Warehouses aren’t clean, open spaces. Between machinery, piping, and overhead obstructions, lighting has to fight its way to the floor.
This project focuses on delivering consistent light in a space where a perfectly clear path from fixture to floor simply doesn’t exist.
The Challenge: Obstructions Everywhere
Inside this facility, the ceiling space is active. Mechanical systems, piping, and equipment create partial blockages throughout the building.
Even though these obstructions don’t extend all the way to the floor, they still interfere with light distribution, causing:
- Shadowing beneath equipment
- Uneven light levels across work areas
- Loss of usable output before it reaches the floor
Instead of trying to work around every obstacle individually, the approach here was to design for the environment as a whole.
Lighting Strategy: Overcompensate the Right Way
Rather than chasing perfect precision, the design intentionally pushes higher output levels to ensure performance holds up in real conditions.
A grid of LED high bay fixtures was selected and spaced evenly across the space. The goal was simple:
- Deliver strong vertical and horizontal light output
- Maintain consistency across the full warehouse footprint
- Minimize the impact of overhead obstructions
By increasing overall light levels slightly, the system compensates for the inevitable losses caused by machinery and structure.
Mounting & Layout
The fixtures are installed with a 22-foot mounting height, sitting just below a 24-foot ceiling.
This positioning allows the high bays to:
- Spread light effectively across large open spans
- Push light past mid-level obstructions
- Maintain strong coverage at the working plane
The layout itself follows a clean, uniform grid, a common and proven approach for warehouse environments.
Fixture Selection
A LED high bay fixture was used throughout the space, chosen for its ability to deliver high lumen output with controlled distribution.
This type of fixture is ideal for:
- Industrial environments with high ceilings
- Facilities with partial obstructions
- Large, open floor plans requiring consistent coverage
Photometric Performance
The system achieves an average illumination level of approximately 64.75 foot-candles, providing a bright and highly functional workspace
This level of output ensures:
- Strong visibility across all working areas
- Reduced impact from shadowing and equipment interference
- Reliable lighting for detailed tasks and operations
Why This Layout Works
This design avoids overcomplicating the solution.
Instead of irregular spacing or over-engineering around obstacles, it relies on:
- A consistent fixture grid
- Sufficient light output to overcome losses
- Proper mounting height for optimal spread
It’s a straightforward approach, but one that performs extremely well in real-world warehouse conditions.
Final Outcome
The Polytex warehouse lighting system delivers a clean, dependable result:
- Bright, uniform illumination across the entire facility
- Reduced shadowing despite overhead obstructions
- A simple, scalable layout that fits industry standards
This is a good example of where keeping the design simple leads to the best outcome.
