Products: How to Specify a Direct/Indirect Luminaire

摘要

Technological fads come and go, but one main objective will always remain true when specifying a fixture: achieving light quality. In commercial spaces, direct/indirect luminaires are a mainstay due to their versatile illumination capabilities. Here are some tips for selecting and specifying these fixtures. Direct/Indirect fixtures can be fitted with just an uplight or just a downlight distribution, or a combination of both; the upward (indirect) light can provide a softer ambient glow, while the downward (direct) light provides general illumination for the work plane. Used independently, indirect lighting can leave "the space [feeling] dull, like being outside with a gray sky, because nothing is punched up or highlighted," says Michael Hennes, an associate principal at Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design in New York City. He also warns, "be careful that the direct component has good shielding so that it doesn't become glary."