Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1333960
138 Understanding the project e design process Understanding the space Understanding building structures Organising the space Sustainable design Communicating design e human interface Light Light and colour are intimately linked. Both natural and artifi cial light plays a major role in shaping the decorative scheme. Many projects would benefi t from the creative and technical input off ered by specialist lighting designers, and if they are to be involved it is important that they are brought in to the project at the earliest feasible stage. Ideally, this will be before any major planning or design decisions have been made. If the project is small scale and the interior designer is ready to take on the role of lighting designer, it is still advisable to consider the lighting scheme right from the start rather than as an a erthought. e best eff ects and schemes are conceived when light is given equal status with the planning of the space. If the project requires the planning and installation of a completely new lighting scheme, then it might be appropriate to allocate as much as 30 per cent of the budget to lighting. at fi gure may be surprising, but it serves to underline the importance of good lighting to the success of a design proposal. When designing a lighting scheme, a ention should be paid to the proposed colours and fi nishes, as these have a large bearing on how eff ective the lighting is. Natural light Before creating a lighting scheme, the eff ects of natural light within a space should be understood. How does light travel through the space? How does it vary with time of day and time of year? Would changes to the size, position or number of windows benefi t the scheme? Is the landscape immediately outside the windows responsible for modifying the light that enters the building? Understanding all these points can be diffi cult when the designer usually only has a very brief period in which they can experience the space for themselves at fi rst hand, but research should be undertaken to allow a complete picture to be built up. Only once that is complete is it possible to decide how artifi cial light can be added to augment the space.