Rebecca Mintz
Luminance as an Alternative Metric for Lighting Design
This thesis proposes an alternative metric and standard for lighting design based on luminance—the amount of light reflected off a surface—along with instructions for their use. The luminance metric is an alternative to the current standard of illuminance—the amount of light hitting a surface. The illuminance metric is problematic because humans often make judgments based on light’s reflection and contrast, variables better captured by luminance. Using the design of a conference room as a case study, this project establishes the advantages and feasibility of the luminance metric.