When it comes to office design, businesses often focus on layout, colors, and furniture. Meanwhile, lighting is often considered the final finishing element — something that is decided after almost everything else has been completed.
In reality, lighting is an important element of the workplace. It is not simply about providing enough light to see; it also affects cognitive abilities, mental well-being, and employees’ long-term health. One study found that 68% of employees complained about the lighting in their offices, highlighting the importance of proper lighting planning to ensure visual comfort, reduce eye strain and headaches, and support a healthy circadian rhythm.
This means that lighting design is no longer simply a matter of “having enough light to work.” Instead, it has become part of a human-centered design strategy. In this article, APES will explore lighting design in the workplace and how it can be adapted to different business sizes.
1. Lighting shapes how people work more than we think
The human brain responds not only to workload but also to the surrounding environment. An office with lighting that is too harsh can easily create feelings of stress and eye strain. Lighting that is too dim can cause employees to quickly lose focus and affect their visual health. Meanwhile, evenly distributed lighting with glare control and proper placement helps people maintain their focus for longer periods of time.
More importantly, lighting also plays a role in regulating the circadian rhythm. Higher color temperature lighting during the day stimulates the body to produce cortisol — a hormone that increases alertness and the ability to process information. When light intensity and color temperature change appropriately over time, the body can also maintain a more natural working state more easily.
2. An effective lighting system is not designed around the principle of “one type of lighting for every space”
A common mistake in many offices is using the same lighting system throughout the entire floor plan. However, each area of an office supports different types of work activities, which means its lighting needs are also different.
A well-designed lighting system should not only meet illuminance requirements but also align with the function of each space. In other words, lighting should support the way people work, rather than forcing people to adapt to the lighting.
3. Key principles of office lighting design
An effective lighting system is not determined by the type of light fixtures used or the number of fixtures installed. The true value of lighting design lies in its ability to create a working environment that suits the way people work, while meeting requirements for functionality, health, and spatial experience. To achieve this, the design process typically begins with the three core principles below.
In modern workplace design, natural light is always prioritized over artificial lighting solutions. It not only helps save energy but also provides clear benefits for health and work performance.
According to research from Cornell University, employees working in environments with sufficient natural light experienced up to an 84% reduction in symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, and drowsiness, significantly improving their ability to focus and their work productivity.
(Source: Internet)
However, making the most of natural light is not simply about increasing the amount of glazing. It requires a comprehensive approach to space planning, light orientation, workspace placement, and glare control solutions.
In many office projects, architects position workspaces close to sources of natural light, combine them with light-filtering curtains to reduce direct radiation, and arrange computer screens perpendicular to windows to minimize reflections that can cause eye strain.
One of the most common mistakes in office design is using the same type of lighting for every space. In reality, each area of an office supports different types of work activities and requires its own lighting solution. Therefore, modern lighting design is often based on the principle of “Layered Lighting,” combining multiple layers of light to meet different usage needs.
Ambient Lighting provides uniform illumination throughout the space. Task Lighting is added in areas that require a high level of precision, such as individual workspaces, design desks, or meeting rooms. According to the Illuminating Engineering Society, the appropriate use of task lighting can help reduce eye strain by up to 51% during work. In addition, Accent Lighting is used to highlight materials, architectural features, or brand elements, helping add depth and emotion to the space.
Lighting differs not only in intensity but also in quality. The two most important parameters that need to be considered during the design process are color temperature (Kelvin) and illuminance (Lux). For workspaces, neutral white to cool white lighting (4,000K–5,000K) is commonly selected because it creates a sense of alertness and supports sustained concentration.
Meanwhile, spaces such as pantries, lounges, or rest areas are better suited to warm lighting (2,700K–3,000K) to create a more relaxing atmosphere and help employees transition out of an intensive work state.
In terms of lighting intensity, general work areas should typically maintain around 300–500 lux, while areas requiring a high level of precision, such as design workspaces, drawing review areas, or document-processing areas, may require 500–1,000 lux.
Instead of applying a single standard across the entire office, distributing color temperature and lighting levels according to each area can create a richer experience while supporting people in working effectively in different contexts.
4. Case study: how APES designed lighting for the Tolead office
A typical example of the role of lighting design in an office project is the Tolead Logistics project, carried out by APES at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Instead of treating the lighting system as a final finishing element, APES integrated lighting design from the concept development stage to ensure it was coordinated with the layout, materials, and function of each space.
The work area uses a LED Linear lighting system combined with neutral white light to create uniform illumination, reduce shadows on work surfaces, and help employees maintain focus throughout the workday.
(Tolead Hanoi Office – Image source: Nguyen Thai Thach – Thien Thach Photo)
For the pantry and reception areas, warmer-toned lighting is used in combination with light-colored wood materials to create a more welcoming and relaxing atmosphere while encouraging greater connection among employees.
(Tolead Hanoi Office – Image source: Nguyen Thai Thach – Thien Thach Photo)
The spotlight system is strategically positioned to highlight material surfaces, architectural features, and brand elements, while adding visual depth to the space without the need for excessive decorative details.
In particular, the lighting system was carefully coordinated with the glass partition system and open layout, allowing light to spread more evenly across work areas and reducing the sense of confinement often found in offices with limited floor space. At the same time, this solution continues to meet the specific operational security and fire safety requirements of the airport area.
The result is a workplace that not only meets technical standards but also provides a comfortable visual experience for its users.
