Facade lighting: rules, mistakes and examples. Architectural lighting and facade lighting Decorative facade lighting

Architectural lighting of buildings is one of the most interesting areas of lighting design today. Using it, you can create a unique design for buildings.

What is it used for?

Illumination of building facades performs the following functions:

Creating a spectacular silhouette of a building at night. The design is developed taking into account the design of other nearby buildings.
Attracting the attention of potential clients. In this case, a fairly bright lighting design is used.
The original lighting emphasizes the status of the building.
Building security - lighting reduces the risk of unauthorized persons entering the building.

Where is it used?

Very often, architectural lighting is used to decorate:

Country private houses, as well as mini-hotels.
City buildings. These can be administrative institutions, architectural monuments, offices of large companies, shops, etc.
Mostov.

The lighting method is selected depending on the purpose of the building, its architectural features and location.

Local lighting

This type of illumination is carried out using lamps that are located on or next to it. This way you can focus on the most significant architectural elements of the building. These could be, for example, cornices, balconies, bas-reliefs, signs, window vaults, etc. Among other things, this type of lighting allows you to save energy, but you should not abuse it, since a large number of lamps will certainly spoil the appearance of the building.

Flood lighting

In this case, lighting devices (spotlights of different power) are located at a fairly significant distance from the building. Trees are used to camouflage them, ornamental shrubs, The facade in this case is completely illuminated. Similar architectural lighting is used for large buildings that are closed at night. The use of directed beams of light makes it possible to highlight the elements of a building. Very often, historical architectural monuments, museums, administrative buildings and churches are decorated this way.

Contour lighting

This architectural lighting of buildings involves highlighting contours. In this case, all edges of the building or edges can be emphasized individual elements: roofs, facades, etc. Tubes can be used to organize this type of lighting, and the design in this case is soft and unobtrusive.

Background fill

This type of architectural lighting is mainly used for buildings of cultural or historical value. In this case, the background and side parts of the building stand out. Buildings with columns are often decorated this way. This makes the building stricter, more monumental and majestic. The lighting fixtures themselves are completely excluded from view, and their installation does not damage the structural elements of the building.

Illuminated facades

Fully glazed building facades are not uncommon these days. It is almost impossible to illuminate such a building from the outside, since the glass simply absorbs the light. The designers found very interesting solution design of such buildings. Architectural lighting of facades in this case is carried out not from the outside, but from the inside of the building. In this case, the equipment is mounted on the walls or ceilings of the premises. is directed at the glass from different angles, creating a stunning effect.

Dynamic lighting

In this case, the decorative effect is achieved by periodically changing the intensity, color, and mixing shades of light. In this case, LED architectural lighting is most often used. Modern equipment allows you to obtain stunningly beautiful dynamic effects. This could be, for example, a video broadcast or advertising.

What do you pay attention to when creating lighting?

When creating lighting, experts are guided by a number of different factors:

Stages of creating backlight

Registration is carried out in several stages.

The lighting concept is determined, lighting design modeling is carried out taking into account all the architectural features of the structure.
A lighting design is being developed, the brightness of the lamps, their power, etc. are being calculated.
An electrical project is being developed.
Equipment is purchased and installed.

Using architectural lighting, you can create an unusually impressive design of a building. But only if the project was drawn up taking into account all the features of both the building itself and the territory adjacent to it.

Architectural lighting is the illumination of building facades, providing an artistic play of light to realize the designer’s ideas. This type of outdoor lighting is used not only for houses, but also for monuments and billboards, because its purpose is to emphasize the beauty of objects at night, to highlight them.

General tasks of facade lighting

Facade lighting was invented in the USA at the beginning of the 20th century. It was used to decorate prestigious areas of large cities, and then “migrated” to more modest neighborhoods. It is decorative lighting that gives houses, cottages, and mansions a bright, dynamic style, turning entire streets into abysses of light. Modern facade lighting is an integral part of architecture, so a lighting plan is created at the design stage of houses and commercial buildings.

Non-residential premises are illuminated to fit well into the urban image, as well as to attract the attention of visitors. Due to its decorative function, bright illumination is especially popular when decorating banks, shopping centers, entertainment complexes, shops, cafes and restaurants. Facade lighting gives such objects great marketing advantages and therefore increases their market value.

The use of illumination in private and country houses, country houses - one of the areas of lighting design that provides high decorative qualities to buildings. Even the most ordinary house can be turned into a unique work of art, highlighting columns, niches, and other forms. But facade lighting also has a functional role, it:

improves the visualization of paths and doors in the dark;
increases the safety of courtyards, parking lots, and entrances to houses.

Architectural lighting emphasizes the status of a building, so the largest buildings in a city are usually brighter than smaller ones.

Lighting requirements

The lighting of buildings is installed not only based on the wishes of the customer. Before installing the equipment, specialists take into account the features of the structure - its style, geometry of the elements. It is also important to take into account the layout of the house, because the lighting should look good against the backdrop of the lighting of neighboring buildings. To create a contrast between the background and the facade of the house, you should organize and street lighting yard, and in a special way.

Equally important is the correct selection of lamps, spotlights, and other lighting devices, as well as the calculation of their quantity. Thus, buildings for entertainment and recreation are decorated brighter, and offices need less intrusive and flashy light. Historical buildings are illuminated in such a way as not to disturb the architects' plans. When purchasing lamps, take into account the following characteristics:

power;
Colorful temperature;
shade.

The material of the facade also plays an important role when installing lighting on the outside of the building. Metal, glass surfaces and gloss reduce the brightness of lighting and can cause glare. Here you need to correctly position the light sources so that the illumination is at the proper level.

There are other requirements for façade lighting. The equipment must be installed so that it is accessible for repair and replacement of lamps. On city streets, façade lighting should not blind drivers passing in their cars.

Norms and rules for building lighting

Designing the lighting design of buildings differs from developing projects for other types of lighting. Careful calculation work, after which it will be possible to carry out the main components and structures. Specialists accurately measure the slightest relief bends, all elements of the facade, select installation locations for lighting panels, as well as control systems and wiring areas.

There are certain standards for the selection and installation of lamps. Devices must be external (external) and have luminous intensity curves. The light dispersion angle is 10-60 degrees. Lamps are placed in such a way as to accurately implement the designer’s main idea and eliminate the glare on residents from the opposite side of the street. The layout of the lamps will serve as the basis for their installation, so it is calculated with high accuracy.

Here are the basic rules that are followed when planning architectural lighting:

the columns are illuminated by spotlights with narrow beams of dispersion;
the cornices are illuminated with special linear lamps, creating a long luminous line;
The interwindow partitions of the first floor are illuminated with floor lamps or other free-standing lamps;
sculptures are highlighted using metal halide lamps with a color rendering index of more than 80;
The average brightness of facades, depending on the significance of the structure, is 3-10 cd/sq. m.

To complete the project, special computer programs are used, which greatly facilitate the work of the architect. Once all documents are ready, they begin to be approved by regulatory authorities, and only then can installation begin.

Types of Architectural Lighting

There are many ways to organize lighting for houses and other buildings. Each has its own purpose, so the choice depends on the style and size of the object, its design features– configurations, textures. The material and color of the cladding are also taken into account; it is equally important to consider the characteristics of the buildings around.

Local lighting

To enhance the aesthetic properties of any part of the building, local illumination is used. With its help you can place accents on windows, balconies, and cornices. This method is widely used in both wooden houses, and on buildings with porcelain tile or panel cladding. This type of lighting is considered the most economical, and it is also universal. The implementation of lighting design is achieved by using wall lamps of low brightness, which are mounted in the right places on the facade. Linear ones are also used LED bulbs, an excellent replacement for bulky fluorescent lamps.

Flood lighting

This type of lighting is the easiest to create. It is used to highlight cultural objects, monuments, churches, and any small free-standing buildings. Flood lighting involves installing spotlights on the ground or posts; they will provide directional light. For buildings where people live or work, it is better not to use fill, as light will penetrate the windows and create discomfort.

Contour lighting

Organizing lighting along the contour of the walls is an original technique that began to be used recently. Now contour lighting is organized using LEDs in the form of strips, rulers, and also with the participation of flexible neons. A large number of luminous elements help highlight corners and other details of the facade.

Background fill

This type of lighting accentuates the outlines of the building's shapes, but at the same time hides the details. The idea is to create a luminous background (background), on which the silhouette of the structure will be black. The background fill looks especially impressive in relation to theaters and palaces. For its installation, special LED tubes are used.

Illuminated facades

This technique is suitable for illuminating houses with continuous glazing, as well as entertainment centers, shops, and some office buildings. Light sources are placed indoors and directed onto glass, creating a stationary or dynamic lighting design.

Dynamic lighting

For this type of lighting, color-dynamic systems are installed, as a result the facade will be illuminated in different colors. After a certain time, they change, as does the brightness of the backlight. For installation, spotlights, diodes, tapes, and point light sources are used.

Types of lamps used

Almost all types of existing lamps are used in architectural lighting. But they are subject to completely different requirements than those installed indoors. These are the requirements:

ability to work in any climatic conditions;
tightness of the case, absence of additional seams;
100% electrical safety, fire safety;
resistance to mechanical stress;
high degree of dust and moisture protection (from IP65);
ease of maintenance;
housing made of stainless steel, aluminum, sheet steel with anti-corrosion coating.

There are also requirements for the appearance of lamps. The main thing is that they are invisible to the eye, without unnecessary details, and the color matches the façade or is neutral. During the day, lighting devices should not spoil the appearance of the structure. Since devices operate for a long time, it is advisable to install those that consume a minimum of electricity.

The following light sources for facades are now produced:

ground;
linear;
point;
accent.

Lamps for such devices can be fluorescent or metal halide, but only LED ones are considered promising. Their advantages are maximum brightness and low power, as well as long service life. The diodes operate at temperatures of -40...+40 degrees, start quickly and easily, and do not blink. The range of color temperatures of diodes is huge (2700-6500 K), so the designer will be able to choose the tone, hue, and texture of the light. Special forms of diodes are rulers and cords. These are tapes with a round or rectangular cross-section, produced in different variations.

Some scientists note the risk of “light pollution”, which affects people's health and prevents them from contemplating clear night skies in cities. The problem can be solved by special technologies that reduce the intensity of this type of pollution and minimize energy costs. It is impossible to completely do without the lighting design of buildings - it has decorative and practical functions, therefore it is used everywhere.

How we are working

Our work scheme is divided into three main stages:

design;
ordering lamps and mounting structures;
electrical installation work according to the prepared technical specifications.

Fossa Electric equipment

For LED lighting of buildings, we use our own developments and equipment from leading global manufacturers. LED strips, lamps and spotlights are installed on the facades. All Fossa Electric products are made from anodized aluminum and tempered glass. The angle of the light flux is adjustable, the lighting power is selected taking into account the established requirements and wishes of the customer.

LED lamps use diodes manufactured by Cree, Osram, Nichia. To make the lighting more original, it is supplemented with engineering systems. These could be motion or lighting sensors, color lighting control. For “smart” lighting, we use RDM control modules and other advanced technologies, including those produced in-house.

Architectural (facade) lighting of buildings allows you to emphasize the style, highlight the most advantageous elements, and focus on the most attractive finishing solutions. With the help of architectural lighting of facades, you can change the appearance of houses in such a way that their appearance is perceived completely differently in the dark and during the day.

Our company offers services in the field of designing effective lighting systems and installs architectural and artistic lighting on buildings of any number of floors. Over the course of several years of work, we have gained extensive experience in light planning activities for various urban facilities. The high qualifications of our specialists are the key to successfully solving any problems related to the installation of facade lighting for a wide variety of objects, which include the following:

administrative institutions;
architectural monuments.

Completed projects of architectural lighting of facades

Lighting projects for different types buildings

Lighting cost calculator

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We strictly fulfill customer requirements and take into account the smallest nuances.

DESIGN AND SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT

All projects are developed by our specialists in full compliance with domestic regulatory and technical documentation regulating the quality and safety of lighting structures. The architectural lighting of building facades designed by us meets the requirements of the current SNiP applicable in Moscow.

At the design stage, we select equipment with characteristics that are optimal for creating truly effective outdoor lighting for homes. Lighting devices, wiring and switching equipment are selected not only according to luminosity parameters, but also depending on energy efficiency indicators. This point is extremely important when directly using lighting for buildings of all types.

GEOGRAPHY OF COMPLETED OBJECTS

INSTALLATION WORK

When installing lighting, we actively use innovative solutions and developments from the world's leading manufacturers. For example, as an alternative to traditional incandescent and fluorescent lamps, we offer LED lighting, which is more efficient and cost-effective. The service life of this equipment is several years.

The structures that hold the lighting fixtures together with the fittings are made of durable materials that are resistant to adverse weather conditions. As a result, architectural lighting serves well for a long period of time, without the need for complex servicing. The quality of its functioning is not affected by precipitation and increased wind conditions.

Thanks to the professionalism of our specialists and the use of functional installation equipment, all work on the installation of lighting is completed in record time. At the same time, the speed of installation is not affected by the design features of the building. Contacting our company will allow you to quickly receive façade lighting with impeccable technical and operational characteristics.

Order architectural (facade) lighting of buildings from our company, and you will save significant money on paying for services for its design and installation. We deliver the facility on a turnkey basis and, by agreement, resolve any problems that arise during further operation.

Architectural lighting of facades solves several problems at the same time. The most important of them, of course, is the problem of lighting buildings. The second priority is to give the building an attractive appearance. As a rule, building lighting is created to solve these two problems at the same time, as they say, to kill two birds with one stone. In this article we will talk about installing lighting for various buildings, for example, a cottage or wooden house. And also about what equipment should be used for this.

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There are a huge number of principles for lighting buildings. The main ones are listed below:

Flood lighting. As a rule, such lighting is used to uniformly illuminate a certain area with bright light. Lighting equipment is installed at the highest point and, when turned on, floods a certain area with bright light. Such lighting is very often used to illuminate the driveway to the house. In such cases, the equipment used is equipped with photocells, as a result of which the light turns on only at those moments when there is movement on the driveway of the house. This approach to the issue allows us to solve the problem of bright light that can hit the eyes;

Architectural LED lighting. Such lighting is designed to highlight certain decorative elements. If the equipment is installed correctly, then such illumination of a country house looks very impressive, hiding from view any shortcomings and flaunting its advantages;
Facade lighting. A similar principle of lighting a cottage or any other structure is to install the equipment in such a way that the entire perimeter of the buildings or a certain part of them is evenly illuminated;
Light graphics. This type of building lighting has recently gained popularity. The meaning of such lighting is to create multi-colored and varied lighting structures on the facades of buildings. This kind of lighting looks incredibly beautiful. It’s not at all difficult to create such a light miracle on the walls of a country house. There are two ways to do this. The first is to place LEDs on the walls of the cottage. This method takes a lot of time and effort. The second method is much simpler than the first. At some distance from the wall of the cottage, special lamps are installed that project the light emanating from them onto the house;

Background lighting. The principle of such lighting is to create harmonious areas of light and shadow. When installing this lighting principle, lamps are usually installed low from the ground;
Contour lighting. When using a similar lighting principle, the lamps are installed in such a way that only the outlines of a cottage or any other building, for example, a country house, are visible. Such architectural lighting is very popular in small towns.

To create a more attractive appearance a country house or any other building should combine several different principles into a single whole. The effect of this will be simply amazing.

Facade lighting design

Before you begin directly installing the façade lighting, you need to design it all on paper. This can be done either independently or by seeking help from specialists. If you need to design and create lighting for your country house, it is better to do it yourself. After all, thanks to this you will save some money. Since the volumes of lighting are not so large, this will not be difficult for any person, even without any specific knowledge in the field of electrical engineering.

Many people believe that design is unnecessary and that they can do without it. Such judgments are fundamentally wrong. Design has a number of positive aspects.

You can decide which lighting principles are most suitable for your country house or any other building.
You can also calculate in advance how much electricity will be consumed installed lamps. Having this data in hand, you will decide whether this is too expensive for you.
In addition, you will be able to calculate in advance the cost of all necessary equipment and components.
Having a detailed project in hand, you can carry out all the work step by step, without running from one unfinished lighting element to another. This will save you a lot of time.

Installation of facade lighting

Once the facade lighting project is ready, and all the necessary equipment, including lamps, has been purchased, you should proceed directly to the installation of lighting.

It is important to consider two points that will be useful both at the design stage and at the lighting installation stage.

If you do not have access to electrical wiring, that is, you do not have the appropriate permit, you should not independently connect the lighting elements to the electrical network.
At the design stage, it is worth calculating the maximum power consumption of all devices, as well as the required resistance of the wires used to create the backlight. At the installation stage, all this data must be double-checked.

So, let’s proceed directly to the installation of facade lighting.

First of all, based on the existing project, it is necessary to install the lamps in the places chosen for them. As we know, there are a huge number of different lighting principles. Therefore, the lamps can be located anywhere. For example, to create background lighting, they must be installed at a distance of 30 centimeters to one and a half meters from the ground. And for flood lighting, you need to prepare the most elevated place. Therefore, before installing lamps, you should take care of their installation locations;
After the lamps have taken their proper place, electrical wires should be drawn from them that will power them. It is worth considering that all lighting elements should not be connected to the same power source. This risks overloading the power grid. Every private house has a so-called box. It's worth choosing a few of them that are less cluttered. If you plan to create grandiose illumination, you should connect all the wires directly to the electric meter;

Facade lighting fixtures

All wiring should be securely fastened using appropriate fasteners, which are sold in every store that sells electrical equipment. If the electrical cable is placed in the ground, to protect it, it is worth placing it in a corrugation and carefully remembering the place where it is laid. Otherwise, during any excavation work, it may be damaged. This may result in electrical injury;
The last step in creating the backlight is connecting to power. As mentioned earlier, you should not do this yourself unless you have the appropriate approval to work with electricity. Better invite a specialist. If a separate power source is allocated for lighting, coming directly from the electric meter, it will also be necessary to obtain permission from the relevant service.

That's all, the architectural lighting of the facade is ready. You can safely turn it on in the dark.

Energy of sun

Recently, lighting elements powered directly by natural energy have come into fashion. This could be solar or wind energy. The most popular is the first option. The advantage of illumination due to solar energy is obvious. You will only spend money on purchasing equipment.

There are two types of solar-powered lamps.

The first of them is a lighting element with a solar battery built into it.
The second similar design is much more complicated. It includes separate lamps and solar battery. As a rule, lamps are installed at your discretion. Then the battery should be installed in the place where the sun stays the longest during the day. As a rule, this is the western slope of the roof of the house.

There is also a disadvantage to such equipment and it is no less significant than the plus. It happens that direct sunlight does not reach the surface of the earth for several days, and sometimes even weeks. Accordingly, there is nothing to recharge the battery from, and the facade lighting will not work all this time.

Advantages of luminaires for facades

Such lamps are highly safe.
They are practically immune to atmospheric phenomena such as rain or snow.
They are also highly impact resistant. This does not mean that they cannot be damaged intentionally. But they will not deteriorate from accidental exposure.
Lamps for façade illumination are manufactured taking into account the possibility of exposure to high temperatures in summer and low temperatures, respectively, in winter.

Prices for lamps for facade lighting

The cost of equipment varies from 500 rubles to 20,000. It all depends on each specific case. If you need a not very powerful lamp from an unpopular company, it will cost very little. If it's the other way around, it's expensive. There are several determining price criteria.

Manufacturer's brand.
Modification of the lamp.
Power.
Design.

Now you know everything about creating facade lighting, lighting principles, design and installation, as well as approximate prices. Based on this knowledge, you can decide whether it is worth illuminating the facade of your home.