Whether developing the landscape for a hotel, planning a city space, or restoring a heritage building, lighting is often an afterthought. Lighting is such a basic part of our everyday lives that we often take it for granted. However, lighting is so much more than just illumination, and when used properly it provides some incredible – and unexpected – benefits! Good lighting assures a warm, functional, and memorable atmosphere; hence, providing good lighting is a key aspect in creating unique environments that everyone will want to enjoy!
Selecting the right lighting for a given space may feel like a daunting task even for an architect– there are so many options to choose from it is hard to know where to start! This is why it is important to partner with a lighting professional. I listen to clients to understand their needs, then guide them through the lighting selection and design process. I am also present during the installation phase to ensure the project runs smoothly!
I am happy to share my expertise with you. Whether you are considering a new lighting project or an upgrade to a building, landscape, or public space, let’s talk about how I can help – so you can start reaping the many benefits that good lighting provides!
- Creates a Space that Wows
- Communicates Information and Promotes Functionality
- Grows Tourism
- Reduces Costs and Preserves the Planet
- Fosters a Sense of Community
- Elevates Safety and Security
- Improves Health & Productivity
Creates a Space that Wows
As a business owner or city planner, your goal is to develop a space that stands out and wows! You do not want your project to be just another hotel, shop, or city monument – you want to attract a crowd and give a feeling of exclusivity! Good lighting adds personality to a space and allows you to create a memorable atmosphere where fun experiences and lasting memories are made.
I often hear from homeowners that they are frustrated because their garden or porch is underutilized, and they cannot fully enjoy the space because of poor lighting. We work together to select the right lighting that transforms these spaces into a beautiful and inviting atmosphere where family and friends spend quality time together – and they may even be a bit jealous!
Lighting is not just about “seeing”. It’s about quality time and experiencing a space to its fullest potential. I believe that good lighting is a right not a privilege!
Communicates Information and Promotes Functionality
In a sense, lighting is a language used to communicate information and details about a space. Lighting is a practical tool that is part of our daily lives and can be found in routine activities such as directing commuters or orienting tourists. For example, colored lighting in walls is used to indicate an approaching train so passengers know when to line up and get prepared to board.
Additionally, visitors and tourists rely on lighting to denote essential details about their route such as entrances, exits, touristic paths and other wayfinding information. Because the human eye is attracted to the brightest point, a hierarchy in brightness can be created to guide the people through a space. Good lighting provides efficiency and order to everyday activities.
Illumination is also used for corporate images and branding purposes, helping to create a memorable identity for a business. Companies can employ various design processes, including colored lighting, to produce the desired style and personality of the brand. Lighting is also used by city planners to communicate the personality of a specific district or monument. For example, historical areas or buildings will often select more traditional lighting design whereas modern districts may utilize more edgy lighting designs and techniques.
Grows Tourism
When you think of iconic structures across the world, images of the Basilica La Sagrada Familia, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, or the Sydney Opera House may come to mind. All of these magnificent structures have one thing in common: fabulous illumination! Architecture and monuments must be properly illuminated in order to be fully experienced.
Lighting embellishes the architectural and cultural heritage of a landmark, drawing attention to the history and uniqueness of a city. Thus, city planners and business developers must implement well-designed lighting to enhance the beauty of special structures, giving locals and tourists alike a magical and memorable experience! The quality of lighting solutions has advanced in recent years, allowing for more controls and color-changing options for special occasions that provide incredible light shows that truly bring landmarks to life! Beautification of a city not only provides a sense of pride to its residents but also attracts tourists, boosting the local economy and growing tourism.
Reduces Costs and Preserves the Planet
We all know that money talks! Lighting is one of the biggest energy consumers in a city – but the good news is that the latest lighting solutions are energy efficient and provide significant cost savings over traditional lighting options. There have been many advances in lighting technology in recent years such as solar, trigger-based, and LED lighting solutions – all of which consume less power! Additionally, smart lighting solutions are not only energy efficient but add IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity to enable real-time data collection, monitoring, and diagnostics – reducing maintenance costs and allowing for more-informed decision making by city planners and developers.
Light pollution is defined as excessive and inappropriate artificial light. This may not sound harmful but there are actually many detrimental effects of light pollution including disrupting ecosystems and adversely affecting the well-being of humans and wildlife.
According to Dark Skies Awareness, “Over-lighting the night neither improves visibility nor increases nighttime safety, utility, security, or ambiance. Light pollution affects every citizen. It is a serious environmental concern that wastes money and resources while jeopardizing wildlife, our environment, health, and human heritage. Each of us can implement practical solutions to combat light pollution locally, nationally, and internationally.” Thankfully, light pollution can be minimized with good lighting designs that apply proven techniques that avoid directing light toward the sky.
City planners, business owners, and homeowners ALL have the challenge of finding ways to minimize their carbon footprint as well as the light pollution they generate – we all need to be mindful of the environment when selecting lighting!
Generally speaking, when it comes to lighting – less is best! When compared to traditional lighting options, new lighting solutions consume less energy, require less maintenance, avoid light pollution, and generate less waste and hazardous chemicals such as mercury. By choosing energy-efficient lighting, you are helping protect the environment as well as your bank account – a win-win solution!
Fosters a Sense of Community
Simply put: good lighting is a gift that should be shared with others. Whether it is a treasured monument, a boutique shop, or a home, lighting helps people identify with a space, creating feelings of belonging and connection. Good lighting also builds the community by creating inviting spaces for people to meet, interact, and socialize.
As real estate prices continue to rise, homes are often smaller than we would like. For this reason, parks, gardens and other outdoor spaces are even more important and are often an extension of our home – but this ONLY occurs if the space is inviting and attractive and good lighting is key to achieving this!
Elevates Safety and Security
Added safety and security are some of the key benefits of lighting. By properly illuminating our parks, roads, workplaces, homes, and other spaces, we reduce the risk of accidents and injuries and improve overall safety.
We know criminals look for dim spaces where their activity will go undetected – so it is no surprise that well-lit spaces are proven reduce crime and attract people! Illuminated parks, shopping centers, and other public spaces provide a safe and secure opportunity for the community to interact and enjoy time together.
Additionally, new smart lighting systems allow homeowners and businesses to monitor and adjust settings remotely to give the appearance of an occupied space, further improving safety and security.
Improves Health & Productivity
When you think of the benefits of good lighting, improved health is probably not what comes to mind! But there are many health advantages from both natural and artificial light. Our bodies naturally respond to light by waking up, even during the night. Studies show that urban light pollution enters through our windows at night, disrupting our natural sleep patterns and leading to health issues over time. Fortunately, these issues can be resolved with a good lighting design that provides adequate illumination and avoids light pollution!
Additionally, in the workplace, mood and morale are greatly diminished when the work space is poorly lit. In fact, office atmosphere is directly related to worker productivity: personnel perform better and have less eye strain and fewer headaches when the space is well-lit. Thus, good lighting leads to happier, more productive workers as well as a healthier bottom line!
