Designing Public Spaces with Commercial Outdoor Lighting

Public spaces have a need for commercial outdoor lighting so they can continue to cater their services to the general public long after the sun goes down. Unlike residential lighting, commercial lighting must stand up to the demands of a public environment.

These demands vary depending on the lighting location and use but must also handle normal abuse and corrosion well.

Increased Traffic

Commercial lighting is a key selling point of any public space. A well lit space will attract more of the public and make them want to investigate the scene resulting in increased foot traffic and ultimately a highly successful commercial space.

It also adds to the space's image. A person's perception of a commercial space will determine whether or not they will go there. The various commerical outdoor lamps available are intended for use in different commercial venues.

A properly lit commercial space will make people curious and want to find out more of what they're missing out on.

Budgeting

Design is critical in lighting a commercial space. Since the owners of these spaces will not be the main users of them, keeping the costs low is important to staying within the budget proposed for the commercial project.

The larger the scale of the lighting project, the better the designer needs to understand the uses of the outdoor space.

Fixture Layout & Positioning

The designer must decide on the best locations to position the lighting especially if he is limited on the number of commercial fixtures that can be used. All while staying in line with the space's design and character.

He must be able to keep the traffic flowing throughout the site. Avoiding dark spots and allowing the light to flow will guide the publics movement and them feel safe and secure.

Security Lighting

A well designed commercial outdoor lighting scheme must make people feel comfortable. If there is adequate lighting in a space, people will feel comfortable approaching strangers. Thats how you know of job has been done well.

Not all outdoor security lighting is used to help keep unwanted intruders out. Maintaining well lit paths and steps adds to the feeling of security that people subconsciously need to feel in order to feel safe.

If lighting a path, it helps to install commercial outdoor lighting fixtures that will spread light along the path as well as on the surrounding space.

The use of outdoor bollard lights is a convenient way to provide path lighting to your guests and the surrounding space. Seeing beyond the surrounding foliage makes people feel more comfortable because of their ability to see beyond the foliage.

Light Intensity

The designer must adjust the lighting intensity in order to keep the flow of light uniform and keep traffic moving.

Darker decor requires more lighting because of the low reflective nature of the darker colors, while lighter colors reflect more light and therefore need less intense levels of light.

Entrances & Exits

Entrances and exits should be distinctive. A well lit entrance or exit can be differentiated by the use of brighter lights, decorative fixtures, or a well lit sign.

Signs are a great way to advertise on and outdoor sign lighting can help your sign stand out amongst the barrage of other messages people encounter when out in public.

Commercial outdoor lighting continues to evolve as technology changes as new lighting techniques and designs begin to take shape. Lighting designers must stay on top the the changing trends as they continue change the face of commercial lighting.