21/Oct/2020
Lighting Solution’s second collaborative ThinkLight Webinar Series with Messe Frankfurt Middle East.
“In daylight, our big blue marble is just lands, oceans and clouds. But the night is electric. Seen from space, our planet comes alive with light.” A NASA satellite video showcased the impact of public realm lighting on the planet, urban development and our lifestyles. When the satellite passes over the darkness of the Himalayas, it shows how human settlement is bound by natural borders.
Did you know that 50% of a city’s power consumption is used for public realm lighting? And have you ever stopped to wonder how the night light has changed our lives, making cities come alive post sunset and expanding our time to work and play?
The topic of ‘Lighting for Landscape & Public Realms’ was explored through Scientechnic Lighting Solution’s second collaborative ThinkLight Webinar Series with Messe Frankfurt Middle East on Wednesday, 14th October, 2020.
The session was moderated by Sakina Dugawalla-Moeller (Founder, Design Director at Light.Func) and the panel hosted a lineup of distinguished names from the lighting fraternity including Lee Barker-Field (Head of Lighting Design, AECOM), Martin Valentine (Lighting Design Specialist), Faraz Izhar (Senior Lighting Designer, KEO), Kamel Fawaz (Senior Project Manager, ERCO) and our very own, Samer Moukalled (Vice President, Scientechnic Lighting Solutions).
The discussion touched on a number of interesting topics including emerging technologies, the intricate relationship between contractors, lighting manufacturers and designers, and why brightest is not always the best.
When it comes to light pollution, Faraz Izhar shared an interesting fact that
in many countries, the Dark Skies certification excludes public road lighting. To Faraz, the perfect example of a well-lit space is to have ample light for vision and safety, and still be able to look up into the night skies and see the Milky Way. Brightest is not always the best, and a good design is an interplay of light and shadow that gives a sense of intrigue.
Lee Barker-Field expressed the importance of being sympathetic to the ecosystem, and working on reducing light pollution. The key to this, lies in integrating cities with lighting technology at the early stage of planning.
However, as Samer Moukalled pointed out, this is rarely the case as planners interact with third party contractors in the early stage. This means decisions are heavily based on initial budgets rather than long-term benefits of energy saving.
Speaking from a manufacturing perspective, Kamel Fawaz highlighted the importance of manufacturing going hand-in-hand with the design community’s requirements. He went on to say that ERCO invests a great deal in research and development, which justifies their heavier price tag.
Martin Valentine went on to say that when it comes to the topic of optimum lighting, people tend to associate it with color temperature. However, this is totally irrelevant in the larger picture. Bad lighting is harsh, feels unsafe and gives a space unflattering contrast. It is also interesting to note that light temperature differs by culture. In Europe and the Middle East, warmer lighting is preferred whereas countries like Japan in the Far East tend to prefer cooler light.
A replay of the session can be viewed via this link: https://bit.ly/3jNQJrP
@Scientechnic