architecture tips

Lighting is a big deal. When you look for a new apartment or house, you always consider natural light. At an art exhibit, the way the light hits a sculpture or painting is nearly as important as the artwork itself. Lighting affects how we feel about things, not just emotionally or aesthetically, but physically. Simply put, we need light to see and avoid eye strain which can lead to permanently impaired vision. Yet with all the importance we seem to place on lighting in our everyday lives, whether in the home, at a basketball game, or taking in some beautiful pieces at a gallery, lighting in the work environment somehow doesn't rate.

With tons of computer monitors, overhead fluorescent lights, and some natural light thrown in, most offices are a recipe for eye strain and fatigue. You know that feeling you get after staring at a computer for a huge chunk of your work day? Suddenly everything seems out of focus and there's a dull ache behind your yes? That means the lighting in your office is deficient, and your eyes (and your business) are suffering for it. With vision-impaired employees, productivity is sure to suffer. Plus, fluorescent glare is not exactly an enticement for your clients either.

So how do you make the switch? Just a few simple lighting tips can really do the trick for your business. Here's an easy one to start off-angle all office monitors so that they are situated at a right angle from the closest windows. This will help eliminate computer glare and lessen employee eye strain. Installing adjustable blinds may seem like a no-brainer, but finding the right allowance of natural light into the office will also hugely reduce computer glare.

Here's another simple tip that surprisingly few offices implement-install dimmers. Give your staff the control to decide what type of lighting they need for their specific tasks. Obviously some jobs need a lot of precision and more light, while others are very computer-based and can stand a little dimming. Your employees will certainly appreciate this personal touch, and their greater productivity will be the proof.

Perhaps your office is due for a bit of an update, or maybe your business is relocating to a new space. If this is the case, consider installing uplighting in key areas of the office. Uplighting is a technique of projecting light upwards toward the ceiling where it can be more easily dispersed throughout the space. Imagine creating an automatic glow that warms up the office every time you flip the light switch. It's a huge improvement over fluorescent glare. To enhance this technique paint your walls with a matte-finish. As opposed to glossy paints which reflect light and create glare, matte-finish absorbs the light and contributes to that warm, glowing environment that can really energize your employees.

If you want to go all out and fix the glare issue from the source, you can install electronic ballasts into your overhead fluorescent lighting. Ballasts will better regulate the lighting output which will eliminate the glare and prevent any sort of flickering or humming that often results from old lighting. The output regulation from the ballasts will also make your office more sustainable and your electric bill significantly smaller. With three positive outcomes, I guess you could call electronic ballasts a win-win-win!

Although it may be easy to overlook as an unnecessary expense, ensuring that the lighting in your workplace is enhancing the work environment instead of impeding it is crucial. These minor adjustments can make a major long-term difference, like happier employees and greater overall productivity, which means-you got it-greater profits! Besides, isn't it time to get your office out of the lighting dark ages?

View the original article here