# Office Lighting Design

> Office lighting design sets lux levels, uniformity, glare control and controls for each zone, calculated on the working plane rather than by spacing fittings evenly on a ceiling grid. It follows IS 3646 for interior illumination, while ECBC 2017 caps lighting power density and pushes designs towards daylight-linked dimming and occupancy sensing.

## What we deliver

**Lighting design and installation for offices** — lux levels, layouts, fitting
selection, controls and emergency lighting, integrated with the ceiling design
rather than laid over it.

Most office lighting is not designed. Fittings get spaced evenly on a grid until
the ceiling looks balanced, and the result is a floor that meets an average
number while being uncomfortable to work under.

## Scope of works

| Stage | What we deliver |
| --- | --- |
| Requirement | Task types per zone, target lux, ceiling type, daylight |
| Calculation | Lux and uniformity on the working plane, not the ceiling |
| Layout | Fitting positions coordinated with the reflected ceiling plan |
| Selection | Fitting type, optics, colour temperature, CRI |
| Compliance | Lighting power density against ECBC 2017 |
| Controls | Daylight linking, occupancy sensing, scene setting |
| Emergency | Escape route and exit sign lighting |
| Installation | Wiring, mounting, commissioning, focusing |

## Typical design targets

| Zone | Working-plane lux | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open plan desks | 300-500 | Uniformity matters as much as the average |
| Meeting rooms | 300-500 | Dimmable for presentation |
| Reception | 200-300 | Feature and accent lighting |
| Circulation | 150-200 | Lower, with emergency coverage |
| Cafeteria | 200-300 | Warmer colour temperature |
| Detailed / drawing work | 500-750 | Task lighting supplements general |

## Where projects go wrong

- **Designing to average lux and ignoring uniformity.** Bright pools with dark
  gaps read as a badly lit office regardless of the average.
- **No glare control.** Screen reflections and direct glare make an otherwise
  adequate floor unpleasant to work in.
- **Lighting drawn after the ceiling.** Fittings then compete with diffusers,
  sprinklers and detectors for the same tile.
- **Mixed colour temperature.** Fittings from different batches or suppliers on
  one floor are immediately visible.
- **Emergency lighting left to the end.** Escape route coverage is a compliance
  requirement and needs to be in the layout, not added afterwards.

## Why Hagerstone

**Customised lighting is part of our stated scope**, delivered with the ceiling
and the electrical installation by one team — so the lighting plan, the reflected
ceiling plan and the circuit design are the same conversation.

**15 electricians in-house**, ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001, 79+ quality checkpoints.

## Standards referenced

Interior illumination levels and practice under **IS 3646**. Lighting power
density limits under **ECBC 2017**.

## Frequently asked questions

### What lux level does an office need?

General office work is commonly designed around 300-500 lux at desk level, with reception and circulation lower and detailed or drawing work higher. The number that matters is lux on the working plane, not at the ceiling, and uniformity across the area matters as much as the average — a floor that averages 400 lux with dark patches between fittings is a worse space than one that averages 350 evenly.

### Why do offices with plenty of light still feel uncomfortable?

Glare, almost always. A fitting bright enough to hit the target lux can still be visible as a hard reflection in a screen or directly in someone's eye line. Controlling this means choosing fittings with proper optics and considering the angle people look at them from — not just counting how many are on the plan.

### How does ECBC affect the lighting design?

ECBC 2017 caps lighting power density — watts per square metre — for the building. With LED that is usually achievable, but it stops the approach of solving every dark corner by adding more fittings. It also pushes towards controls: daylight-linked dimming near the facade and occupancy sensing in meeting rooms both count towards compliance and cut running cost.

## Sources

- [IS 3646](https://standards.bis.gov.in/website/published-standards/department-wise) — Code of practice for interior illumination
- [ECBC 2017](https://beeindia.gov.in/) — Lighting power density

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Source: https://hagerstone.com/services/interior-fit-out/office-lighting-design