lightingwith

Lightingwith is a term used in design discourse to describe an approach to illumination that intentionally integrates lighting with architectural form, interior finishes, color, acoustics, and user experience. Rather than treating lighting as a separate layer, lightingwith seeks to coordinate luminaires, daylight, materials, and controls to shape perception, mood, and functionality.

The concept emphasizes layered lighting: ambient, task, and accent lighting that can be adjusted for different activities and times of day. It relies on planning early in the design process, using digital tools for daylight simulation and BIM to model light distribution. Luminaires are selected for compatibility with materials and for flexibility, including dimming, tunable white, and smart controls. The approach also foregrounds glare control, color rendering, and circadian considerations to support wellbeing.

The term emerged in design discourse in the 2010s and 2020s and is not a formal standard. It is used by some architectural and lighting firms to describe an integrated design philosophy and to brand multidisciplinary collaboration.

Applications include architecture and interior design, offices, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and cultural institutions. Lightingwith informs daylighting strategies, material choices, and schedules for artificial lighting to complement natural light and acoustic considerations.

Evaluation of lightingwith outcomes relies on user comfort, task performance, energy efficiency, and daylight utilization. While standards from professional bodies (for example IES/IESNA, CIBSE) provide metrics, there is no separate certification for lightingwith.

See also: lighting design, human-centric lighting, daylighting, color rendering, smart lighting, circadian lighting.