Architectural Lighting - the Varieties

Architectural lighting is often used to highlight the unique design elements of a home, garden, or professional building. It is generally placed around and near entryway porticos and arches, on and around columns and the textured exteriors of buildings including walls and other structures and to highlight statues, ponds or other structural features.

When used appropriately in any garden setting, architectural lighting can accentuate the asthetics of a selected garden bed, a swimming pool, patio or decking around the house.

The coach light is one of the more popular and widely used styles of architectural garden lighting. It is a reminder of the old fashioned gas lights that were used to light the paths, streets and driveways of the past and lends a romantic charm to the setting. The typical coach light is placed on top of a pole and allows a dazzling light display through clear glass or perspex panels and can often be installed along one side or both sides of a driveway or at the corners of an outdoor deck. Coach lights may also be used in a garden or used to accentuate a flowerbed or pathway.

Another example of popular architectural garden lighting is the hanging lantern. These are usually attached to a pole inserted into the ground with a spike. These lanterns are now made as works of art as well as serving a functional purpose and are constructed from durable materials including high-impact plastic, stainless steel or even copper. Some include the use of solar lighting as an economical and environmentally friendly choice of lighting and all are easy to maintain.

Walk lights are quite often used to accentuate the beauty of a flowerbed as well as providing illumination for safety purposes along a walking path. These lights are set low to the ground and usually attached to a short pole or sit on top of a spike pushed into the ground. Many of these also incorporate the use of solar lighting. This eliminates the need for awkward cables or electrical boxes as well as costing virtually nothing to run.

LED garden uplights are used in architectural garden lighting to highlight elements of the garden that are attractive or a main feature. They are usually inserted into the ground and the light source is directed upwards. Elements such as trees and other tall plantings are thus showcased. Uplights can also be used to light an entryway or arch entrance.

Floodlights have similar characteristics to uplights, the difference being that their light can be directed either up or down. They can be used to illuminate entrances and to highlight exterior architectural elements such as archways, porticos or landscape elements.