When you show up after everything is already in place, there’s usually one simple rule: “be a good neighbor.” That was “our number one goal,” says Steve Farrington, partner at Morrissey Engineering and electrical project manager for a mixed-use building in the West Shores residential lake community in Waterloo, NE. The community was already home to a children’s park, walking trail and marina. “From an exterior lighting perspective, this meant introducing illumination that minimized impact on nearby residences and avoided light pollution.”
One way to fit in was landscape design such as an attractive lakeside retaining wall that emulates nearby homes. Another was to use a gentle lighting design touch across the 640-acre property. The signature technique was to specify 22 discreet column lights (Luminis)—each with a 6-ft by 6-ft footprint—to illuminate the pathways around the building façade, adjacent driveways and parking lots. Farrington selected an optional louver to ensure the light goes exactly where needed, minimizing light spillage to the lake and homes. A cast aluminum top cover helps make the luminaire dark sky friendly. The fixtures’ crisp, geometric lines accent the property’s minimalist landscaping while serving as wayfinding for the parking lot across the street from the building. They effectively create a colonnade effect, marking the path up to the building’s entrance.
To accommodate the extreme weather variations in Nebraska, the fixtures’ aluminum construction and integrated struts act as a reinforcing cage to ensure the columns are robust and durable. The luminaire is also IP65 rated, with a lifetime beyond 60,000 hours.
