Photometric Software as a Tool for Lighting Design

Lighting design is a delicate marriage between the aesthetic, artistic, architectural design mind, and the functional, code-compliant electrical design strategy. As such, lighting designers must focus not only on the visual aspect of our lighting design concept, but also on the functionality of the proposed lighting solution.  SRD uses this photometric software in all typologies of our projects: Site Plans, Residential, and Commercial.

Several tools can aid in the lighting design process to assist in achieving these aesthetic and functional requirements. One of the main tools we use to vet our lighting solutions is a photometric rendering software that allows us to build a project in 3D and then import our proposed lighting fixture specifications into the program. We are then able to test spacing of light fixtures, output of various fixtures and try out different lighting applications. The software then calculates illuminance levels at various surfaces of the project, such as: desk work surfaces, pantry countertops, and corridors. Utilizing this software helps us to ensure that our proposed solutions meet industry design standards, and code-required illuminance levels.