Lighting is too often treated as an afterthought—something to be layered on once the “real” architecture is complete. I wrote Architectural Lighting Design to challenge that view. Light is architecture. It defines form, reveals texture, shapes human experience, and underpins spatial rhythm. When approached thoughtfully, lighting design is as fundamental as structure or envelope.
Bring stability, efficiency, and innovation to your architectural vision.
My goal with this book was to create a technical but approachable resource that connects the physics of light with its perceptual, aesthetic, and environmental consequences. It’s a synthesis of what I’ve taught in the classroom, applied in projects, and learned through collaboration with lighting engineers and sustainable design teams.
We begin with the foundations: the behavior of light, the mechanics of vision, and the metrics we use to quantify brightness, color temperature, and glare. From there, I move into the core principles of lighting design—layering, contrast, control—and examine how these principles vary across typologies, from residential interiors to civic plazas.
In Passive House and other energy-conscious projects, lighting is not just a question of watts per square foot. It’s a matter of occupant comfort, circadian rhythm, visual clarity, and even safety. Good lighting design reduces heat gain, enhances thermal zoning, and aligns with broader envelope and mechanical strategies.
Whether you’re working on a net-zero home or a public institution, this book aims to equip you with the tools to use light—not just to see, but to feel, orient, and thrive.
Riley Carter
The Three Core Layers of Lighting
One of the foundational concepts in architectural lighting design is the layered approach, which divides lighting into three core types:
1. Ambient Lighting
This is the base layer—the general, diffused light that defines a room’s overall brightness. It ensures basic visibility and spatial clarity.
2. Task Lighting
Targeted and functional, task lighting supports specific activities such as reading, cooking, or working. It requires precision and attention to glare, intensity, and positioning.
3. Accent Lighting
This is where design meets drama. Accent lighting highlights architectural features, artworks, or textures, guiding the eye and adding visual interest through contrast and shadow.
Daylighting: Harnessing the Power of the Sun
The book emphasizes that daylighting is not a passive bonus, but a core architectural strategy. Controlled use of natural light improves circadian health, reduces energy loads, and enriches material expression.
Design principles include:
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Orienting openings for solar gain and glare reduction
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Using light shelves and louvers to distribute light deeper
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Leveraging thermal mass to moderate daylight heat impact
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Using glazing ratios and surface reflectance to enhance distribution
Lighting and Human Health
Modern lighting design cannot ignore the growing field of human-centric lighting. Riley Carter explains how light affects the body:
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Circadian rhythm regulation through intensity and color temperature
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The psychological effects of brightness, contrast, and flicker
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The role of dynamic lighting systems in simulating natural cycles
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Avoiding blue-light disruption in nighttime environments
Integrated Lighting: Design from the Start, Not as an Add-On
A central thesis in the book is that lighting must be integrated from the earliest design stages. Carter breaks down how to:
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Coordinate lighting with ceiling plans, HVAC systems, and structural grids
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Choose lighting systems based on function and user behavior
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Incorporate both natural and artificial sources for balanced schemes
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Avoid retrofit errors caused by late-stage lighting decisions
This integration ensures lighting performs visually, thermally, and psychologically, not just electrically.
Energy Efficiency and Control Systems
Architectural lighting design today must meet performance goals, not just visual quality. This includes:
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Selecting LED systems with high CRI (Color Rendering Index)
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Using occupancy sensors, daylight dimming, and zoning
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Optimizing power density (W/m² or W/ft²) to meet code and sustainability benchmarks
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Managing glare and heat while minimizing load
Common Mistakes in Architectural Lighting Design
The book highlights recurring design failures and how to avoid them:
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Overlighting: Using too much uniform light, resulting in flat, lifeless spaces
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Glare: Poor placement of fixtures causing visual discomfort
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Inflexibility: Systems that cannot adapt to different times, uses, or moods
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Disconnected design: Lighting choices made after architectural drawings are finalized
Case Studies and Practical Frameworks
Carter supports the theory with case studies of residential, commercial, and institutional projects, showing:
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How to adapt lighting strategies by building type and program
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The value of mockups and simulations in achieving precision
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Cost-effective phasing for projects with tight budgets
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How to document lighting intent in technical drawings and specs
Lighting for the Future: Resilience, Emotion, and Identity
The final chapters of the book argue that lighting is a tool for meaning. It shapes how we remember spaces, how we feel in them, and how they perform over time. Architectural lighting must:
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Be resilient to future change in function and energy context
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Evoke emotion, identity, and place
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Adapt to climate, culture, and technology shifts
Architectural Lighting Design by Riley Carter is not just a technical manual—it’s a strategic framework for designing light as a material of architecture. From solar geometry to spectral sensitivity, from energy code to emotional response, lighting is explored as a fully integrated, human-centered design tool.
Whether you’re an architect, interior designer, builder, or student, this work offers a complete guide to shaping light with purpose, rigor, and creativity.