Language of Light — The Intersect of Lighting, Energy Efficiency and Development

Meet Alcon Lighting’s Mascot

November 15, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

At Alcon Lighting’s LA headquarters, co-founder David Hakimi adopted a 12 year-old dog named Nano and decided to bring him into the office every day. Let’s just say it garnered some attention. It quickly became clear that Nano, who’s now 14 years old, relishes a long nap. Nano likes to hop and curl up in an easy chair, resting his head on the arm, drifting into slumber. In fact, David says this is Nano’s favorite activity.

Designing the Best Workplace Lighting

November 11, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

Optimal lighting for work varies according to the worker and the nature of the work. But ideal work lighting, which means ensuring that a workspace is conducive to work, begins with proper design.

LED Lighting in Art and the Most Renowned Light Artists

October 24, 2019 by David P Hakimi

Art can use light to convey an emotion, mood or thought, transcending language. Artists have always used light to emphasize certain aspects of their works of art. How light bathes a basket of fruit, for example, or shines on a pearl earring, can accentuate an art work’s attributes. The contrast of darkness with lightness can be alluring. In modern art, only the medium has changed.

Trimless Recessed Lighting: Prerequisites for the Polished Installation

October 1, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

For the versatile, upscale look, designers often recommend trimless recessed lighting. The term trimless recessed refers to recessed lighting which contains no visible trim ring. The installation of trimless recessed lighting is more involved. Here are tips we believe will help ensure a clean, professional installation.

Interview: Lighting Designers on the Role of Indirect Lighting

September 29, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

Besides providing additional lighting with minimal glare in commercial applications such as offices, classrooms and libraries, indirect lighting can also highlight architectural ceiling details such as beams, pipes and other distinctive ceiling traits.

Intro to Lighting Design: Qualitative & Quantitative Principles

September 19, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

If the work of lighting design was just left to services engineers to meet regulation-determined illuminance criteria per application, then interior and exterior architectural spaces would become soulless environments. Using qualitative measurements, architects and lighting designers can make sure the architectural intention and aesthetic character of a space is not compromised.

What is Volumetric Lighting in Lighting Design?

September 18, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

Essentially, volumetric lighting refers to the illusion created when a lighting technique suggests a certain perspective, orientation or effect that increases, enhances or magnifies the sense of volume in a given space, context or application. In residential and commercial lighting design, volumetric lighting is often synonymous with task lighting. Light fixtures designed with optics that have a fully luminous and distinguishable beam spread and can be directed, with purpose, to light art, a table, produce in a market, etc.

Lighting for Art

September 17, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

Choosing the right lighting for any space can be a complex decision. Considerations need to be made with respect to the purpose, form and function of the lighting application. Design and aesthetics also play a role in the equation. With so many options for lighting on the market, it takes specialized knowledge and understanding to determine the best fit for your space.

2020 Key Changes: What’s Coming and What’s New in California’s Title 24

August 16, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

What’s effective for non-residential mandates on January 1, 2020 in Title 24 of California’s energy code includes more stringent controls on existing building lighting alterations, consolidation of demand responsive controls and demand management requirements into a single new section and a requirement that all restrooms install occupancy sensor controls.

Dressing Room Lighting: Finding the Perfect Fit

July 17, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

It is a truth universally acknowledged that store dressing rooms are every woman’s worst nightmare. The number one complaint voiced by women and men everywhere is that the lighting is harsh, glaring and reminiscent of the dentist’s chair or perhaps a police interrogation room (“No, officer, I did not realize that pairing Converse with Versace was a crime against fashion”).

Chicago: New Energy Regulations Effective June 1, 2019

July 12, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

The Chicago Department of Buildings recently announced that energy design requirements for building projects in Chicago have been updated as part of the city’s multi-phase code modernization process. For permit applications started on or after June 1, 2019, the Chicago Energy Conservation Code (Title 14N of the Municipal Code), based on the 2018 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code, published by International Code Council, Inc., will now apply.

Five Key Lighting Terms—Part 1

July 10, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

This is the first post in a new series about essential commercial and architectural lighting terms. The terms, which will be presented in sets of five terms per post, are curated. The terms in this post: CRI (Color Rendering Index), Color Temperature, Bluetooth Mesh, Architectural Lighting and UL Vs. ETL Listing.

Talieh Ghane: What is Healthy Lighting?

July 5, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

Talieh Ghane researches the interaction between light and health at the California Lighting Technology Center. We talked about the biological vs. visual system of light, how to synchronize your circadian clock for better health, how light is like a drug, and why you shouldn’t be on your phone right before bed (guilty).

The Effects of Light Color and Intensity on Your Mind and Body

July 3, 2019 by David P Hakimi

Our relation to light as humans is complex. Though many of the effects of light on our biology are still unknown, there are several we know and understand. Light also plays a major role in regulating human biological responses, including our internal body clock or circadian rhythm.

Paul Revere’s Lanterns and America’s Independence

July 1, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

As the United States of America celebrates Independence on the Fourth of July, it’s worth remembering lighting’s role in the American Revolution. Revere’s light signal was a backup plan designed to warn patriots in Charlestown, a borough across the river from Boston, in case Revere was arrested by the British occupying Boston and thus unable to initiate the ride.

10 Quotes that Prove Architects are Basically Grumpy Cat

June 21, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

“98% of what gets built today is sh**. There’s no sense of design nor respect for humanity or anything. They’re bad buildings and that’s it.” – Frank Gehry. Fun fact: One of Frank Gehry’s most famous works as an architect is his own private Santa Monica residence.

Guide to Lighting America’s Flag

June 14, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

The Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new American republic on June 14, 1777. President Truman declared June 14 as Flag Day August 3, 1949. Anyone considering displaying America’s flag for Flag Day today or on Independence Day on July 4th might want to give some thought to proper illumination.

What Is Architectural Lighting?

May 27, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

The term Architectural Lighting encompasses three main factors. The first is the building’s aesthetic, which is crucial for any commercial, especially retail, environment. The second consideration is ergonomic or functional — any aspect which improves one’s ability to live, work, function, relax or play — to make the space easier to use. The third aspect involves the efficiency of energy, ensuring that light is properly, which is to say economically or optimally, used and distributed.

Color Rendering Index – What Is CRI?

May 8, 2019 by David P Hakimi

A color rendering index (CRI) is a quantitative metric of the ability of an artificial light source (i.e. LED, Fluorescent, Halogen, Incandescent, etc.) to accurately reveal the colors of a subject in comparison to a natural light source. A CRI of 90 means that the artificial light source is replicating roughly 90% of the visible color spectrum that the sun would produce on the same color.

A Brief History of California’s Title 24 Regulation

May 7, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

A brief history of California’s Title 24 lighting regulation, from its origins and main parts.

Lighting Lessons from Lighting Designer, Writer, Lecturer Gerd Pfarré

April 1, 2019 by Alcon Lighting

In 2016, Architectural Lighting interviewed lighting designer and founder of Pfarré Lighting Design, Gerd Pfarré, shedding light on the legendary designer’s process, what’s most important when lighting a space and what the future holds for lighting. While Pfarré’s is a career is a storied one, he did not start out in the industry.

Gentrification Done Right Can Bridge the Class Divide

March 23, 2019 by David P Hakimi

With rising land values and increasing income disparities, it seems that for many neighborhoods the prospect of gentrification is inevitable. Is there a way to “gentrify responsibly,” so communities and the people who live in them — no matter where they are on the financial spectrum — all come out ahead?

2019 Lighting Technology Trends: What is Bluetooth Mesh?

February 20, 2019 by David P Hakimi

Unlike wireless lighting systems like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Mesh is designed for large collections of devices, numbering into the thousands. Switches, HVAC, sensors, light fixtures, and shades can communicate with each other by forwarding a message, or command, across all the devices in that Bluetooth chain until reaching the destination to perform said operation, (i.e. turn ON the 3rd floor office lights). The communication, instead of passing through your WiFi router, comes from the originating device and travels from light fixture to sensor, to AC unit, to any other chain of Bluetooth Mesh enabled devices, like a Bluetooth highway or a body’s central nervous system, until the command reaches the lights on the 3rd floor.

2020 Lighting Design Trends: Organic Layouts

February 1, 2019 by David P Hakimi

As architectural designs have digressed from symmetrical and parallel mirroring patterns that align with vaulted ceilings, grid axis, and more, linear lighting allows architects to highlight asymmetrical architectural features and lines (which is where the term “architectural lighting” comes from). The lighting design pattern of 2019 is no design pattern.

How to Determine How Many LED Lumens You’ll Need to Properly Lig...

December 25, 2018 by David P Hakimi

How much light is enough light? Below you’ll find everything you need to know when determining how much LED lighting you’ll need for a space. A lumen is a unit measurement of light. To determine the needed lumens, you will need to multiply your room square footage by your room foot-candle requirement.

5 Lighting Design Tips from Starbucks’ Directors of Store Design

October 20, 2018 by Stephanie Sakay

When designing for a retail space, it is important to consider not only the design aesthetic that needs to be achieved but also the patron and the intended experience.

Lighting design for retail spaces vary from displaying delicate pieces of jewelry to endless shelves of apparel; and when it comes to coffee shops, the detail and effort into lighting design is no different. Min Cho and Jill Enomoto, directors of store design for Starbucks, share their tips on how to use light to welcome and guide customer experience.

Office Lighting: LED vs. Fluorescent

September 25, 2018 by Colt Sliva

Whether you’re upgrading the lighting in your current office, or designing the office space of a new development project, it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of LED Lighting. Here are 4 important points of analysis when considering LED Lighting to Fluorescent.

Stealing the Show: Cats in Architectural Photography

May 31, 2018 by Katie Kailus

Contrary to their domesticated canine counterparts, cats don’t need constant attention. They generally lie low by lounging in the sun or trying to cram their bodies into small undersized cardboard boxes. In fact, most of the time, their humans are in the way. As proof, here’s a collection of architectural photographs where the photographers were inconveniently in the way.

Architectural Lighting Fixtures: Choosing the Right Specifications

May 1, 2018 by Alcon Lighting

Architectural Lighting, as opposed to functional commercial or residential lighting is concerned with (spoiler alert) architecture, or furthering the design experience of buildings and other physical structures. Both residential and commercial lighting can also qualify as architectural lighting, though this isn’t always the case. Some lighting is primarily functional and/or exists in a space that no one would call “architectural.”

Mood Changers: Lighting Design 101 – Why Lighting is The Most Im...

April 10, 2018 by Katie Kailus

It’s widely known that lighting can affect one’s mood — hence the common term mood lighting. But the degree at which your mood is affected by lighting might surprise you. In 2014, the Journal of Consumer Psychology published a study that found the more intense the lighting, the more affected and the more intense the participants’ emotions were — both positive and negative.

B.V. Doshi— The Humble Architect and The 2018 Pritzker Prize Laureate

April 10, 2018 by Alcon Lighting

Early in his architectural journey almost 70 years ago, now-renowned architect, educator, and urban planner Balkrishna Doshi made a quiet, powerful promise to himself in his diary, “It seems that I should take an oath and remember it for my life-time: to provide the lowest class with the proper dwelling.” And for the next six decades he lived up to his oath.

Commercial Lighting Control Regulations: A Cheat Sheet

April 5, 2018 by Alcon Lighting

The latest California Non-Residential lighting regulation updates occurred in 2016. The updates to Title 24 included changes to required lighting controls. In a nutshell, areas that require multi-level lighting controls are now required to have either a vacancy sensor or a partial-ON occupancy sensor—this includes classrooms, offices <250 square feet, Multi-purpose rooms <1,000 square feet, and conference rooms.

Growing Green: How Amazon has Become Seattle’s Green Giant

March 12, 2018 by Katie Kailus

After outgrowing its headquarters several years ago, Amazon invested in its hometown — building some 40 buildings in downtown Seattle while keeping a focus sustainability. Six of the buildings on Amazon’s Seattle campus have been awarded with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification for sustainable design and construction methods, while 20 of the buildings were built using LEED standards.

Retail Lighting: Five Best Practices

March 11, 2018 by Katie Kailus

Products can demand attention with the help of proper lighting. This means an open floor plan with tactical attention to lighting fixture placement, brightness, color temperature, and CRI. The ability of LED Lighting to meet these technical requirements is what makes it the #1 choice of lighting designers and architects.

Birds of a Feather: Why Art and LEDs Go Together

February 28, 2018 by David P Hakimi

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to lighting a museum gallery. On the technical design side, there are two main factors to consider: light color temperature, or the warmth or coolness of a light source, and the Color Rendering Index (CRI), or the system used to indicate relative color rendering ability.

Seeing Edible Green with LED Lighting

February 21, 2018 by Alcon Lighting

Leaf it to the horticulturalists to come up with something this big: Harnessing the power and versatility of LED lighting, urban farmers are producing 12,000 heads of lettuce per day for consumer consumption.

Considering LED Lighting for Classrooms: Brighter Lighting May Lead to...

February 20, 2018 by Alcon Lighting

The benefits of LEDs are well studied and documented. By now we know that it’s much healthier for humans to work, function, and operate in environments that are lit by LED lighting. Without a doubt, LED technology will continue to change how we light our environment and our world. So why then, are our students and teachers still spending a significant amount of their days in classrooms and schools under dull and dated fluorescent lights?

First Looks: JKMM Offices by JKMM Architects

February 14, 2018 by Alcon Lighting

JKMM Architects is a prominent Finnish architectural firm established in 1998, growing over the years to actively operate in various areas and scales of architectural design from buildings, interiors, furniture, and urban environments. The studio’s design approach reflects an emphasis on simplicity, craftsmanship, and innovation through experimentation with the goal of creating exceptional architectural and technical work.

10 Fun Facts About Nikola Tesla

November 18, 2017 by Alcon Lighting

Tesla was a prolific inventor and patent holder. One of his primary contributions was alternating current—a development that—dare I say—powers the world we live in today. Critical for lighting. Critical for facebooking. Indispensable for all things (alternating current, not Facebook).

Breaking Down Renewable Energy vs Zero-Carbon — and the Role of LED Lighting

November 8, 2017 by David P Hakimi

Often seen or touted as idealistic, zero-carbon cities are now seen as an obtainable goal by most local elected officials and becoming a goal of many cities across the world. Reaching net-zero emissions is considered a necessity for the future of the environment with many cities across the country currently working towards the goal of zero-carbon emissions, including Boston, Denver and Portland, Oregon, which all have committed to reducing energy use by 80% or more by 2050.

Getting The Best Lighting for Architectural Interior Photography

November 3, 2017 by David P Hakimi

Even some of the world’s most stunning architectural masterpieces need a little help getting gussied up for the camera. It’s not that the light in the room itself is bad, in fact, the designer most likely executed everything in the room around light. But, when it comes to the lighting within interiors, it can get tricky when the camera comes into play.

Understanding Lumens-as-a-Service — Why Commercial Lighting is a Per...

October 26, 2017 by Katie Kailus

When it comes to office lighting, most workplaces are faced with outdated systems that are wasting both money and energy. It’s a disappointing fact as extensive research has shown that office lighting plays a major role in the productivity of office workers. It’s been proven that LED lighting that mimics or compliments natural light leads to greater productivity amongst workers as well as having a significant affect on an individual’s happiness and circadian rhythm.

7 Tips for Healthy Lighting from Light and Health Researcher Talieh Ghane

September 12, 2017 by David P Hakimi

Have you ever had trouble falling asleep at 2am after binge watching the latest season of House of Cards? Ever pulled an all-nighter then felt strangely awake and alert after walking outside into broad daylight? Ever spent all day at the beach only to sleep like a moss-covered boulder later that night? It probably comes as no surprise that light has significant effects on the human body.

First Looks: Candace Wong of cwA+D – The Sterling Cooper Remodel...

August 14, 2017 by Katie Kailus

Dubbed Sterling Cooper after the ad agency in AMC’s Mad Men — due to its vibe that “makes you want to pour yourself a cocktail and sit back and enjoy the house” — the home featured a unique late ’70s feel to it that Wong wanted to be sure to maintain during the remodel. As a residential architect and designer for three years in LA, Wong had worked on the design of many homes, but working on her own home turned out to be a bit of a challenge.

Hospitality Lighting: Best Practices for Safety & Comfort

August 3, 2017 by Colt Sliva

The best hospitality and dining lighting creates a home away from home—making a guest feel warmth and comfort by creating an environment that either promotes feelings of relaxation or sets the mood for romance. Ideally, the guest glides effortlessly through the space, unaware of the thought and planning that went into the lighting design and layout.

The Best Places to See Architectural LED Lighting In The World.

May 2, 2017 by Alcon Lighting

Previously, we explored the The United States for the best examples of LED architectural lighting used to enhance design features in buildings and art installations. We also learned that architectural lighting gives designers freedom to build creative but functional spaces. Here are the top 7 international uses of architectural lighting that we found notable.

LED Lighting As Defined Through The Walking Dead Gifs

April 27, 2017 by Alcon Lighting

Is the thought of LED lighting keeping you up at night? You deserve more than just an LED lighting definition. In honor of The Walking Dead and their most recently epic season, you’re going to get the ins and outs of LEDs through strategically hand-picked gifs.

Retail Lighting: The 5 Don’ts You Must Avoid

April 20, 2017 by Katie Kailus

When designing lighting for a retail space, it’s easy to get carried away. While lighting helps draw the customer’s eye to the products on display, the design and layout of your store’s lighting must follow certain guidelines in order to be successful.

First Looks: Shari Francis Of Brooklyn-Based DADAPT

April 18, 2017 by Alcon Lighting

When considering high-end lighting design, there are many factors that can influence a decision. It’s always best to have an expert on hand when questions arise. That’s where Shari Francis, owner of Dadapt, comes in.

The Top Five Human-Centric Principles of Light and Lighting Design

April 16, 2017 by David P Hakimi

Humans are designed to function on a roughly 24-hour cycle of wakefulness and sleep. Light is one way that our bodies set the clock. Human-centric lighting design takes into account natural rhythms of light and dark, incorporating changes in lighting intensity and color temperature over the course of a 24 hour cycle.

Lighting 101: How much light is enough?

April 15, 2017 by Colt Sliva

Whether you’re upgrading the lighting in your home or you’re a lighting designer specifying fixtures for a commercial new-construction project, you’re probably concerned about the same things. Apart from staying within budget, you’re worried about having adequate lighting. Like most, you don’t want your home flooded with light but you also don’t want to be left with inadequate light.

The Health Benefits of Sunlight — And How LED Lighting Compares

April 5, 2017 by Katie Kailus

It’s a fact — everyone loves to get out into the sun every once and a while. And as the weather continues to warm, we find staying inside harder than ever. But what if you could make the lighting in your office possess some of the health and feel-good benefits of sunlight? You can, with high-CRI LED Lighting and by designing a floor plan to include several sunroofs.

The Best Places to See LED Architectural Lighting in the USA

March 29, 2017 by Alcon Lighting

First Looks: Los Angeles Design-Build Firm David Vincent LLC

November 23, 2016 by Alcon Lighting

Twelve years ago, Christian Vincent Munoz, fresh out of architecture school, moved to Los Angeles and met Jay Hayden, an actor from Vermont. They grabbed a couple beers, started playing soccer together—and the rest is exposition. Today, they run their own design-build firm, David Vincent LLC.

3 Scenes from Last Season’s Game of Thrones that Would Have Been...

August 8, 2016 by Alcon Lighting

Diving into Title 24 with Gary R. Flamm, Part 2, Design (Non-Residenti...

May 31, 2016 by Alcon Lighting

Diving into Title 24 with Gary R. Flamm, Part 1, The Code (Non-Residen...

May 24, 2016 by Alcon Lighting

First Looks: Raymond Thompson, Event Lighting Designer

March 1, 2016 by Alcon Lighting

I caught up with event lighting designer Raymond Thompson of Images by Lighting the week before the Oscars and right smack dab in the middle of awards season. Thompson, whose credits read like a highlight reel of Hollywood’s most star-studded events, was at Raleigh Studios prepping for the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s annual Night Before the Oscars gala.

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