Exploring the aesthetics and benefits of acoustic lighting

What is acoustic lighting?

Acoustic lighting involves integrating sound-absorbent materials into light fixtures, enabling them to dampen sound waves and reduce reverberation in indoor spaces. This feature is particularly beneficial in office settings, open-plan designs or general echoing areas, where excessive noise can significantly hinder productivity through distraction.

“Acoustic lighting is a smart combination of a light source with sound-absorbing material. This is the ideal solution for sound reduction in offices and other spaces, with the added benefit of being a feature or understated, depending on the desired interior aesthetic,” says ​Laurie Giraudeau, Sales Director at Lucian Architectural Lighting.

Delta Light’s range of acoustic lighting solutions provides stylish illumination while helping with sound reduction. The highly sound-absorbent PET felt panels and additional absorbent materials ensure a significant decrease in disruptive sounds. This results in a more comfortable, quieter ambience, making concentrating and communicating easier.

The features of acoustic lighting

Reverberation time is a way to test the acoustics of a room; essentially the duration for sound to decline by 60 decibels after the sound source stops. Excessive reverberation can lead to echoes and overall auditory discomfort. Different rooms have different recommended reverberation times based on their specific usage. For example, open-plan offices should have a reverberation time of less than one second, while meeting rooms can achieve a maximum of 0.6 seconds, which select Delta Light panels can reach. The materials used in the room's construction, such as carpeted floors versus concrete or ceramic tiles, will further affect this.

“We are finding more office environments are embracing not just flexible working areas with hot-desking and breakout spaces, but favouring open ceilings and visible services,” says Laurie.

Innovation consulting and research studio, Creax utilised Delta Light's Soliscape for their loft-style offices, adding an industrial flair with the black lights contrasting against white exposed brick walls. The linear design is deftly suspended above work desks to improve sound absorption and concentration for their employees.

The benefits of acoustic lighting

Clients and designers praise the innovation, particularly in large, open-plan office spaces. Integrating lighting and sound absorption elements allows for more versatile interiors that address the challenges of modern commercial applications.

“In the ever-changing design world of commercial projects, where large, open-plan office spaces are preferred, the need for isolating areas with acoustic features cannot be underestimated to improve the comfort and productivity of employees and clients,” says Laurie.

“Combining lighting and sound-absorbing elements helps answer these challenges and offers versatile design concepts for architects,” adds Giraudeau.

The headquarters of a non-dairy cheese manufacturer, Formo, utilised the Delta Light Soliscape 52 for their exposed services ceilings. The white linear designs hang above the reception, boardrooms and various communal spaces. Blending in with the exposed pipes and beams, the lights illuminate the areas while providing sound absorption to the warehouse interior design.

Acoustic lighting installation process

Selecting and installing acoustic lighting typically involves collaboration between lighting consultants, acoustic engineers, architects and interior designers. Lucian Architectural Lighting will work with the functionality and aesthetics of each project to ensure the chosen fixtures align with the space's purpose and design theme.

“In commercial environments, selecting acoustic lighting is done in collaboration with lighting consultants and acoustic engineers. The selection will be based on the application and aesthetics, so the architects and interior designers also play a pivotal role in the selection process,” explains Laurie.

Acoustic lighting offers an innovative solution for combining style, illumination and sound reduction. By integrating sound-absorbing materials into light fixtures, specifiers can address the growing need for improved acoustics in contemporary open-plan office spaces and various commercial environments. Lucian Architectural Lighting’s knowledge of acoustic lighting assists specifiers to ensure spaces are transformed into beautifully lit and acoustically comfortable environments.

View the extensive Lucian Architectural Lighting range on ArchiPro.