Architectural Lighting Part II

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A lighting designer, or ‘light architect’, is no different…I would not use an internal lighting designer when I was working on a building façade, just as I wouldn’t use a landscape architect to detail the inside of my building.”

Holmes & Padula point to budgetary constraints as a key reason for the lack of ‘lighting architects’ in the industry. They do, however, believe that inviting lighting specialists to the concept design table is the best way to achieve the desired integration of illumination and form. They point to the Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi as a perfect example of this collaboration. “Lighting is a physical part of the [building’s] architectural design and the outcome is architecturally sympathetic in the day and truly stunning at night!”

In fact, Holmes & Padula suggest that including a lighting professional at the design stage should be essential – especially if architects are interested in ensuring controlled placement of efficient light sources, minimizing light pollution and lifetime maintenance costs and maximizing the design elements of their structure.

Abdelhakmi’s message is more direct. “Architecture firms do actually work with ‘light architects’. They’re the lighting specialists who – in close cooperation with architects – bring the architects concept to life during the night.”

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Put aside the argument about whether or not true ‘lighting architects’ exist. Also, disregard the ambiguity of whether or not a lighting professional may be considered a lighting ‘architect’. As to the question of architects collaborating with lighting consultants, it begs the question: How does it help them? How does the presence or absence of light affect the way in which architecture is planned, built or used?

Apart from arguments based on aesthetics or appropriateness, Holmes & Padula tackle the issue of quantifiable solutions and attempt to answer the question of what a lighting consultant brings to the table. “Using quality luminaires results in visual impact but they are also vital when considering the…longevity of a solution – a longer life, lower energy consumption and ease of maintenance ultimately reduces long-term costs of a building.”

Rimmer agrees: “Moving past the lighting design, the selection of the light fitting becomes critical. The light distribution created by a product is one of the main considerations as to why that product is selected. However, not only does the product have to perform with visual satisfaction it has to physically perform in the environment it is installed. A well designed product compromises on neither of these characteristics.”

This function is perhaps where manufacturers play their most important role. While lighting designers need to design and build a fitting that will fulfil the vision, perhaps more importantly, they also have to be able to demonstrate that the product will be able to perform the promised function.

Rimmer recommends rigorous testing by the manufacturer to ensure that the product will operate in the environment it has been designed for and, photometrically, it will distribute light as intended.

This, he explains, is the essence of what lighting professionals bring to the table: “If an architect or designer can access this information and they are confident that the information is accurate, then the design process and product selection becomes much easier.”

There is, perhaps, another fundamental role that has been overlooked throughout this discussion.

According to some in the industry – Rimmer included – architectural lighting fundamentally impacts on the ‘purpose’ of the building.

Consider this: Different tasks require different levels of light provided by different types of light source. Equally, different demographics require more or less light. For example, if a library is provided with too little light, nobody can read the books. If this is the case, what is the point of having a library?

Perhaps another example would drive home Rimmer’s point: “If a monochromatic light source were to be used in a store,” he explains, “The shoppers would not [be able to] perceive the goods in a way their brains understood. Thus, the shopper is dissatisfied with their purchase and future sales in the store decrease.”

The last word

It’s clear that lighting professionals benefit from working closely with architects – their products get chosen, their profile increases, their solutions become more popular, etc. etc. – but it would seem that the relationship is one of mutual benefit.

Architects who consult regularly with lighting professionals have the opportunity, through lighting alone, to ensure that the way in which their building is projected at night is consistent with their original vision. Few things would cause more distress to an architect than to drive past his or her newest completed project, only to find out that some rogue lighting designer has cast their building in Las Vegas-style lighting.

Lighting defines the form of a building for 10-12 hours per day, or, half of its life. The final form of a building should reflect architectural intent as closely as possible. Therefore, it seems clear that lighting is as important to the true character of a building as its façade, materials or orientation, and should be considered with equal care.