Hospital Design ElementsLighting and Ceiling

Lighting

What is Lighting ?

Lights are the equipment of a room, building, or street for producing light.Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. Day lighting (using windows, skylights, or light shelves) is sometimes used as the main source of light during daytime in buildings. This can save energy in place of using artificial lighting, which represents a major component of energy consumption in buildings. Proper lighting can enhance task performance, improve the appearance of an area, or have positive psychological effects on occupants.

Ref:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighting

Basic types of artificial lights ?There are three basic types of lighting that work together

Ambient (general lighting)

Provides an area with overall illumination. Also known as general lighting, it radiates a comfortable level of brightness without glare

Task lighting

Helps you perform specific tasks, such as reading, grooming, preparing and cooking food, 

Accent lighting

Adds drama to a room by creating visual interest. As part of an interior design scheme, it is used to draw the eye to houseplants, paintings, sculptures and other prized possessionshttps://www.americanlightingassoc.com/Lighting-Fundamentals/3-Types-of-Lighting.aspx

Comparison in between two hospitals

Agha Khan Hospital

AKUH started operations in 1985, It has 599 beds in operation, which includes Private, Semi-Private air-conditioned rooms, General Ward ect.

Liaquat national Hospital

LNH is serving the society for the last 56 years, this non-profit organization, which started out with four outpatient services and 50 beds, has now approximately 700 beds covering an area of nearly 53 acres with 30 medical and surgical specialties providing both inpatient and outpatient services

http://hospitals.aku.edu/karachi/aboutus/HospitalOverview/Pages/Home.aspx /http://www.lnh.edu.pk/about.php

AKU have well designed street light, some of them powered by solar panel and have LED lights in it other have warm halogen lights, And they install the lights with the gap of 50 running feet

LNH have Traditional poles for street lighting with halogen light, and they install them only in specific place like green areas and roads

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting Starting with Street lights

AKU

Street light have one problem they get dirty by bird beats

LNH

As well as LNH street lights have angular design so bird beat can only less effect on it

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting Starting with Street lights

AKU

Have good and soft ambient lighting they maximum used diffused spot light

LNH

As well as LNH mostly used florescent tubes which is less comfortable for eyes and also out of fashion

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting Interior Lighting

AKU Staff and Doctor’s

They used spot and bounce lighting with hanging lamps

AKU General cafeteria

They use bounce florescent tube lighting

LNH General cafeteria

They have this general cafeteria which only have open savers in it

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting Cafeteria lighting

AKU

Have good soft and warm lights they used florescent tubes and spot lights in interior

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting Interior Lighting

LNH

They also used florescent tubes and

spot lights in interior but they use white lights

every where

AKU

Have good sitting with diffuse down light so people can only see the benches and floor not a person’s face

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting Exterior Lighting

LNH

Have the old concrete benches which are less

comfortable

AKU

Have separate space for ATM with spotlights

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting ATM Lighting

LNH

Bank install the ATM design covering but its

unsecure

AKU

Have this kind of concrete cylinders with have warm diffuse light in it for glowing the path

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lighting Path Lighting

LNH

Have this kind of path lights which is white

and bright

AKU

Have warm lighting inside but it doesn’t have exterior building lights

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lightingBuilding Lighting

LNH

Have white intense lighting in side but outer building face

have no light

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lightingAKU Accent Lighting

AKU use this contemporary LED lights for accent lighting

These LED lights save more cost because its energy efficient and long lasting

Comparison in between AKU and LNH lightingAmbient LightingAKU use this diffuse lighting theme which is warm in color and very relaxing

CEILING

What is Ceiling ?

A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is not generally considered a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above.

In our case AKU mostly used gypsum panel ceiling and LNH used 2X2 suspended board ceiling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceiling

Basic types of Ceiling?There are three basic types of ceiling

Concealed ceiling

Mostly Gypsum board used in this type of ceiling which is available in 4’ X 8’, 2’ X 2’, 2’ X 4’ sizes, MDF is also used but its not water resistant

Suspended Panel ceiling

 In this type two sizes of panels are mostly used 24 X 24 and 24 X 48 which can be in different materials like Gypsum thermopore ect.

Plaster and Metal lathe Ceiling

Plaster is mostly used in ceiling but when we have canopy type of roof then we use use metal lathe ceiling for flating the roof

AKU have designed concrete ceilings which is more aesthetically good but the problem of these ceiling is to maintain them because they get dirty

LNH have Traditionally flat concrete slab ceiling but this kind of ceiling don’t get dirty easily

Comparison in between AKU and LNH Ceiling Concrete ceilings

AKU also have flat and taper designed concrete ceilings which is more cost saving and these ceilings have

Comparison in between AKU and LNH Ceiling Concrete ceilings

Comparison in between AKU and LNH Ceiling Ceiling design

AKU mostly have flat gypsum ceilings which is more aesthetically appealing with spot lights and modern AC diffusers

LNH have old style 2 x 2 panel ceiling with old style ac diffusers and lights

Basic visitor’s interview

Interview with visitors

AKU

Mostly visitors like the AKU environment because its well design and very mind refreshing but as for lighting, Visitor like the accent lighting but they also complain about low lighting which made them feel sick but some of them liked it because they feel refreshing in these kind of lights because AKU mostly used warm lights

LNH

Mostly visitors didn’t like LNH environment because they feel that they are in hospital and this feel made them to think about their illness, and they don’t have recreation areas for mind refreshment instead of grass lawn but in interior they have bright white lighting which makes them patient and visitor more energetic,

Thank you