Landscape Architect Articles

Residential Lighting05-10-23 | Feature

Residential Lighting

Highland, California
by Innovative Lighting Design

Found in a gated community, this Highland, California, home became award-winning after Steven Gogatz, owner of Innovative Lighting Design, was hired to set up the landscape lighting. This photo shows the front of the house, where an eight foot stone, retaining wall was illuminated by recessed lights that are spaced every 10 feet to create shadows. Two-watt fixtures on the right pair with the recessed lights to outline the driveway.

The lighting design on the upper level and over the door of the house is designed to showcase the hardscape elements on house walls through the use of one watt, 25-degree spread lights. Mini wall wash lights shine on the boxwoods that frame the path. Two large columns introducing the house's entrance are lit with large well lights. The undersides of the arches are highlighted with 25-degree, six watt fixtures.

Through careful attention to detail, in-depth selection of light output and beam spread, and precise placement on site around the perimeter of a tree, the lighting designer can direct focus on the tree branch tips, lighting the entire tree evenly. The lights used to uplight this palm tree are six watts at a 40-degree spread.

The owners of the property had previously completed construction on the house and the surrounding area a few years prior to hiring Innovative Lighting Design to complete the lighting design. Thus, the firm had to work around the site, installing lights while leaving the site "as-is." The wall sconces and embedded ground lights here are directed upward and spaced out to create eye-catching shadows.

Four evenly spaced, 4-watt amber colored lights with 60-degree spreads are submersed under the water in the basin that catches the water spilling out of the infinity pool. 3000K lights are used on the maintenance path and are designed to contrast with the softer amber lighting from the adjacent basin.

The driveway was one of the areas that presented challenges considering that the lighting design was taking place years after it was installed. The driveway was found to be 14" thick, after being core drilled for lighting and wiring installation. This is the photo that ended up winning Innovative Lighting Design the 2022 AOLP National Award of Excellence. The lighting on the mailbox was designed to point straight up, with light just grazing the stone in order to avoid hot spots.

Around the spa are one-watt micro deck lights with nearby roses and one of the site's palm trees. On the upper level of the house, between the windows are one-watt, 25-degree spread lights, and in the planting pots are mini well lights that are two-watts, 25-degrees spread, and amber colored. The lighting designer emphasized that, throughout the project, he made use of the six principles of lighting design in creating this landscape lighting. These properties are balance, contrast, emphasis, rhythm, movement, and unity, and they are visible in every area of the lighting for this project. This photo is a great example of unity as each area of the house is lit similarly for a cohesive look, with some light contrast of the blue in the spa, and the green from the pool.

The lighting designer, while concerned with visual interest, was foremost concerned with lighting being utilized to light the way of the residents. This well-lit stair makes for a safe journey up to the front door, with numerous downward facing lights embedded at the top of the stair walls. Overall, there were 387 lights installed as a part of this lighting retrofit.

One interesting fact is that the driveway doubles as an emergency path for firefighters to access the hill behind the property. Because the house sits on a hill, it does experience run off from higher up, something the lighting designer kept in mind while working on the project.

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Landscape lighting is an essential aspect of any landscape design project. Truly great lighting reflects thoughtful and visionary design. The full range of what's possible, however, is often missing. To address this concern, Landscape Architects and designers might consider a more artistic approach that creates elegant and subtle solutions while highlighting both the beauty of the architecture and the surrounding natural environment.

In this case study located atop a hillside in a private, gated reservation in Highland, CA, the lighting design for this estate was carefully planned and installed by Steve Gogatz and Innovative Light Designs of Orange, CA, to display the natural beauty of the architecture and surrounding property. Each lighting fixture was chosen for its ability to create an enchanting atmosphere that showcased the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

The entire lighting project was designed and installed post-construction, which presented its own set of challenges. With this estate, the driveway also doubles as an emergency path for firefighters to access the hill behind the property, making the 14-inch-thick driveway an essential element of the landscape design. Running wire through concrete to each light location was not an easy task, and numerous sprinkler pipes were punched and repaired.

The result was worth the effort and a stunning effect was achieved by combining the use of high-quality lighting fixtures with innovative design techniques. Installing lights in the concrete, for example, stretching every 10 feet in order to highlight the adjacent stone wall became an art piece from the shadows cast, and the use of soft-lit wall sconces on an upstairs apartment created interesting shadow effects and designs. These design elements were among many of the unique dimensions that lighting brought to the landscape.

Consider that landscape lighting is not just about highlighting the architecture and amenities; it's also about lighting designs that showcase the magnificence of trees and shrubs. A focus on the tree branch tips, for example, lit up an entire tree simply resulting from a strategic placement of the lighting fixtures. In addition, placing amber color lighting on pots and fountains adds a special ambiance to the evening experience, contributing to the beauty and magic
of the property.

The color contrast using 3000K on the maintenance path of the infinity pool also contributes to the enchanting atmosphere of the estate. Even the mailbox is a work of art, with its spectacular shadowy effects that were created by installing separate lights into the concrete.

In addition to aesthetics, effective and beautiful landscape lighting designs include a focus on functionality. A well-lit stairway, for example, ensures a safe and secure journey up to the front door.

In conclusion, landscape lighting is an essential aspect of any landscape design project. An artistic approach to landscape lighting can create elegant and subtle solutions that showcase the beauty of the architecture and the surrounding natural environment.
This cutting-edge landscape lighting project earned the 2022 AOLP Award of Excellence for Extra Large Residential Estates and shows what can be accomplished with a dedicated focus on the nighttime landscape.

TEAM LIST:
Innovative Light Designs,
Orange CA
Project Design and Installation,
Steven Gogatz