Schools
Library Lighting Design for Schools
Place light where people work or read faces. Layer task light over ambient light and test glare from occupied positions.
Explore the ideas
Plan in this order
- Mark tasks, viewing angles and screen locations on the furniture plan before placing fittings.
- Separate regularly used tasks from the room's general lighting so each can be controlled independently.
- Test the proposed fitting and finish sample together. Glossy finishes can reflect a bright source directly into view.
Worked example
Imagine a learner whose desk faces a window, causing screen glare in the afternoon and shadows across handwriting in the evening.
Reorient the work surface to receive daylight from the side and place task light opposite the writing hand. Check both paper and screen from the learner's normal seat, adding a controllable blind if needed.
How to test it
Check the space in daylight and after dark. Stand and sit where people actually use it, and check controls from the entry.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Place quiet reading at the far edge and group tables near the entrance or resource counter.
- Detail
- Use readable shelf labels, task light at tables, and soft finishes in designated quiet areas.
- Trade-off
- More group seating can raise noise across the library.
- Listen from the quietest seat during group use
- Check shelf aisles allow two students to pass
The Elixir portfolio
Details worth a closer look
