Ambient light
In its broadest sense, the word ambient refers to the immediate surroundings of something.
The Loss Prevention Code of Practice CoP 0001 Issue 1.0, Code of Practice for visual alarm devices used for fire warning, published by BRE Global in 2012 suggests that the ambient light level is: ‘the light level normally present in an area of a building’.
Ambient lighting, sometimes referred to as background lighting or mood lighting is typically a type of lighting that creates a soft glow, gently illuminating an area without causing glare. Indirect light fixtures such as upward facing wall lights can be effective at creating ambient lighting.
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