Solution

Office Lighting Design Guide

UGR, flicker and daylight harvesting.

1. Why it matters

Office lighting is judged on comfort and productivity as much as on lux. People work at screens for hours, so the design must hit the task illuminance without glare, render colour and skin naturally, and increasingly support wellbeing through tunable white and generous daylight integration. Get it right and the space feels effortless; get glare or flicker wrong and staff feel it all day without knowing why.

Design to 300-500 lux on the desk with UGR ≤ 19, CRI ≥ 80 (90 for premium), flicker-free drivers, and daylight + occupancy controls.

2. Targets that define a good office

Parameter	Target	Why
Task illuminance	300-500 lx on the desk	EN 12464-1 office work
Glare (UGR)	≤ 19	Screen comfort
Colour (CRI)	≥ 80 (90 premium)	Natural skin/colour
CCT	3500-4000K neutral	Alert but not clinical
Flicker	Low/none (percent flicker)	Fatigue, camera safe

3. Glare control and layout

Glare, not lux, is what makes an office uncomfortable. Low-UGR luminaires — recessed troffers/panels with proper louvres or micro-prismatic diffusers, or indirect/direct pendants that wash the ceiling — keep bright sources out of the normal line of sight. Position rows parallel to windows and between desk runs so no one faces a bright fixture across the screen.

Prefer UGR ≤ 19 luminaires; add indirect component to soften ceilings.
Run rows parallel to windows to blend with daylight.
Meeting rooms: dimmable + scene control for presentations.
Break-out / social spaces: warmer 3000K, lower lux.

4. Controls, daylight and human-centric options

Offices have abundant daylight and predictable occupancy, so daylight-linked dimming near windows and occupancy/absence detection in cellular rooms cut energy substantially while improving comfort. Beyond savings, tunable-white (human-centric) lighting can shift CCT and intensity through the day — cooler and brighter mid-morning, warmer later — to support alertness and circadian rhythm; specify it where wellbeing is a priority, but always on flicker-free drivers, because visible or invisible flicker undoes the comfort you designed for.

5. Checklist

Design to 300-500 lx on the working plane
Specify UGR ≤ 19 and flicker-free drivers
Use CRI ≥ 80 (90 for client-facing/premium)
Run rows parallel to windows; add daylight dimming
Consider tunable white where wellbeing matters

6. FAQ

What CCT is best for an office — cool or warm?

Neutral 3500-4000K is the mainstream choice: alert enough for focused work without the clinical feel of 5000K+. Use warmer 3000K in break-out and social areas, and consider tunable white if you want to shift cooler in the morning and warmer late in the day for circadian support.

How do I stop screen glare complaints?

Use low-UGR (≤19) luminaires with proper optics, avoid bright bare sources in the field of view, run fixture rows between desk runs and parallel to windows, and control daylight with blinds. If complaints persist, measure UGR and luminance at eye level — the problem is almost always a bright source reflected in the screen, not insufficient lux.

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