Residential lighting design
From AED 1,832 / room
Design only for one agreed room: concept, fixture layout, recommendations and scene intent. Hardware, installation, site visits and commissioning quoted separately.
Lighting design
Architectural Lighting Design & Control Consultancy in Dubai
Lighting designed for architecture, comfort and experience. I provide lighting design and lighting control consultancy for luxury villas, apartments, hotels, retail spaces, offices and commercial environments.
8.1
Architectural lighting design
- Interior lighting concepts
- Exterior lighting concepts
- Architectural feature lighting
- Ambient, task and accent lighting
- Decorative lighting coordination
- Indirect and cove lighting
- LED strip lighting
- Wall washing and wall grazing
- Facade lighting
- Landscape lighting integration
- Lighting scenes and zoning
- Lighting control strategy
I coordinate with:
- Architects
- Interior designers
- Electrical consultants
- MEP contractors
- Lighting suppliers
- Automation contractors
Calculations
Lighting calculations and technical analysis
- Illuminance and lux level assessment
- Lighting uniformity assessment
- Luminaire distribution review
- Lighting power assessment
- Glare consideration
- Technical lighting reports
Detailed calculations require real project information:
- Architectural drawings
- Room dimensions and ceiling heights
- Surface reflectance assumptions
- Luminaire photometric data (IES/LDT files)
- Applicable design criteria
Every report I prepare is based on the actual project data supplied — never on assumed or generic figures.
Scope note: which calculation software and output format are used is agreed per project in writing. Where a formal photometric calculation is required that falls outside my agreed scope, I coordinate it with the lighting designer or supplier rather than presenting it as my own.
Schedules
Lighting load schedule & circuit engineering
I prepare, coordinate and review technical lighting schedules. Typical fields:
- Room name and lighting reference
- Fixture type, manufacturer, model and quantity
- Wattage per fixture and total connected load
- Supply voltage and circuit reference
- Control type and dimming protocol
- Colour temperature and beam angle
- Driver type, capacity and power supply
- Mounting type and comments
For spotlights / downlights
- Beam angle
- Wattage
- Colour temperature (CCT)
- Dimming method / protocol
- Driver type and location
- Ceiling cut-out size
- Installation / mounting notes (trim, recess depth, IP rating)
For LED strips
- Length (m) and watts per metre
- Total connected wattage and voltage
- Power supply capacity and driver quantity
- CCT and IP rating where relevant
Lighting designer / supplier
Supplies the finalised luminaire specifications and photometric information.
Electrical / MEP engineer
Responsible for electrical circuit design and applicable protection requirements.
Automation engineer (my role)
Coordinates control circuits, dimming compatibility, control loads, channel allocation, DALI addressing and integration.
Where I'm engaged to prepare schedules, the scope and source information are defined in writing first. I don't invent fixture specifications.
Tunable white
I design white light that changes with your space.
With tunable white, you adjust two things separately: how bright the light is, and its colour temperature, from warmer white to cooler white. You can have a soft, warm white in the evening and a more neutral or cooler white for focused work in the same room.
The exact range depends on the luminaire and driver specified. Tunable white is not the same as dim-to-warm, where light gets warmer only as it dims, or RGB colour-changing light. I don't promise sleep, health or circadian benefits; I design for comfort, mood and the way you use the space.
Matched equipment
Luminaires, drivers and controller must all support colour-temperature control. I check compatibility before anything is specified.
DALI-2 DT8 (Tc)
For DALI projects I specify drivers to DALI device type 8, colour temperature (Tc), defined in IEC 62386 Part 209.
KNX and other systems
With KNX, I use a KNX-DALI gateway only where it supports colour-temperature control. Not every Lutron, Dynalite or KNX product supports every fixture, so I confirm it per project.
Scenes and schedules
I set up scenes, time schedules and manual override, so you stay in control whatever the automation is doing.
Consistency
I check dimming smoothness and colour consistency between fittings, ideally with a mockup before full installation.
Commissioning checks
At commissioning I check that every group reaches the expected range and matches its neighbours.
Technical reference: DALI Alliance — colour control (DT8).
Control
Intelligent lighting control design
- KNX
- Lutron
- Philips Dynalite
- DALI
- 0-10V
- Casambi
- Wireless lighting control
- Lighting control architecture
- Dimming strategy and circuit grouping
- Scene programming
- Occupancy and daylight sensors
- Time and astronomical schedules
- Keypad and interface selection
- DALI addressing and KNX group addresses
- Controller and actuator selection
- Load compatibility review
- Lighting control panel design
- System integration and commissioning
Lighting control integrates with:
- Home automation
- HVAC
- Curtains and blinds
- Occupancy
- AV
- Hospitality GRMS
- Energy management
Spaces
Lighting design by project type
Luxury villa lighting
Apartment lighting
Hotel lighting
Guest room lighting control
Retail lighting
Showroom lighting
Office lighting
Meeting room lighting
Facade lighting
Landscape lighting
Home cinema lighting
Deliverables
Lighting design deliverables
- Lighting concept
- Lighting layout
- Fixture schedule
- Lighting load schedule
- Control circuit schedule
- Dimming schedule
- Lighting scene schedule
- Lighting control drawings
- DALI control strategy
- KNX integration strategy
- Lighting BOQ review
- Technical specifications
- Control panel schedules
- Testing and commissioning reports
Deliverables depend on the agreed project scope.
Fees
Lighting design starting fees
Office / meeting-room lighting design
From AED 2,984 / room
Design only for one agreed room: concept, fixture layout, recommendations and scene intent. Specialised calculations or simulation quoted separately unless included.
Starting design fees; final quote depends on scope. Indicative starting rates. Final scope, deliverables, travel and applicable tax treatment confirmed in a written quotation before work starts.
Frequently asked questions
Do you prepare lighting calculations?
Yes, where the project provides the information needed: drawings, room dimensions, ceiling heights, reflectance assumptions and the luminaire photometric files (IES/LDT). I don't produce calculations without real project data.
Who designs the electrical circuits?
The electrical/MEP designer is responsible for circuit design and protection. I coordinate control circuits, dimming compatibility, channel allocation, DALI addressing and integration.
Which lighting control systems do you work with?
KNX, Lutron, Philips Dynalite, DALI, 0-10V, Casambi and wireless lighting control.
What is the difference between tunable white and dim-to-warm?
Tunable white lets you adjust brightness and colour temperature independently, so you can choose a warmer or cooler white at any level. Dim-to-warm links the two: the light gets warmer automatically as it dims, and you can't set colour temperature on its own. RGB or colour-changing lighting mixes coloured light and is a different product again.
Can I retrofit tunable white into an existing system?
Sometimes. It depends on whether the luminaires, drivers, wiring and controller all support colour-temperature control. A DALI system needs DT8 (Tc) capable drivers and a controller or gateway that can send colour-temperature commands. I review your existing equipment before recommending a retrofit, and often a mockup is the safest first step.