August 2013 - AWA Lighting Designers

LED Lighting Technology Becoming Standard for LEED Footprints

No matter who spins it, sustainable LEED construction has captured the attention of many people, impacting the design of everything from HVAC systems to building envelopes, from renewable energy use to LED (light-emitting diodes) lighting. LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, h..

One Day We’ll Light Our Homes With Bacteria

A team of undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin are attempting to shine light on the problem of electricity-gobbling bulbs by creating a light source that doesn’t require an electric input at all. Genetically engineered E. coli housed within a bulb-like casing can produce biolumine..

Red Light at Night — Sleeper’s Delight

Think red light, and the image that springs to most people’s minds is a danger sign — or more likely a district in Amsterdam, with prostitutes sitting invitingly in shop windows. Now US scientists say red light at night signals significant health benefits, compared with other colours. The late..

The Color of Your Night Light Affects Mood

For young children still learning how to be independent, a night-light can come in handy. Not only are night-lights useful for children, they are also useful for lighting hallways for midnight trips to the bathroom or kitchen. Since night-lights are created with multiple designs and different colors..

Saving the Night: Light Pollution a Serious Concern for Human Health and Wildlife

Have you ever wondered why our galaxy is called the Milky Way? Thousands of years ago the ancient Greeks looked up at the mass of stars that stretched across our sky and, believing it looked like flowing milk across the darkness, called it galaxies kuklos, meaning the “milky circle.” Later the ..

How LEDs Will Make Or Break The Skylines Of Global Cities

LED lighting is transforming skylines all over the world—and architects, city governments, and urban denizens should take note. These illuminated nightscapes promise a new worldwide arena where global cities will compete for recognition. It's a gradual trend that has reached a fever pitch in rece..

Multifunctional LED Packaging for Simple, Color-tunable Spotlights

Light-emitting diodes have become increasingly common in recent times, and users are continuously finding new applications for LED light, which provides unique features such as color-tunable illumination. The color of illumination is easily tuned because LED sources may be integrated with small colo..

Old City of Light

MONTREAL - The sight of the Notre-Dame Basilica punctuates Place d’Armes, and not just because it’s a world-renowned sacred structure. On July 9, a new LED lighting scheme was switched on, making the building’s unique architectural features discernible from afar. This skilful illumination tran..