Landscape Architect & Specifier News

APR 2013

LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.

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Advanced Systems Make Residential Lighting Less Problematic ���Users need to do little more than plug the system together to create customized solutions for lighting deck rails, stairs, posts and landscapes that cost only a few pennies a month to operate and offer exquisite results.������Scott Holland, president and CEO of i-lighting www.ilightingonline.com. Of the landscape architects surveyed for the 2013 ASLA Residential Landscape Architecture Trends, 95.1 indicated lighting features remained a popular residential choice (the figure last year was 93.1). Some residential design landscape architects may be reluctant to include exterior lighting among their services, preferring to hire lighting professionals to assure a proper lighting design and installation, and not have to worry about call backs. Some manufacturers, however, contend they have removed most of that lighting angst with the development of extremely reliable, energyefficient, decorative, functional lighting for backyards and adjacent walkways that is easy to install and designed for years of daily use. According to Scott Holland, president and CEO of i-lighting, its Easy Plug (inset) ���virtually eliminates installation miscues.��� With this harness technology, stair, deck and landscape lighting kits can be installed separately or in conjunction through a series of connections using either end of extension cables, cutting the time of traditional outdoor lighting installations. Other modern outdoor lighting innovations include custom low-voltage DC transformers to power significantly more path, deck and exterior stair lights without line drops; LEDs that consume some 80 Information Request # 552 86 Landscape Architect and Specifier News percent less energy than incandescents; photocells that sense ambient light and turn lights on and off; remote control dimmers; and circuitry and bulbs that do not create heat. LAs should consider partnering with manufacturers, as they warranty their products and can help with custom-design solutions based on the submission of detailed layouts and client requests. Planning residential lighting should include: ��� Assessing properties at night to determine the proper amount of lighting to illuminate potential safety hazards or ���hiding spots.��� ��� Creating a balanced panorama to avoid too much light in one area and not enough in another. ��� Assuring exterior focal points (decks, verandas, swings, porches, barbecues) are properly lit for safe entertaining. ��� Reviewing sight lines from different areas of the property, including inside the home, to remove blind spots or over-lit distractions.

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