ABSTRACT
An important goal of interior lighting is to incorporate techniques that furnish a pleasant working and casual luminous environment-similar to the lighting associated with the shade of a tree on a sunny day. The luminous appearance of architectural interior space is a function of surface characteristics and reflectances, as well as the spatial proportions of the space, as illuminated by the incident light. The quality and method of distribution of light will determine the overall definition of the major architectural surfaces and intended brightness patterns-but is dependent on the programed surface finishes and reflectance values, as well as the intensity of the distribution of light in the space. Variations in the quantity or intensity of the light will affect the brightness of the surfaces and the inter-reflections, changing the subjective impression of the environment. The brightness of an architectural surface can be altered by adjusting the quantity of incident light, irrespective of the reflectance value of the surface.
