Lighting in Tropics: The Interplay Between Reflectance, Illuminance, and Visual Perception in an Architecture Studio

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-632-6_26How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Reflectance; Illuminance; Visual Perception; Architectural Elements; Tropical Climate

Abstract

In the Global South, architectural design is informed by environmental, material availability, and adaptability. In this context, architectural elements with light are essential for creating a comfortable visual. This study examines the relationship between surface reflectance, illuminance levels, and visual perception in two architecture studios at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya. A correlational strategy was used by combining field measurement, DIALux simulation, and a closed-ended questionnaire. Illuminance data were collected over four days, while simulations quantified the reflectance of walls, floors, and ceilings. User perception was evaluated using a Likert-scale questionnaire that covered brightness, distribution, glare, adequacy, relaxation, comfort, eye strain, satisfaction, productivity, and color quality. Results show that surface reflectance has a significant impact on indoor illuminance (R² = 0.77). Despite illumination levels below national standards, users perceived the lighting as neutral, indicating user adaptation to the lighting environment. A strong correlation was found between satisfaction and productivity (β = 0.74, p < 0.001, R² = 0.55, meaning that higher satisfaction with light is in line with high productivity in the studios. These findings demonstrate that in tropical countries, the variations in surface reflectance significantly influence illuminance and visual perception.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Nurfadilah Fathan
AU  - Ima Defiana
AU  - Asri Dinapradipta
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/13
TI  - Lighting in Tropics: The Interplay Between Reflectance, Illuminance, and Visual Perception in an Architecture Studio
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Architectural Research and Design (ARDC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 416
EP  - 427
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-632-6_26
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-632-6_26
ID  - Fathan2026
ER  -