Dark falls…the lights turn on and the dream begins!
Never underestimate the importance of lighting to your garden, like in fairy tales, gardens are revived at night. They put on their most dramatic costume and generate a magical atmosphere. Yet illuminating your outdoor space can be quite challenging, as it needs to appear relatively natural and needs to merge with the lighting of the house. An artfully lit landscape needs to be both functional and inspirational.
When designing outdoor lighting, you need to consider the purpose of the lighting along with the basic methods for achieving the desired outcome.
At first glance, a well-planned and executed lighting system should set the boundaries creating a sense of safety and warmth. Lighting the stairs and pathways, which accent the boundary walls will tempt visitors to stroll along freely and even enjoy the pool after dark.
The showcased projects accent all of these challenges.
Located amidst a densely populated area yet nestled in a forest, we kept human intervention to a minimum, creating a landscape that seems like it has always been there. Selecting the appropriate lighting fixtures and effects for these gardens was done meticulously to create a seamless transition between the various entertaining zones.
As the sun sets we are able to hide certain aspects of the landscape and conversely can highlight other elements.
Accent lighting is a form of lighting used most commonly for illuminating walks with subtle light. However, this form of lighting can also be used to highlight key objects and focal points in the surrounding landscape. When adding light to a specific object, it can help create or set a particular mood to the area as well.
Placing these spotlights in an ‘up lighting’ effect helps create a focal point by turning a spot light on it. Recessed in the ground and thus concealed with plants to cast light upwards, these particular fixtures procure a more dramatic effect to the outdoor space and a higher dimension.
Water features and pool lighting techniques are best depicted when one uses multiple small sources rather than few big flood lights. These should be placed pointing away from the viewer's position in the seated area. Narrow beams are also appreciated in this case.
To give a refined ambiance to this narrow water channel, these underwater spots exude visual drama acting as romantic chandeliers
Circulation lighting in landscaped areas should come from a low level diffusing fixture preferably hidden between bushes or shrubs. This will reduce the glare from the exposed source when looking at the landscape from a far angle.
Up lighting a tree will highlight its majestic branching structure
It is vital to know when to diffuse the lighting fixture and when to expose it as it most commonly used on this walkway by lighting one side of the path. A well-lit path is an essential element of landscape lighting whereas dim lights create an attention-grabbing scene.
Preferred area lighting where trees are available is done from inside canopy trees using very small power led or low power mercury source. The installer should make sure that the light emerges from the tree passing through its leaves to get the patterns on the floor as if from a moonlight shadow, thus the name moonlight effect.
In the realm of green architecture, sustainability has also affected lighting technologies that balance efficient performance with controlled environmental damage.
By positioning an architectural structure in such way to maximize daylight and reduce the need for electric lights, by integrating larger number of windows or skylights, motion sensors and timers to minimize wasted energy, both a residential and a commercial structure will abide by the substantial sustainable principles. An accurate lighting plan will not remain indifferent to the environment and to light pollution induced by excessive adverse use. Lighting should be used more efficiently, with less waste and less creation of unwanted or unneeded illumination
This is where outdoor lighting turns to a new generation of products that has emerged: LED (light Emitting Diodes) technology for outdoor lighting is a relatively new technology with a future rather optimistic.
Additionally recent architecture including landscape as well should accredit LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) principles more frequently thus to reduce the amount of light trespass and sky glow.
Lighting is an integral element of the landscape. It should reflect the overall ambiance of the existing architecture and surrounding to make it relatively natural, while at the same time adding value to your space.
Different lighting techniques can give different moods. Whether you will opt for up-lighting, moonlighting, down-lighting, wall washing, cross lighting or a combination of techniques, we can use lighting to bring into prominence the best area of a garden while keeping the out of season portions of the garden in dark.
