VMSD - September 2017 - 58

SPECIAL REPORT: RETAIL LIGHTING DESIGN

W I L L I AM Z B AR E N P H OT OGR AP HY, C HIC AGO

maintaining your lighting involved unscrewing a bulb
and putting in a new one. Today, most fixtures have
remote drivers and require proprietary LED modules.
Consider placing drivers and special equipment in easyaccess areas, with fixtures that are easily maintained.
(You don't want to rip out the ceiling just to replace one
lightbulb.)

DO specify a good control system, and DON'T
depend on a series of individual standalone

controls. With all of the energy requirements sweeping

DO use fixtures with integrated lighting for
product display, but DON'T depend completely

on general lighting to illuminate your space. Using

products like LED flat panels and backlit graphics not
only help support your brand, they also add light to the
space.
DO keep your lighting details simple, and

DON'T design architectural details that require

growth. There is a reason that track lighting has been

an on-site engineer. Remember that time is money and
sometimes that "precious" detail can ultimately hold up
your construction schedule. Keeping it simple goes a long
way.

the "go-to" system for retail lighting for years. With
track lighting, we can move the spotlights and add
more, as needed. With the high turnaround of brickand-mortar stores, it is essential that we design lighting
that can roll with all of the changes. Beyond standard
track lighting, there are many "recessed multiples"
available in various designs.
When the bottom line is selling your product, don't
forget that lighting is a necessary piece of the puzzle. x

M IC HAE L BI OND O P HO T O G R AP H Y

6
7

DO understand your local electrical and energy
codes, and DON'T wait until the inspector

comes. If your store is a national chain, it's easy to

assume you can duplicate your designs from one city
to the next. However, codes change from city to city
and state to state. Do your research! Not understanding codes can cost you. And increasingly, projects are
including LEED and other and third-party certification.
Hire a knowledgeable electrical engineer who can help
you navigate through this constantly changing world of
codes.

DO design an easily maintainable system, and
DON'T design lighting that can't be reached

and replaced. The latest lighting trends include "trim-

less" fixtures and discrete linear LEDs, and a lot of
these products require special installation. In the past,

SEPTEMBER 2017

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the country, remote-control systems are becoming a
necessity. In the past, retailers could depend on simple
wall switches to control their lighting. Now, we are
required to use dimmers, occupancy sensors and timers
to meet code. A relatively new concept called "daylight
harvesting" requires lights to dim as sunlight increases
during the day. By specifying a good remote-control
system, all of these features can be operated with one
master keypad. This also allows the store staff to make
changes to time clocks with relative ease.
DO design a lighting system that is flexible,
and DON'T design one that won't allow for

Kathy Pryzgoda has been designing lighting for the past 30 years. Her
diverse background includes lighting
design for theater, television and architecture. In 2007, she established Light
Studio LA, an architectural lighting
design firm based in Culver City, Calif. Kathy is currently
the lighting designer for national retailer, Design Within
Reach, and she lectures at UCLA Extension and at LA's
Otis School of Design.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of VMSD - September 2017