Monday, March 18, 2013 - 2:35pm
The majority of lighting systems are setup to turn on or off. Some utilize dimmers in certain areas to great effect and others carefully choose wattage to decide the proper amount of light to place on a structure, foliage or area. A system that can wrap these into one central control unit is really the pinnacle of a designer focused system.
Ideally, any light system isn’t a singular system. Sometimes a design will be utilized with a front yard and back yard, or split into different areas to get a bit more flexibility and mood from a system. But the reality is that the path lights, up lights, trees, wall lights, hardscape, bar, eating area, pool, and walkways are all very different areas with very different needs. This is best addressed by grouping zones of lights and separating them to be adjusted independently. This can create moods as well as enrich the different aspects of a landscape.
Adjustment of lights from not only an on/off or timing duration is what takes landscape lighting to the next level of mood creation. At different times of the night and at different points within a week, a living space is utilized differently. For instance, the front needs to be turned on daily, while a side yard may only be used when grilling. Designing a lighting system to interact and adjust to a homeowner or property manager’s needs can seamlessly integrate a mood, task or event into an hourly, daily, or weekly schedule.
Dimming is a great feature, and the ability to dim a certain section of lights by zoning will greatly improve the area’s usability depending on the situation. For instance, a dining area may be well lit while entertaining, but may be dimmed or off when not in use as to not distract from the rest of a landscape.
This all draws back to centralized control that groups fixtures into dimmable zones that may be utilized distinctively within an evening or week. Simply dimming a light to half its capability and then leaving it on for months does not capture the full potential. Manipulating that light’s effect throughout the night, or changing settings to accommodate different activities on different days, can turn a basic system into a much more expandable and flexible system that captures the full value of its purpose.
