nice >>> it looked. >>> >>> Whew. That's a lot, and kind of all over the place. But hopefully it helps >>> you think through the decisions you need to make, which will include: >>> >>> 1 - how to light for experience, not just function >>> 2 - how to "layer" different fixtures to help indicate zones and uses >>> 3 - making use of your existing tracks (or adding more of them to give you >>> max flexibility) >>> 4 - choosing fixtures, and finding ways to save $$ >>> 5 - using your constraints >>> >>> If I can help more one-on-one, feel free to shoot me an email. :) >>> >>> -Alex >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ------------------ >>> The #1 mistake in community building is doing it by yourself. >>> Better Coworkers: http://indyhall.org >>> Weekly Coworking Tips: http://coworkingweekly.com >>> My Audiobook: https://theindyhallway.com/ten >>> >>>> On Wed, Feb 28, 2018 at 6:41 PM, Alex Hillman >>>> <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> Jen - it'd also help to get an idea of what you're working with. Can you >>>> post a floorplan? Even better, a plan that shows where existing lights are? >>>> >>>>> On Feb 28, 2018, 6:29 PM -0500, Jen Luby <jennife...@gmail.com>, wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hey all, my landlord is asking for a lighting plan so he can get a sense >>>>> of budget for the buildout...but this is not my forte. What kind of >>>>> lights do you guys use in a) open work areas and b) private offices? >>>>> Currently there are a ton of track lights installed (it's a former >>>>> gallery space) but from what I've read those can cast unpleasant shadows. >>>>> >>>>> (Alex, I put you in the subject because I think you worked on this for >>>>> Indy Hall, although I didn't find any previous posts about. My apologies >>>>> if I'm wrong.) >>>>> >>>>> Thanks! >>>>> Jen Luby >>>>> >>>>> Dayhouse Coworking >>>>> Highland Park, IL >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "Coworking" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>>> email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Coworking" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "Coworking" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/coworking/rxCt5ADwXBM/unsubscribe. >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > > -- > -------------------------------- > Jennifer Dunham Luby > jennife...@gmail.com > c: 847.207.0358 > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
