Lighting can be a very powerful and effective tool that is often underused in landscape. Frequently the approach to lighting in the landscape has a concentration on lighting for safety, and lighting for mood or effect is often forgotten. Where there is a relationship between the lighting engineers and landscape architect it is possible to create lighting schemes that enhance the design of a space. At night different parts of a scheme can be highlighted, and shadows used to draw attention to architectural details. Lighting can be used in a more focussed manner to add drama to a scheme.
Lighting does not just have to be used at night. It can be used to improve the quality of light in enclosed areas and in areas of shade created by buildings. In the UK natural light in winter can be very poor during the limited daylight hours, careful lighting can make spaces more attractive and practical.
Lighting suppliers will often talk of the ‘temperature’ of light. They don’t mean the heat of the light, rather the colour. From a warm reddish glow, to bright blue spotlights, the temperature can not only change the mood but also change the way that we perceive space and colours within the space. The standard sodium streetlight shows how a coloured light can completely change how we see colours.
The latest technology in LEDs has transformed the industry and offers designers many more options. The small size and high efficiency of LEDs mean that lighting can be used in new ways. In some ways designers are just catching up with the possibilities.
When the lights are out the physical form of light stands or bollards comes in to it’s own. High quality light stands can be used as street furniture, or even sculpture. Selection of the right family of light stands, bollards, and other lights can really make a scheme.
Article by Dan Martyr, CMLI, Landscape Architect
