The Effect of Lighting the Buildings on the Perception of People from the Color Temperature of Light

Abstract

Considering the exclusive position of lighting in life and especially in the night lives of towns, presenting some principles to optimize the lighting procedures of contemporary buildings and historical edifices are of utmost importance in urban matters. There are several standards for colors and lights to be used in the interiors of buildings, but not so many principles can be found for the exteriors and facades of buildings. Moreover, in the lighting of buildings, mostly matters such as functionality, aesthetics, and security issues have been taken into account while issues such as optimum energy use and visual perception have been neglected. In the present study, the above mentioned matters as well as the sense of relief induced by the lighting and its colors have been investigated; the latter point brings about reduced energy use in different seasons. The respondents in this study did not regard the temperature of the colors and answered the questionnaire according to the feelings they got from the colors. The results show that individuals get a feeling of warmth from colors such as white, red, orange, and yellow; this finding can be used to change the lighting of buildings to warm colors throughout cold seasons. Furthermore, the respondents reported a feeling of cold from colors like cold white, blue, and purple; accordingly, this finding can be used in warm seasons, especially in areas with hot and dry weather. The application of cold colors in such areas can reduce the amount of used energy. In addition, in order to apply a lighting project and use the facilities of artificial lighting, one must acquire the required knowledge of its technicalities and facilities; then, these facilities are to be evaluated through technical factors so that a proper optimized pattern for providing aesthetics as well as visual relief along with reduced energy use can be proposed.