Direct/indirect luminaire systems and methods

A method of lighting an area with a suspended luminaire, comprising:

• providing a luminaire that includes a housing, a first light source, one or more second light sources, and a waveguide that forms at least a portion of an uppermost optical surface of the luminaire, wherein the waveguide is formed of a portion of an optical material and characterized by opposing planar faces joined by one or more edge faces about a periphery of the optical material;
• suspending the luminaire from at least one rigid stem that passes through the waveguide;
• emitting a first light downwardly from the first light source;
• emitting a second light, from the one or more second light sources, into one or more of the edge faces of the waveguide;
• and
• scattering at least a first portion of the second light upwardly from the waveguide, through an upper one of the planar faces.

A luminaire, comprising:

• a housing that forms:
• a horizontal portion, and
• an inner portion that extends upwardly from the horizontal portion, the inner portion being bounded on all horizontal sides by the horizontal portion;
• a downlight that includes one or more first light sources configured to emit a first light downwardly from the housing;
• a waveguide, formed of an optical material and disposed horizontally atop the horizontal portion of the housing, the waveguide forming at least a portion of an uppermost optical surface of the luminaire, wherein:
• the waveguide defines an aperture therethrough, the aperture being sized and shaped to fit about the inner portion of the housing, and
• the waveguide forms one or more edge faces about the aperture;
• a rigid stem that passes through the aperture, and is configured to suspend the luminaire;
• one or more second light sources, coupled with the housing and configured to emit a second light into the optical material through at least one of the one or more edge faces;
• and wherein:
• the waveguide is configured to emit at least a portion of the second light upwardly from an upper surface of the waveguide, and
• the one or more second light sources are coupled with the inner portion of the housing, and emit the second light into at least one of the one or more edge faces of the waveguide.