Architectural lighting will do more than just illuminate a space. It has the potential to influence the appearance of walls, ceilings, furniture and decorative surfaces all day long. In professional projects, it is not enough to merely look at brightness when making a selection of lights. Designers and contractors must take into account light quality, installation procedures, control possibilities, durability of the components and the integration of all of these elements within the design.
Start With the Project Purpose
Always aim to determine the lighting equipment that will enable the installation to accomplish the desired results before making a selection. Soft, architectural lighting is needed in a hotel lobby, whereas a display in a retail store needs controlled and strong lighting. There are other requirements for residential interiors, especially when lighting is housed in cabinets, ceilings or decorative surfaces.
Therefore, when choosing a High end LED product, one should choose an LED product that is suitable for the application, not appearance. Think about how the lighting will be used as part of general illumination, to accent a feature, to help highlight materials or to produce an indirect glow. If you know why you should buy it, then you will find it easier to make decisions about later products.
Consider Light Quality
The quality of light can make a significant impact on the material of architecture. The color temperature and color rendering of the light source can make it look different on stone, wood, painted surfaces, glass and fabrics.
If the appearance of the materials is important, consider color rendering, color consistency, brightness and color temperature. Lighting that can be adjusted or tuned can also be beneficial in situations where the room has multiple uses throughout the day or night or requires different lighting levels.
Uniform illumination is also important. Lighting should be installed inside shallow spaces to avoid the distraction of visibility in bright spots and to maintain clean architectural lines. An appropriate diffuser, profile or well-designed LED system can help to achieve an even look.
Match Lighting With Installation
The type of lighting installation should be taken into consideration prior to ordering components. Each of these types of lighting recessed, surface-mounted, concealed strips and suspended has its own solutions.
An architectural aluminum channel can give a functional mounting solution and an aesthetically pleasing look to the finished product. These channels can be used to properly position LED strips and facilitate the use of a diffuser to create a diffuse point of light. They are especially helpful if the lighting should be directed in straight lines, corners, cabinetry, ceiling, etc.
The space to be used must also be carefully measured. All the dimensions of the channel, width of the strip, mounting depth and clearance for the diffuser should be coordinated. When planning these details, it can minimize the need for adjustments to be made when the job is installed later.
Check Heat Management
Although LED lighting can be effective, there is still a need for heat management for long-lasting performance. More powerful systems can generate more heat, notably in confined spaces.
Aluminum profiles can be used to provide thermal removal from the LED components and to also produce a neat installation. The profile should be appropriate for the LED system that will be employed, however. It is not enough to select a larger profile to make it appropriate.
When installing, you should also take into consideration the ventilation, mounting surfaces, operating times and light power of the lighting. These details are of greater significance in any commercial project where lighting can be in operation over a long period of time.
Plan Power and Controls
There’s more to a complete lighting system than just the LED. The power supply, dimmer, controller, connectors and wiring should be compatible with the lighting chosen.
Verify the necessary voltage and overall power consumption prior to installation. Some planning may be necessary for long runs, as there are also additional considerations of voltage drop and brightness and consistency. If a large installation is available, it may be divided into appropriate parts, which makes power distribution easier.
Controls need to be used for the intended purpose. For simple applications, a basic dimmer might be enough, but for architectural projects, a programmable dimmer or multi-zone dimmer control system can be used. Planning control at the design stage prevents unnecessary changes to the project at a high cost after installation.
Think About Maintenance
Professional lighting should be easy to maintain and be appealing. Think about the case when replacement or inspection is required; how easy or difficult it will be to access components.
Profiles, drivers, connectors and LED sections should be installed where reasonable access can be provided, without causing damage to finished surfaces. This is especially crucial when it comes to commercial interiors, where repairs might be required without the significant disruption of the regular schedule.
Helpful documentation is also a plus. If the specifications, wiring, power supplies, and control settings of a product are known, maintenance in the future will be much easier.
Conclusion
No one product is a complete solution for lighting any architectural application. This will depend on the design, installation, light quality, operating conditions, power requirements, and the control system requirements. All of these should be coordinated prior to installation, using a well-drafted specification. Choosing lighting products and related elements together as a system is often more consistent and manageable because the results are often more predictable. For those who are considering an architectural lighting project, richealighting.com offers a variety of LED lighting products and components that can be used for various lighting projects.
