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Exterior architectural lighting has advanced in leaps and bounds in recent years, in terms of technology, innovative approaches and sustainability. But lighting professionals need to take the lead in pushing things further.
To understand the fast-evolving world of architectural lighting and connectivity, it is important to first understand some of the trends driving this important lighting industry segment, such as a real push towards enhanced sustainability in terms of reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, and limiting sky glow and light pollution.
Increasingly of interest is the consideration being put into how to avoid directing light on to the ecology of a site, how to mitigate or reduce light pollution and obtrusive light, and how to limit energy consumption of architectural lighting.
Unlike street lighting, which is functionally used for safety and visibility, architectural exterior and public realm lighting has little if any functional value; it is used to create dynamic, colourful, and engaging visual experiences. The challenge faced is that this potentially increases energy consumption through illuminating spaces that have not been lit, or only minimally lit, up to now.
That said, through a well-designed, specified, commissioned, and more crucially, controlled architectural lighting installations, it is now possible to minimise energy consumption and the associated carbon footprint while still creating impactful experiences.
This leverages important messages around community engagement, interactivity and cohesion, the night-time economy, safety, and more diverse and inclusive night-time environments.
At the same time, as elsewhere within lighting, there is an acceleration of smart connectivity and integration beyond lighting, with the introduction of more immersive and interactive experiences becoming increasingly the norm, even expected.
The ‘connectivity conversation’ within exterior architectural lighting is changing and evolving. Long gone are the days of sending an engineer to site to ‘plug in’ and reprogram lighting scenes for that all-important occasion.
It is possible, and expected, that lighting can be adapted remotely to provide the dynamic flexibility to clients, allowing the ability for lighting to be managed and configured remotely, from anywhere in the world. There’s increased use of drones to create ‘lighting’ scenes in the air as well as more use of animated displays, more automation and manipulation of data and functions.
This flexibility brings with it operational benefits too, with clients better able to understand the performance of their assets. They can run system health checks, generate automated reports on energy consumption, luminaire temperature, device properties, asset information (such as production and commissioning date); all from a dashboard at the touch of a button.
The most exciting part of connected architectural lighting is the ability for it to connect with other systems and technologies. Through lighting APIs for connected architectural lighting, specific datasets can be created. For instance via the Internet of Things, to trigger bespoke architectural lighting scenes.
To give a practical example, traffic flow on a bridge can be captured via sensors and adapt the scenes and movement of the architectural lighting installation on that crossing to emulate the speed/flow of traffic in real-time. This can all be automated and created without manual intervention.
Marcus Vongpraseuth
Segment Marketing Lead - Public & Sports lighting UKI, Signify
Even structures as notionally mundane as tunnels and underpasses can be given a new identity, and often a new lease of life, through creative architectural lighting. Tunnels and underpasses are of course typically structures to get commuters from point A to point B; they are typically neglected and, from an architectural perspective, serve little more than a functional requirement.
It is also to reimagine tunnels and underpasses as landmarks, even gateways to places, and a wonderful way to do that is through the lighting. Exterior architectural lighting can mark and signal that you have ‘arrived’. It can even revitalise and rejuvenate the space or place so that is more appealing to use, both for pedestrians for cyclist and commuters. Through great lighting that stigma of a ‘dark dingy tunnel’ can be transformed into a more pleasant place or space.
Of course, one challenge here is securing the investment, especially in the current climate. It is how to overcome the ‘I can’t justify it’ or ‘I have no budget for this’ response, given that central government is cutting funding, and local government is increasingly strapped for cash.
That means lighting professionals need to work harder to make the business case – for the community, for the economy and for citizen health and wellbeing – highlighting the benefits of continuing to invest in good-quality exterior architectural lighting. In how good lighting can create a sense of togetherness and enhance community identity and cohesion.
At a practical level, getting this right is less a case of trial and error and more ‘trial, trial and trial again’! It’s possible to run a million renders, and multiple simulations via software; to model how the lighting is going to look this way or that.
But there is no substitute for boots-on-the-ground site trials. Architectural lighting is about much more than just calculations on a piece of paper or software, visualisations, or concepts. The best way is to go on site and play around with ideas, make sure the lighting is aimed correctly. To see how the lighting idea is going to work in reality – on that façade, that surface, that structure; to play with different colours and optics to create the desired effect.
Combined with modern-day control and connectivity, it opens the door further to bringing new and innovative technologies into the public realm, so people can have experiences and create memories in a different way.
But – and there is always a ‘but’ – when we talk about architectural lighting, there is a need to be more visionary, to masterplan. How is this scheme going to enhance the community, not just now but for the next decade? Of course, the brief needs to be met, and to come in on budget, but broader thinking is required, beyond narrow project scope lines.
With more considered design, buildings or landmarks can be transformed through lighting, at the touch of a button. It is no longer the same structure at night - visually. The connectivity and the future-readying of schemes needs to be a key part of this transformational process.
With the current focus on reducing energy and CO2 emissions, architectural exterior lighting – used and specified correctly – can have real value in bringing communities together, and powerfully connecting people and places.
Discover more about architectural lighting, here
Integrated & Marketing Communications Signify UK&I
Claire Phillips
Tel: +44 (0) 7956 489081
E-mail: claire.phillips.@signify.com
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2022, we had sales of EUR 7.5 billion, approximately 35,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We achieved carbon neutrality in our operations in 2020, have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for six consecutive years and were named Industry Leader in 2017, 2018 and 2019. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.
February 29, 2024
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