Lighting the way

"Light pollution hides views of the cosmos and causes a host of environmental problems. But architectural and landscape lighting can be designed so that it is sensitive to the night sky and ecosystems yet still responds to clients’ requirements."

"What is light pollution? Mark Major, principal of London-based lighting design firm Speirs + Major, explains simply that since illumination is a byproduct of energy, if you are using more than is required, or you are putting it where it isn’t desired or necessary, “by definition, that is pollution.”

"The outdoor lighting strategies recommended by IDA include luminaires that are shielded to direct light downward rather than up into the sky, are only as bright as necessary, and shut off or dim after hours. Strasser sums up the basics of outdoor lighting as “light where you need it, when you need it, and no more. Everything else is just waste.”



from: http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11814-designing-for-the-dark