Hotel & Motel Management - June 16, 2008 - (Page 22) 22 Design H&MM June 16, 2008 | HotelMotel.com LAMPS AND LIGHTING BY HEATHER GUNTER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Light up large public spaces Lighting is a key to setting the tone of a large public space such as a lobby or ballroom. Energy codes have changed the way designers approach these spaces, according to Andy Lang, principal, Lang Lighting Design. “The latest adopted codes allow about 1 watt per square foot for hospitality projects.” Lang said. “That is really tough to pull off if you have ceiling heights that are taller than normal—you get the same wattage allowance for a space with a 15-foot ceiling as you do for a space with a 25-foot ceiling. It takes a lot of time and study to determine a final approach under those parameters, he added. Dealing with shortened design schedules because of escalating material and labor costs is another challenge, he said. “Sometimes I wonder what happened to design development. Schematic design goes right into construction documents.” There is still a way to pull off a great project, Lang said, but it’s a matter of knowing the dynamic of the project up front and scheduling accordingly. Mary Suenaga, designer, WATG (the design firm for the Pan Pacific Singapore, above), said the biggest challenge is making sure clients follow through with the desired intent WATG of the light fixture. “It is important that they do not value engineer the specified light fixtures or where light fixtures are placed,” she said. “Designers also need to be aware of the latest technology to specify for the light fixture and the effectiveness of the light distribution coming from the light source.” Lighting technology LED is the current buzzword in the lighting world. Mary Suenaga, designer, WATG, said the use of LEDs is a trend because of energy savings and their ability to provide a variety of light output in color, temperature and amount of light. Andy Lang, principal, Lang Lighting Design, said his firm is proceeding cautiously with LED technology for hospitality projects because he feels more comfortable with it at this point as a special-effect lighting source. “Now leading manufacturers of LED lighting are touting 50,000hour lamp life and everything is about heat dissipation because it takes a lot of LED wattage to pull off some of the lighting techniques people are trying to do these days,” Lang said. “Clients may not want to spend $100 to $200 per foot on an LED light unless it is going to give them useable light.” CIRCLE NO. 134 http://HotelMotel.com http://www.triton.com http://www.triton.com
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