To anyone. On Mon, Mar 5, 2018 at 1:02 PM, Jerome Chang <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi. Is that “spend” question to me or...? > > Jerome > > On Mar 5, 2018, at 8:32 AM, Jen Luby <[email protected]> wrote: > > A follow up question: How much did you guys spend, and how big is your > space? > > On Sat, Mar 3, 2018 at 11:03 AM, Jerome Chang <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Hi. >> >> Another alternative is to use fluorescent lights, or their LED >> equivalents, as Liz mentioned. I find them quite good to provide a general, >> “ambient” light for the entire office. I had assumed that track lights >> would cause some hot/cold spots, but it seems that even if they were to do >> so, some people still prefer them in an office space setting. >> >> It’s creative to point these track lights against a wall or ceiling, >> making them indirect lighting. However, I wonder if that effectively makes >> them perform inefficiently...which then leads me back to fluorescent lights >> that point down, but in an ambient not-hot/cold way. >> >> Different people do respond differently with 3500-4200K lights (btw, K = >> Kelvin temperature), so it can be hit/miss. Above this range are usually >> for clinical/hospital or warehouse environments; below for intimate, >> residential or hospitality environments. >> >> Another spec to notice is CRI, which is color rendering index. Basically, >> anything higher than 90 will allow you to see an object in its true color. >> Sometimes you can have the right Kelvin temp, but a bad CRI...no good. >> >> I’ve found LED lights range from about $150-$300+ for 4-foot length >> fixtures. If you get an 8’ length, you’ll spend less $ per lineal foot. >> >> As for designing lights in the office to be as comfortable as at home, I >> do want to clarify the reason that office lights are typically “whiter” >> than at home, which are typically “yellower,” is that you’re usually at >> home in the early part of the day, or evenings, both of which the sun is >> more yellow. You also associate homes during these times more for relaxing. >> Offices are usually occupied in the daytime and for work, hence the >> brighter and often whiter lighting. No choices are actually wrong - it can >> often be a matter of personal taste. >> >> For proof that fluorescent lights can look good, see here: >> https://flickr.com/photos/27479309@N03/sets/72157627309965154 >> In this case, I mixed daylight and fluorescents. Also, this space was >> designed before Title 24 regulations required LED’s. >> >> Finally, some might read these posts and interpret that LED’s are >> optional - it’s a good point that they’re worth the upfront costs to avoid >> any future operating/replacement costs. BUT, in some areas like California, >> they’re required to comply to Title 24 regulations, not optional, for >> nearly all cases. FYI. >> >> >> Jerome Chang >> Architect, founder >> www.BLANKSPACES.com >> >> On Mar 1, 2018, at 10:55 AM, Alex Hillman <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> Alrighty, here goes. This is going to cover a lot of what I learned, and >> how we got lighting results we're really happy with. >> >> Again, it's basically impossible to give direct advice on how YOU should >> budget without seeing the floorplans and even photos of the space itself. >> >> But here's what we did: >> >> These numbers are rough, but if I reverse engineer our lighting budget >> from the overall project fit-out.... >> >> - We spent ~$7.50 per square foot on *all* of our electrical work, which >> was almost entirely brand new (new wiring, power sockets, breaker panels, >> lighting fixtures, switches....everything with power running through it was >> basically brand new. >> - Approx 25% of the electrical budget was lighting *fixtures**. *That >> included tracks + LED track heads as our primary light source, accent >> lighting, and special fixtures for inside our meeting rooms. So roughly >> $1.80/square foot on light fixtures alone (this doesn't include >> installation, wiring, switches, etc). YMMV, of course, but stacking this >> number against other lighting upgrade projects I've seen and done...it >> seems about right, plus/minus 10%. >> >> *Keep in mind, that's with all LED fixtures, which are often appear 2-3x >> more $$$ up front but save a boatload in energy costs and you basically >> never need to buy another bulb (which, in our old space, we spent several >> hundred dollars a year on replacement bulbs for various non LED fixtures). * >> >> Now, I had a really hard time getting useful advice from folks who had >> lots of experience with lighting for "traditional" offices. It seems like >> lighting design for workspaces tends to be based around two assumptions: >> >> 1 - brighter is always better >> 2 - desks and workspaces are bolted down and won't ever change location >> >> As a result, I kept noticing lighting design that was both inflexible, >> and gave off what I can only describe as "office vibes." I'd never light my >> home the way these offices are lit. Our goal is always to create spaces >> that feel as *comfortable* as working from home...but are more >> productive. >> >> The *best* design advice I got was from someone whose primary experience >> wasn't office lighting design...but *theater* lighting design. He was >> someone who really thought about how lighting impacts moods, how people >> move through space, etc. He also had a lot of experience adapting this >> knowledge to creative lighting installations, etc. He totally understood >> what I was trying to achieve in terms of a lighting *experience* and >> that we still needed lighting that would be good for working under. >> >> On the downside...he ended up being a pretty shitty, unreliable business >> person, so I can't confidently recommend him. But his lighting advice was >> really good. :) >> >> To maximize flexibility, the bulk of our primary lighting source are a >> standard (white, in our case) 3 wire "h-style" track system, which we laid >> out like this >> <https://mltrk.io/link/https%3A%2F%2Fdangerouslyawesome.com%2Fsnaps%2FMonosnap_2018-03-01_13-02-36.png/8EHgnTaiJeihZ2wZCvqd>. >> The diagram is a little tough to understand at if you don't know what >> you're looking at, and there's one important piece that's missing >> entirely, so here's the gist of our strategy: >> >> - We wanted to make it easy to turn all of the primary lights on/off >> without having to walk across the entire space (our old location had lights >> all over the place, turning them all on/off took a solid 5 mins of walking >> around the space). >> - We broke the tracks into "clusters" that would light each of the >> primary work areas, and allow us to flexibly move the track heads around >> - EVERYTHING ON DIMMERS. Some people like working in low light. Others >> like it bright. Give yourself options. >> - We used clusters of 3-5 white frosted glass pendant lights as "accent" >> lighting in corners and other areas that were likely to be cozy little >> lounge or breakout areas, like this >> <https://mltrk.io/link/https%3A%2F%2Fdangerouslyawesome.com%2Fsnaps%2FIMG_9679.JPG/8EHgnTaiJeihZ2wZCvqd> >> . >> - We found this incredible fixture >> <https://mltrk.io/link/https%3A%2F%2Finlity.en.alibaba.com%2Fproduct%2F60286423852-802892397%2Fgood_design_ultrathin_pendant_lights.html/8EHgnTaiJeihZ2wZCvqd> >> for >> inside our meeting rooms, phone rooms, really any room that was going to >> have a closed door on it. It's sleek, throws *really* nice light in all >> directions, and is easy to mount either nearly flush with a ceiling or, if >> you have the height to support it, suspended at a comfortable height. We >> get a ton of compliments on these fixtures. They're also only ~$120 US a >> piece. The only downside (and it's a big one) is you have to order them in >> minimum of 10 units, and they're coming directly from a supplier in China >> so it's going to take a few weeks minimum AND shipping can get expensive. >> Thankfully, I was ordering enough (and early enough) to make it worthwhile. >> - Our original fit out used a direct-from-china track head as well, and I >> like them just fine, but when we expanded we couldn't get more of the >> fixtures so I had to look elsewhere and ended up finding a great >> dimmable LED track fixture >> <https://mltrk.io/link/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.totaltracklighting.com%2Fmaximus-led-track-light-white-cone-line-voltage-fixture-head-12watt-wide-flood-3-wire-h-style-dimmable.html/8EHgnTaiJeihZ2wZCvqd> >> that, even with domestic shipping, cut our per-fixture cost *in half (*from >> ~$60/head to around $30). >> - When choosing color temperatures, I tried to get fixtures that were on >> the cool end of warm, more like residential bulbs. 3000k-3500k tended to >> give the best color, more feeling like natural sunlight without being too >> "glowy." 4k seems to be more "popular" in office settings but in our tests >> it always felt too cold and sharp. At the same time, I learned that these >> numbers aren't super consistent across manufacturers. When possible, try to >> get sample fixtures and test them in the real setting, mixed with whatever >> natural light you're working with. >> >> *The big thing that's not obvious about the lighting plan is that over >> half of our tracks are actually turned upside down, and point the fixture >> at the ceiling. * >> >> Originally, we installed all of our track heads the way you're used to >> seeing them: pointed down and at an angle. The trouble we hadn't calculated >> was how often a light would end up pointed directly in somebody's face. We >> tried tweaking track positions, but avoiding one person's eyes almost >> always meant pointing them into someone else's eyes. >> >> *The other problem was that - and this might sound obvious but bear with >> me - lights work best when they have something to reflect off of. * >> >> The "shadow" problems you mentioned are a symptom of direct lighting, >> something we generally were trying to avoid because it's harsh (especially >> with glossy computer screens). We wanted the space to appear bright, but >> without work areas (desks, etc) feeling like they were under a spotlight. >> >> We tried filters and gels, too, but the most effective technique was to >> make sure that our track fixtures were directed at a nearby surface: a >> wall, a column, a beam, ductwork...any surface that would help distribute >> the light to the surrounding areas. Like this example, in our gallery >> space >> <https://mltrk.io/link/https%3A%2F%2Fdangerouslyawesome.com%2Fsnaps%2FIMG_4063.JPG/8EHgnTaiJeihZ2wZCvqd>. >> By pointing fixtures at the walls, the surrounding areas are cast in a very >> comfortable indirect light. That seems to be the key. >> >> The *trouble* we ran into with our space was that in so much of our >> space, the "walls" are just our windows to the outside world. They're great >> for letting natural light in, but pointing lights at them was horrible. >> They'd just shine the direct light back into someone's eyes, and do very >> little to actually light the space. >> >> So in the rest of the space, we decided to flip the tracks upside down so >> we could point the fixtures at our ceiling. Like this >> <https://mltrk.io/link/https%3A%2F%2Fdangerouslyawesome.com%2Fsnaps%2FIMG_2194.JPG/8EHgnTaiJeihZ2wZCvqd> >> . >> >> By treating our ceiling like another wall (we'd already painted it a >> bright color to reflect the natural light), and now we're able to get the >> same general effect of LOTS of bright but soft, indirect lighting covering >> almost every area of workspace. Nobody has to work under a spotlight. >> Success. >> >> When we expanded our space in October, we took the same approach of >> flipping the tracks from the start. The electricians looked at us a little >> funny when I asked for it, but after it was in even they commented how nice >> it looked. >> >> Whew. That's a lot, and kind of all over the place. But hopefully it >> helps you think through the decisions you need to make, which will include: >> >> 1 - how to light for experience, not just function >> 2 - how to "layer" different fixtures to help indicate zones and uses >> 3 - making use of your existing tracks (or adding more of them to give >> you max flexibility) >> 4 - choosing fixtures, and finding ways to save $$ >> 5 - using your constraints >> >> If I can help more one-on-one, feel free to shoot me an email. :) >> >> -Alex >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------ >> *The #1 mistake in community building is doing it by yourself.* >> Better Coworkers: http://indyhall.org >> Weekly Coworking Tips: http://coworkingweekly.com >> My Audiobook: https://theindyhallway.com/ten >> >> On Wed, Feb 28, 2018 at 6:41 PM, Alex Hillman < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Jen - it'd also help to get an idea of what you're working with. Can you >>> post a floorplan? Even better, a plan that shows where existing lights are? >>> >>> On Feb 28, 2018, 6:29 PM -0500, Jen Luby <[email protected]>, wrote: >>> >>> Hey all, my landlord is asking for a lighting plan so he can get a >>> sense of budget for the buildout...but this is not my forte. What kind of >>> lights do you guys use in a) open work areas and b) private offices? >>> Currently there are a ton of track lights installed (it's a former gallery >>> space) but from what I've read those can cast unpleasant shadows. >>> >>> (Alex, I put you in the subject because I think you worked on this for >>> Indy Hall, although I didn't find any previous posts about. My apologies if >>> I'm wrong.) >>> >>> Thanks! >>> Jen Luby >>> >>> Dayhouse Coworking >>> Highland Park, IL >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Coworking" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >>> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Coworking" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "Coworking" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/to >> pic/coworking/rxCt5ADwXBM/unsubscribe. >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > > > -- > -------------------------------- > Jennifer Dunham Luby > [email protected] > c: 847.207.0358 <(847)%20207-0358> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the > Google Groups "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/ > topic/coworking/rxCt5ADwXBM/unsubscribe. > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -------------------------------- Jennifer Dunham Luby [email protected] c: 847.207.0358 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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