In the outdoor space, there are many factors that contribute to a successful landscape design. Exterior lighting has today become one of those factors that could potentially make or break your outdoor design.

With outdoor spaces being used more and more all year round – during winter and throughout the evening – exterior lighting has become an essential ingredient in any landscape project. To get the most out of spaces – whether they be residential or commercial – the right lighting is needed. And as the use of exterior lighting increases, so to does the choice of lights available for use outdoors.

There are many companies that specialise in exterior lighting – both for residential and commercial projects. Thorn Lighting has been in business since 1928 and aims to provide products and services which make it easier for customers to specify, install and maintain good quality, energy efficient lighting. Thorn has a strong commitment to excellence in optical performance and installer functionality. Outdoor Design Source has a comprehensive list of exterior lighting companies.

Thorn also recently upgraded the lighting at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia. Thorn was charged with enhancing the lighting to help create an aesthetically pleasing environment while at the same time saving energy and reducing maintenance costs.

The right exterior lighting can add that much needed ‘wow’ factor to any outdoor design. A popular choice at present is LED lighting (light-emitting diode). LEDs have many practical applications, and being small in size and using less energy than traditional lights, means LEDs are fast-becoming a popular choice when it comes to exterior lighting.

The Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand (IES) is the governing body for lighting. The vision of the society is to promote the art and science of lighting, encourage professionalism in its practice and establish and maintain standards for its application.

With so many factors to consider when designing an outdoor space, it’s important lighting is not forgotten nor added in at the very end. In order to achieve a balanced outdoor space, exterior lighting needs to be taken into consideration right from the start.

If you know of a landscape project that uses interesting exterior lighting elements, let me know about it.

About ODS Contributor
View all posts by this author »