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Landscape lighting design
Outdoor lighting design depends largely on
your goals: utility, safety, landscape visual enhancement... But
depends also on the site characteristics and scope and... on
your options.
When choosing:
- Do not over-light your outdoors.
- Prefer one of the two main and environmental landscape
lighting systems: low-voltage outdoor
lighting, or outdoor solar
lighting;
- Draw a map with the main points of outdoor
lighting: the focal points, the the source of electricity, the
points with the fixtures…
- Apply outdoor lighting specific
techniques and fixtures
Outdoor Lighting
Design & landscape map
Before beginning any works, draw a map with
the home, driveways, walkways, steps, gardens, main trees…
With that map, study the distances and areas
and....
- mark the main centers of activity or attention (the focal
points), usually the entrance, a fountain, a tree... Do not
select too many focal points. One or two is usually enough.
- mark the points that should be illuminated: driveways,
walkways, steps, decks…
The map can also help you to position the
fixtures, as well as the electric source, though this final
marking depends on preliminary studies and options involving the
type of fixtures, their wattage, and the lighting needs.
The figure below, from
Sulis, is
an example of what an outdoor lighting map can be in its final
stage.
Drawing such a map, doesn’t mean that you
shouldn’t or can’t experiment before installing the system or
during the installation. The map is mainly a working sketch,
that may also result from simulations and measures involving
lighting and its effects.
Do not
over-light your outdoors
Do not over-light your landscape. Brighter
lighting should only involve some particularly important
landscape areas. Lighting should be used to accomplish safety
and utility goals (pathways…). Too much light is pollution.
Do not turn your landscape into a birthday
cake with plenty of candles, and consider your neighbors privacy
and rights. Bet on low levels of light (use
low-voltage lighting or
solar lighting). Low intensity
lights are usually sufficient for safety and security («a little
light goes a long way»).
See: Light
pollution.
Landscape lighting techniques
There are several outdoor lighting techniques:
Uplighting:
lights are placed at ground level, focused upward, to highlight
the landscape elements from below - architectural elements,
signs, trees... The fixtures used in this technique include
spot, flood lights and in-ground fixtures.
Pathlighting:
in this case lights are placed near ground level along the side
of pathways and driveways. In pathways, where the goal is to
guide people along paths, fixtures may be located low to the
ground, spreading light horizontally across it, just bright
enough to light steps and paths… In driveways, it’s a good
practice not to keep the lights too close, and alternate lights
on each side of the path. Fixtures for this technique include
specific path-lights and walkway lighting fixtures…
Downlighting:
in this technique landscape elements are lighted from above; it
provides moonlight effects, and can also be use to provide
security. Fixtures are often concealed, and include spot and
flood lights.
Backlighting:
in this technique lights are placed behind the objects or plants
to cast silhouettes. Fixtures are concealed, and include spot,
flood and in-ground lights.
Spot lighting
and accent lighting: this technique uses a strong and
focused beam of light to illuminate landscape elements -
flagpoles, sculptures…
Obviously there are other specific “techniques”, with a more
restrict use, usually decorative: flickering flames, underwater
lightings…
Fixtures
The type of fixtures for outdoor lighting depends, partially, on
the desired effects and goals. The styles vary a lot, but there
are some standard fixtures types. The best outdoor lighting
catalogs include:
- directional or spot lights
- floodlights
- pathway lights
- deck and patio lights
- underwater lights
Solar Floodlights and Pathway lights
Controls
Use lighting controls like timers, motion sensors, dimmers and
photocells to turn lights on and off automatically and to get
energy savings. See, for details:
Automatic controls and outdoor lighting.
Outdoor lighting
systems
See, for details on these systems:
Low-voltage lighting and
Outdoor Solar Lighting.
See also:
House Lighting Basics
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