Designing a good lighting system for an open parking structure is more complex than you might think – especially when it’s located adjacent to a residential neighborhood. The design team must be sensitive to the visual impact the garage will have. Three-D modelling and rendering of the architecture, hardscape, landscape, and lighting are essential tools that should be used to insure a positive outcome. We recommend preparing day and night renderings, with all the building elements shown, to give stakeholders a true representation of the final product. LED lighting is a smart choice because it not only saves energy, it can better direct illumination to where it’s needed and reduce glare. This allows greater fixture placement flexibility and can reduce the height of light poles, minimizing their visual presence and providing better maintenance access. Other advantages of LED lighting are longevity, wider operating temperatures, instant on, and dimability. Instant on is important as it allows any fixture to be used for the code required emergency egress lighting system. The dimming features are now being integrated with occupancy and daylight sensors for additional energy savings, increased life, and glare reduction. For more information about lighting, please contact John Jolly, our award winning lighting designer, at jjolly@glhn.com.