Tips for Creating an Effective Facade Lighting Design
Accentuating the aesthetics and architectural beauty of any building requires paying keen attention to a variety of factors. Usually, the design, material, texture, and colour of the building are given importance to ensure an impressive experience for both the inhabitants and visitors. However, the most important among all these factors is the lighting technique used to illuminate the facades of these buildings.
Facades are the key aspects that must be well-lit to grab the attention of spectators, as they are the exterior sides of the building that give the first glimpse of the architecture. Lighting up the facades of a building not only refers to installing fixtures for clear visibility but also to effectively highlighting the unique and eye-catching attributes.
For this purpose, lighting professionals rely on modern-day outdoor LED lighting to achieve illumination that enhances the look and feel of the building, leaving an everlasting impression on visitors. Let’s take a closer look at tips to illuminate the facade of a building to create a gleaming and elegant appearance.
Some Important Considerations
To get the most out of the facade lighting design, careful consideration of certain aspects of the building is required. From exploring different types of luminaires suitable for installation to finding the right colour combination, here are things to know beforehand:
- Determining the major viewpoints of the facade to light up
- Considering the height and width of the building
- Knowing the building material of the facade
- Identifying unique symmetry and patterns that require special attention
- Evaluating the requirement for wattage
Important Facade Lighting Tips
Integrating Wall Washing
Wall washing is a powerful lighting technique that provides uniform illumination throughout the facade. With this lighting, all the dimensions of the architecture can be lit-up with equal intensity. This serves as a foundation for adding other types of lighting that focus on highlighting the specific features of the building. LED floodlights can be used for this purpose, as they offer long-lasting performance with massive energy savings.
Experimenting with Lighting Techniques
Like wall washing, there are different techniques suitable for creating special emphasis on the particular features of the architecture. This includes downlighting, in which the luminaires emit light in a downward direction as they are mounted high in the structure. Similarly, grazing is used to create a unique lighting effect by providing a powerful effect at the base and fading with the height.
Using Effects and Colours
Adding effects and colours to any lighting design makes it lively and visually appealing. Especially when it comes to highlighting the unique characteristics of a historic building or architectural heritage, creating a dramatic viewpoint with effects like fading patterns, silhouettes, etc., adds to its beauty. Moreover, the choice of colour matters due to its impact on the mood and environment perceived by the spectators while looking at the building. More warm tones of colour will be preferred to create a welcoming space, while brighter shades will be used to create a bold statement.
Prioritizing Energy-efficiency
Keeping in sync with green and sustainable lighting designs, facade lighting design must incorporate lighting techniques and luminaires that are energy efficient. For instance, the use of LED lighting solutions is highly recommended due to their versatility and environment-friendly characteristics. However, ensuring energy savings doesn’t come at the expense of compromising lighting quality or design. There are plenty of LED lighting options available, from recessed to linear luminaires, that enable lighting professionals to achieve the desired illumination as well as the desired effect.
These were some of the tips that are helpful in lighting up the buildings and monuments in a way that it attracts the viewers and also reduces the safety concerns of the visitors. Besides, along with creating the right lighting effect, choosing quality luminaires is equally important to prevent frequent repairs and recurring maintenance. Therefore, Wipro Lighting is continually making efforts and innovating luminaires that are capable of highlighting the breathtaking details of heritage buildings.
