Landscape Architect Articles

Lighting Fountains03-01-93 | News

Lighting Fountains

This is the first in a series of articles to be published in LASN on lighting water features.

Today, when a project owner wants to add that special touch to their development, the landscape architect is increasingly called upon to provide a spectacular water feature. Whether that feature is a single fountain, a waterfall or a dynamic, pulsating work of art, invariably it is also required to be a visible attraction at night. To insure that the investment provides the client with a lasting, cost efficient, centerpiece addition, it is up to you, the landscape architect, to assemble a team of specialists who will provide the expertise required to get the job done.

According to Drew Imler, of Fountain Technology, a southern California based water features consultant, a good team consists of a water features specialist, as well as an electrical engineer, a mechanical engineer, and also a lighting consultant. Code often dictates the voltage requirements on the project. A few areas, such as New York City, require that low voltage be used for water features. There, one is limited to about 300 watts, and a client is forced into heavier equipment costs using more transformers and thicker (10 to 1) wiring throughout the feature. Invariably, water features that conform to these requirements are limited to white lighting and shallow water.

In most cases, however, standard 120V lighting fixtures are the preferred entity. These fixtures basically come in two forms: niche type fixtures and free standing fixtures.

A niche type fixture is a permanently set fixture that is hidden from view by being inset into a wall or the pool bottom. These elements maintain the advantage of hiding the fixture and the wiring, but can prove to be a liability to the specifier. As Imler puts it, ?EUR??,,????'??A water feature is like an iceberg. . .the public only sees about 10%, the rest is either under water or underground.?EUR??,,????'?? To be able to hide the niche fixtures, precise placement must be analyzed and prototyped well before construction. While some manufacturers are introducing adjustable beam set fixtures, it is extremely hard to correct placement mistakes once the fixtures are installed.

Free standing fixtures provide the designer with post installation adjustability, which limits costly reconstruction costs, but carry with them the burden of exposed, unsightly wiring and fixtures in a still pond. This, of course, is no problem while the water is flowing and creating an opaque surface. However, Imler suggests that the landscape architect consider a darker pool bottom when free standing fixtures are being used, and to avoid painting fixtures to match lighter surfaces. The dark bottom allows the fixtures and the wiring to blend with the bottom without requiring color alterations to the fixtures themselves. While painted fixtures may look good on opening day, invariably the paint begins to chip and corrode, creating an eyesore and a yearly maintenance expenditure for the owner.

Lens and lamp selection are also critical considerations in the final success of your project. Typically it is desirable to hide the source of the light from the viewing public. One way to accomplish this is to specify a flat lens, as opposed to a convex lens. A flat lens is much more directional and by incorporating a louvered cover the light source can be blended with the feature.

Lamp selection is important for two significant reasons. First is the maintenance required to replace burnt out bulbs. While it is often less expensive to initially install short life lamps, the client is the ultimate loser to the cost of replacing the lamps. More important is the amount of wattage required to adequately illuminate the attraction.

Several important factors need consideration in selecting proper candlepower for your water feature: the amount of water the light must pass through, the extent at which the water produces an opaque barrier, the color of the lens through which it passes, and the ultimate height of the water feature itself. The charts above, reprinted from The Landscape Lighting Book provides an excellent guideline for lamp selection in straight white light selection. Colored lights however, need special consideration.

Since various colors require differing candlepower to achieve the desired decorative effect, color directly affects the choice of lamp wattage. Compared with a clear lens, amber and turquoise require 50% more candle power: red requires 100% more, while blue and green can require up to 250% more candle power to produce the desired effects.

While the best solution is to rely on the consultants when designing and lighting a water feature, it is important for landscape architects to understand all the factors involved. Code may often dictate many of the options, but landscape architects must familiarize themselves with the basic elements of a successful water feature in order to include this element in their overall profit structure. Equally as important, they should be able to guarantee their client the best possible centerpiece, which will be enjoyed by both the owner?EUR??,,????'???s pocketbook and the public.