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Architectural Lighting

Architectural lighting can transform the appearance of your building’s interior or exterior. By playing off of its existing features and drawing attention to what is already there, half of the decorating work is already done for you.

At Ultra Beam Lighting, we offer a variety of LED architectural lighting for you to choose from. Explore our wall sconces, pendant lighting and beyond to light your one of a kind building.

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What Is Architectural Lighting?

Architectural lighting means using light in a strategic way to define and enhance the environment of a building. It can shape how you perceive the space and how well it is able to be navigated.

Architectural lighting lets you put emphasis on certain elements in the room, like columns, artwork and facades. Doing so will help you create a focal point and enhance the overall look of your space.

It can also create pathways in the area, zoning out different spots and even marking transitions in the space. This is especially useful in buildings with an open floor plan.

Beyond that, good architectural lighting design can also change emotional perception of a space. It is able to set the tone and mood throughout the area by way of elements like intensity, beam direction and colour temperature.

Advice on Designing Architectural Lighting for an Indoor Space

Adding architectural lighting fixtures to your interior can make it a memorable place to be. Whether you want to create a comfortable home, a welcoming hotel entrance or a workspace that prioritises productivity, architectural lighting can help.

Before anything else, be sure that you are layering your lighting. Layering your lighting creates a more balanced, well-lit space and relies on three elements: ambient lighting, accent lighting and task lighting.

Ambient light provides the main layer of illumination, while accent lighting can show off features like artwork and alcoves. Finally, task lighting provides focused illumination for functional spaces.

You should also pay attention to the colour temperatures of your architectural pendant lighting and wall lighting. Colour temperature can influence mood and is critical to how the space is perceived. Warm lighting between 2700K and 3300K creates a cosier atmosphere and is better for residential and hospitality settings. Cool lighting, on the other hand, is better for offices and studios.

For textured walls, think architectural wall lights that graze the texture and make it more prominent. Cove lighting can add depth to walls and ceilings, while uplights draw attention to vertical space along columns and tall walls.

Advice on Designing Architectural Lighting for an Outdoor Space

Architectural outdoor lighting plays a similar role as indoor lighting. It can highlight the facades, textures and details of a building’s entryway or other exterior space. It can also enhance water features, trees and beyond.

When shopping for your exterior lights, look for architectural lighting suppliers that prioritise durability. Lights outdoors need to be made from strong materials and have IP ratings that can protect them from exposure to sun and rain.

Choosing an architectural lighting manufacturer that makes quality products will save you time and effort in the long run in terms of maintenance and replacements. Beyond shopping at a reputable architectural lighting company, you should also be sure that the lights are the right brightnesses and have the right beam angle.

For example, uplights meant to show off columns will usually work best with narrow beam angles. Lights meant to graze walls should be slightly dimmer for a more atmospheric effect.

How to Layer Lighting with an Architectural Lighting Design

As mentioned, layering lighting is key in any design setup, but especially with architectural lighting. It creates balance and depth while ensuring every element of it gets its chance to shine. By having layered lighting, you can also create contrast through light and shadow, enhancing the visual appeal of the space.

Begin with ambient lighting. This will establish a base level of lighting using either ceiling mounted lights or recessed fixtures. Dimmable LED lights here can help you adjust brightness during the day. Opt for warm white colour temperatures in residential areas, and cooler lighting in commercial spaces.

Then, move onto the accent lighting. Architectural track lighting and spotlights can highlight alcoves, textures and structural elements. Uplighting is good for enhancing vertical spaces like columns and tall walls. If you want to accent the texture of a wall, broader beam angles are best.

With exterior architectural lighting, task lighting becomes things like pathway lighting or drive-over lighting. Choose bright lighting with adjustable heads so you can improve visibility in these important areas.

How to Use Architectural Lighting Design to Highlight Textured Features of a Building

Textured walls like timber, stone or brick have small details that can be easily missed if they are not properly lit. With the light architectural linear lighting and wall lighting emphasising these details, you can easily draw attention to them and enhance the appearance of your space.

When it comes to wall lights, be sure you are choosing wall grazing lights instead of wall washers. Grazing lights are more subtle and involve placing the lights close to the surface while directing it at a steep angle against it. The result is dark, small shadows cast along the wall, picking up on the textures. Wall washers, on the other hand, flood the wall with even illumination that might further wash out those details.

Beam angle also matters when it comes to showing off textures. Narrow beam angles between 10 and 30 degrees provide deeper textures and more dramatic shadows. 40 to 60 degree lights generate softer shadows but should still pick up on the textures. Anything above 60 degrees runs the risk of creating flat lighting that will completely diminish the textures you want to show off.

Choosing the right colour temperature is important, too. Cooler colours highlight crisp edges in tile, metal or concrete. Warm colour temperatures, on the other hand, are better for enhancing earthy tones in wood, stone and brick.

Much like any other lighting design style, architectural lighting has certain trends that come and go. Today, there are a few trends that are becoming increasingly popular and are sure to be timely and fashionable for time to come.

Smart and Adaptive Lighting Design

Perfect especially in terms of commercial outdoor LED lighting fixtures, smart lighting can make offices and workspaces more comfortable and productive. Smart lighting puts focus on convenience and productivity while supporting circadian rhythm balance for better sleep.

Smart lighting emphasises energy efficiency and automation. App controlled dimming, zoned lighting scenes and motion sensors are popular in this style of lighting.

Biophilic Lighting Design

With biophilic lighting, you can bring the natural appeal of your architectural landscape lighting indoors. Biophilic lighting is inspired by nature and can make indoor spaces feel more comfortable.

Biophilic lighting relies heavily on natural elements and natural lighting colour temperatures which may similarly positively affect your circadian rhythm. In this style of lighting, having lighting fixtures with natural materials like bamboo or other wooden accents is beneficial. Layer your lights with sunlight-mimicking ceiling panels and add in a few plants to really drive it home.

Texture Driven Lighting

Texture lighting puts emphasis on the materials being used in the lighting. From showing off wood to enhancing the texture of brick, this style of light prioritises high levels of detail. Minimalistic architecture and tactile fixtures define this style of lighting. Think wall grazing lights and recessed uplights for the job.

Minimalist Design

Instead of overwhelming the space with highly detailed lighting, consider minimalist fixtures instead. Clean lines and angles, as well as recessed lighting, reduces the amount of visual clutter in the space. The result is a more open and airy look, which is especially beneficial for modern homes.

While architectural lighting can enhance your space and transform it for the better, there are some mistakes that can have the opposite effect. By knowing what the most common mistakes are in architectural lighting, you can more easily avoid them. This will save you time and effort on renovations and replacements down the line.

Over-Illuminating the Space

A lot of people believe that the more lighting you have, the better. While bright spaces are a good idea, having too much light can leave them feeling washed out and abrasive. Instead of just throwing a lot of lights into an area, ensure that the lighting is balanced and bright by employing layered lighting techniques with your architectural downlights, wall lights and beyond.

Forgetting Vertical Spaces

Architectural lighting is all about showing off what already exists. Oftentimes, that means the walls themselves. by choosing architectural wall sconces that shine light up the walls, you can emphasise the verticality of a space and make it stand out more.

Using the Wrong Colour Temperatures

The colour temperatures of your architectural lighting matters a great deal. Colour temperature has the ability to alter the perception of your space and can thereby influence how a person experiences it. Warmer colour temperatures tend to be better in residential spaces, as well as hospitality settings. On the other hand, cooler lights work well as security lighting or in commercial spaces. By not choosing the appropriate lighting, you may be unable to achieve the desired effect.

Neglecting Glare Control

By not thinking about the amount of glare you may be introducing to your space, you can make your architectural lighting uncomfortable and difficult to be around. Choose lighting fixtures that have recessed optics or glare shields in order to prevent this.

Forgetting IP Ratings

Whether you are installing architectural recessed lighting or ceiling mounted lights, the IP rating you choose matters outdoors. Exterior lighting is constantly exposed to the elements, making it vulnerable to water damages, as well as sun and wind damage.

Lights with a high IP rating are necessary in outdoor spaces. Choosing lights with an IP65 rating or above ensures that it is waterproof and well-protected against weather exposure.

Colour temperature, sometimes known as CCT, is a way to talk about how warm or cool illumination is perceived to be. It is referenced in terms of Kelvin units that range from 1,000 to 10,000K. At the higher end of the spectrum, there are the cooler lights. The lower you go, the warmer the light will be.

Different colour temperatures belong in different settings. For example, warm colour temperatures are better for outdoor living areas, heritage buildings and hospitality settings. Warm white lighting works well in restaurants, living rooms and other neutral social spaces. For kitchens and office spaces, cooler temperatures around 4,000K are best.

Colour temperatures may also be decided based on the materials in the room. Warm colour temperatures are better for enhancing brick, stone and wood, drawing out their earthy appeal. Cooler colour temperatures may work better in showing off details of concrete, glass and metal.

For painted finishes, colour rendering index, or CRI, is almost more important than the temperature itself. Choosing lights with a high CRI will ensure that the colour of the paint is accurately depicted.

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