Interview with Elya Mirkhani, Lighting Designer
Would you be able to tell me a bit about your experience as a Lighting Designer?
As a Lighting Designer, I design and plan lighting and electrical systems, applying innovative lighting design to living and working spaces. I work in collaboration with a variety of professionals, including interior designers, engineers, and architects. My focus is on energy-efficient design strategies for residential, commercial, and industrial spaces.
I am now looking to broaden my knowledge of ‘smart technologies, and understand how they can enhance lighting design, maximising future buildings' quality.
What attracted you to lighting design?
Light is the triggering force behind many chemical, biological and physiological changes in life forms on Earth. It provides much-needed energy, and it also forms the foundation that aids with visibility.
Light is the most important tool for guidance. Humans need light to see and go about their daily activities. The invention of fire was man's attempt to substitute the light of the day while he fights the night's darkness.
Today, energy-efficient technological advancements (such as solar panels) allow us to utilise natural light to provide illuminance when needed.
In my opinion, light is everything to an artist, and a lighting designer is an artist. When I start creating, it is all about the harmony between highlights and shadows. I think about how to play with the quantity or quality of light sources, the colour temperature, and how it affects building occupants' performance. I believe lighting is the basic and advanced quality of design all simultaneously; it is so mysterious and powerful that it is the most principle challenge for any creative artist.
What are the essential features of smart lighting you would look for if you were to specify it in a building?
I believe that smart lighting is the future of architecture and construction. We will see a lot of change in the next few years as more people begin to appreciate the benefits; this has also been accelerated due to COVID. As a Lighting Designer, it is my responsibility to understand this technology fully.
These are the main points I expect from a smart lighting software solution:
1. Cost-effective
2. Energy-efficient and friendly to the planet
3. Optimized of workspaces for occupants - maximising the quality of tasks
4. Improved health, wellbeing, safety and productivity of building occupants
In your opinion, why is smart lighting so essential in commercial buildings?
The rise of the commercial smart lighting market is being put down to the emergence of smart cities, demand for green buildings, government initiatives, and energy efficiency awareness.
The market is poised for exuberant growth driven by energy efficiency, adherence to energy regulations and environmental standards. Government bodies and energy regulators worldwide are concerned about energy conservation. The rising number of smart cities will continue to generate demand for smart commercial lighting solutions.
In commercial buildings, accomplishing a task or activity is generally the most important function. The lighting design should reflect the type of activity performed in the building to ensure that people working in the space are comfortable and that the lux level requirements suitable.
A smart lighting control system is a key part of a buildings journey to become more energy-efficient and essential for building occupants health and wellbeing.
How can lighting improve energy efficiency?
Lighting applications represents 19% of the world's energy usage and 6% of all greenhouse emissions. In the United States, 65% of energy consumption is used by commercial and industrial sectors, and 22% is used for lighting. Smart lighting enables households and users to remotely control lighting and cooling, heating, and electrical appliances, thus minimizing unnecessary energy usage, integrating with sensors and systems for maximum effect. This ability primarily saves energy and does not compromise the comfort and convenience of people within a building.
The concept of smart lighting also involves utilizing natural light from the sun to reduce the use of man-made lighting and the simple concept of lighting automatically turning off when occupants leave a room.
A smart lighting system can ensure that dark areas are illuminated when needed to improve safety, lights can actively respond to the activities of the occupants based on sensors and intelligence (logic) that anticipate the lighting needs of an occupant creating a truly intelligent solution that ultimately leads to a smart building!