Landscape Contractor / Design Build Maintain

APR 2017

LC/DBM provides landscape contractors with Educational, Imaginative and Practical information about their business, their employees, their machines and their projects.

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April 2017 37 Strength and Grace Left As the icon of a university in Connecticut, this bronze statue is a focal point on campus and warranted profession- al lighting treatment, which is what Michael Gotowala of Preferred Properties Landscaping did. Somewhat limited by the base of the statue as to where he could put the lights, he installed five PAR 36 well lights from Unique Lighting. They all had 5-watt lamps with a color temperature of 3000 K and a beam spread of 32 degrees. To inject some life into the inanimate object, Gotowala used spreader lens glass inserts over bronze theatrical film. "It looks like the stag is breathing," he says. Besides lighting it for artistic reasons, Gotowala acknowl- edges that there were safety and security reasons involved also. And he advises lighting contractors to always do the "finish pointing" during the night. Reflecting Brilliance Right This expensive stainless steel sculpture at a private residence in Connecticut was quite a challenge for Preferred Properties Landscaping because of its mirror-like qualities. According to company owner Michael Gotowala, it was important to minimize the glare present when the sculp- ture is viewed from the home's windows. He used three Classic down lights mounted about 20 feet high in three different trees to cross light the statue in a triangular configuration. Two of the light fixtures were outfitted with 35-watt lamps with 36 degree beam spreads and a color temperature of 3250 K. The lamp in the third fixture was the same except for having a beam spread of 60 degrees. There are ad- ditional uplights on the larger tree and an accent light on the large stone. Gotowala admits that he couldn't necessarily rely on past projects when lighting this piece because of the individuality of it, and that is something to always keep in mind. One technique he recommends is taking prelimi- nary photographs of the work in progress at night. "You can kind of study light with a picture," he says, "whereas sometimes going out there at night without a camera, you get overwhelmed by the wow factor." An Intricate Sculpture Right When lighting items like this one, which is in the backyard of a home in Omaha, Nebraska, Jerry McKay of McKay Landscape Lighting advises to ascertain where the objects will be enjoyed from the client's perspective. This artwork's delicate elegance is highlighted by two Auroralight LED copper spots (SLX16) with Halco LED, 4-watt, 3000 K LEDs with 60-degree beam spreads. One of the same fixtures is focused on the Japanese tree lilac. They all were mounted with ground stakes.

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