Architectural area lighting is an essential component of any well-designed space. It is used to illuminate large areas such as parks, building facades, and public spaces during the night. The aim of architectural area lighting is to create an ambiance, enhance the aesthetic appeal and to ensure the safety and security of people within that area.
Architectural area lighting is important for a plethora of reasons. Here are some of the prominent ones:
Architectural area lighting is an essential tool for enhancing the beauty and aesthetic appeal of space. It is often used in public areas such as parks, buildings, and museums to create a warm and inviting environment. When done correctly, the right lighting can even make smaller areas look larger, more welcoming and bring out their unique features.
Architectural area lighting plays an essential role in ensuring safety and security within a space. It is used to illuminate areas such as parking lots, sidewalks, and walkways. Adequate illumination of these areas ensures that pedestrians can move about safely without tripping or running into obstacles. Proper illumination also discourages criminal activity by creating a sense of visibility and discouraging potential perpetrators.
Architectural area lighting is also an essential tool for promoting energy efficiency. The use of LED technology has significantly reduced energy consumption while improving light quality. The energy savings have resulted in significant reduction in operating costs for the spaces that utilize architectural area lighting.
Architectural area lighting comes in many different types, each with its unique strengths and weaknesses.
Post top lighting is the most common type of architectural area lighting. These are luminaires that attach to the top of poles and are used to illuminate pedestrian walkways, paths, and landscaping. They can use either LED or traditional light sources such as high-pressure sodium or metal halide lamps.
Wall-mounted lighting is used to light building facades, entryways, and other areas. Wall-mounted lighting can be designed to create up or down lighting, which casts light upward or downward respectively.
Flood lighting is often used to illuminate large open areas such as sports fields, parking lots, and outdoor stages. These luminaires are typically mounted high above the area to be illuminated, and they provide broad, even illumination.
Bollard lighting is used to illuminate pathways or walkways, and it can be either decorative or functional. Decorative bollards may be used to provide ambiance to the area, while functional bollards provide low-level illumination for pedestrian and traffic safety.
There are several factors to consider when choosing architectural area lighting. They include:
The brightness of the luminaire is essential, especially when it comes to safety and security. The lighting should be bright enough to illuminate the space adequately, and the light should be distributed evenly, without any "hot spots" or excessively bright areas.
The color of the lighting is also important. The color should be chosen to suit the specific space, and the light should not be too harsh or too dim.
Energy efficiency is an important consideration when choosing architectural area lighting. LED technology is the most energy-efficient lighting option, and as such, it should be preferred.
The ease of maintenance of the luminaire is also important. Choosing luminaires that are easy to maintain improves the longevity of the lights and reduces the operating costs.
Architectural area lighting is an essential component of any space, whether it is a public space, building facade, or a park. It can enhance the beauty and ambiance of any space while promoting safety and security. When choosing a suitable lighting option, the brightness, color, energy efficiency, and the ease of maintenance should be carefully considered. The appropriate choice of luminaire ensures that the area is well-lit, cost-effective and that it serve its intended purpose for years to come.
