Recommendation points
A separate design branch has long been formed around lighting engineering, in large part it concerns the design of the evening and night exterior of buildings. will tell how manufacturers of facade luminaires satisfy design whims and what market innovations deserve attention.
Reliability solutions
Often, when developing facade lighting, it is better to first of all consider the technical aspect, sifting out those collections of lighting equipment that do not meet the requirements for reliability and resistance to environmental conditions. At the moment, the range of products allows you to choose the option that is optimal in terms of cost and quality, without limiting yourself in expressing artistic thought. It is especially important to understand that within the framework of the design concept, there may be several options that are equally beneficial, in which case it is better to make the choice in favor of more reliable and high-quality equipment..
For example, supplying LED lamps to the market has long ceased to be the prerogative of such LED manufacturing companies as Osram or Philips. It makes no sense to seriously consider the products of those manufacturers who have not yet relied on more durable LED technology, which also has minimal power consumption..
The main requirement for facade luminaires is the degree of dust and moisture resistance of the case, which should not be lower than IP65, ideally IP66. With regard to LED technology, it is also important to have developed fins on the body, and for built-in luminaires – also a double body to improve airflow. In order not to risk a deterioration in the luminous flux, it is better to avoid polymer lenses that lose transparency under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, and give preference to optical glass.
Main technological features
Almost all modern facade lighting systems are characterized by differentiation into duty-navigation, decorative and festive modes. The latter are optional, although many models of lighting fixtures provide for this possibility by dimming or switching on separate sources. The most expensive are luminaires with RGB LEDs, capable of realizing a variety of dynamic effects without a lens system and light filters..
Use of “smart” technologies and the Internet of things. The radio module and microcontroller in each luminaire allow integrating the facade lighting system into the general information network, setting up complex work scenarios, and optimizing energy consumption. In general, equipping luminaires with electronic devices has been practiced for a long time: light and presence sensors, a configurable timer and a multi-mode control unit allow you to set up facade lighting once without networking.
Another feature of modern lighting technology is the ability to choose the angle of the light beam for illuminating planes of different lengths or from different distances. The ability to adjust the flux dispersion is available only for certain types of floodlights, while for spot and linear luminaires, various lenses can be installed at the request of the buyer. Thanks to carefully thought-out optics, modern luminaires can be installed at a great distance from the illuminated area, for example, in the soffits of the roofs of two-story buildings or non-standard installation systems.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the modularity inherent in the most modern lighting systems. This concept implies that lamps of the same series have a common form factor or signs of stylistic unity, as well as a unified installation system on a common base. The latter is a centralized power supply and control unit, as a rule, a mounting rail serves as a current-carrying bus. Thanks to these properties, it is possible to assemble a lighting installation from standard modules that most closely meets the requirements..
Decorative lighting trends
It’s time to find out what visual effects designers are using and what types of lamps allow you to implement the chosen stylistic concept. To begin with, fill lighting is slowly going out of style, giving way to systems that emphasize the shape of the building and its architectural elements, or the lighting fixtures themselves. A good example is focused light sources under the soffit of the roof, which, instead of creating a light cone on the walls, illuminate a limited area of the path below them, pouring over the building itself with an almost imperceptible reflected stream.
Nevertheless, the use of linear luminaires to create fill lighting remains relevant, for example, as illumination of the gable gables of log mansards or walls finished with materials with a horizontal orientation, such as lining and siding. In such cases, due to the play of light and shadow on the embossed surface, an original look is created, which sharply differs from the appearance of the house in natural light. In this regard, it is better, instead of fluorescent tubes or a light cord, to give preference to in-line LED strips with a properly selected scattering angle..
New-fashioned buildings with strict geometry in the style of hi-tech and constructivism are most often decorated with contour lighting. For these purposes, luminaires in the “lightbox” form factor are optimal, due to which it is possible to trace the key contours with a continuous and uniformly luminous ribbon. It is only important to remember that the contour and main backlight must be combined in color temperature with a difference of no more than 500-700 K, the same applies to the level of backlight brightness.
Bidirectional lamps do not lose popularity, which, in addition to their main function – to illuminate the area under the wall, also form a light trail, which has a purely aesthetic value. The difference between modern lighting technology is that the light trail ceases to be just a secondary effect: separate light sources and reflectors are responsible for different functions in advanced luminaires.
One of the most fashionable trends in warm regions is decorative pendants under the wind and eaves of the roof in the form of a scattering of bright small springs in the manner of a New Year’s garland. This solution has a certain architectural and stylistic connection and looks only on log cabins with a spacious terrace on the second floor, or on houses in Mexican and Latin American style.
In the field of navigation lighting, we managed to find the best option – inclined lightboxes, placed either along the centerline of the walls or at the level of the basement. The latter is most typical for landscape compositions, including an abundance of stairs with illumination of steps, which is made with the same lighting devices. The visual variability of such lamps is extremely high: a suitable model can be selected for both a classic brick house and ultra-modern architecture.
It remains to list those types of lamps that are considered bad manners in modern exterior design. These include ancient lanterns with forging elements, pseudo-modern in the form of steel columns with light stripes, projectors that illuminate the walls at an angle from a short distance. Minimalist trends have not bypassed the field of lighting design. The body of the device and other technical details are hidden from view, instead, the emphasis is on the harmonious combination of light trails, temperature and light shade, the invisibility of the installation and precise control of the light beam.
What are the different aesthetic options available for façade luminaires? Can you also explain the special functions that these luminaires offer?