Solid State Lighting in the Built Environment
:: By Stephanie Norton

Spectacular San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge

Advancements in Light Emitting Diode, or LED, technology represent the most significant development in lighting since the invention of electric light well over a century ago. Offering superior light quality and unprecedented design freedom, LEDs are changing the way architects and designers use light.
 
LEDs are a type of solid-state lighting, so-called because light is emitted from a solid object, a semiconductor, instead of a vacuum or gas tube as in incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent lights. LEDs consume less energy and last much longer than conventional light sources, do not heat illuminated surfaces or emit ultraviolet light, contain no toxic mercury, and require little maintenance. Whether revitalizing bridges and landmarks, turning building walls into large-scale customizable art installations, energizing city skylines or creating dazzling and dramatic ambiance for contemporary interiors, read on to find out how LED lighting technology is transforming the built environment.

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Above: An international team led by London based artist Peter Fink (Form Associates) and lighting designer Mark Major (Speirs + Major) in association with Buro Happold in Los Angeles has recently been announced as the winner of the largest interactive green energy lighting project in North America for envisioning the spectacular San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, above, with programmable LED lighting powered from electricity generated by wind turbines. The variable rate of traffic flow over the bridge will be expressed by parapet lighting programmatically reflecting the direction, speed and intensity of vehicle movements on the deck. The lighting on navigation span of the bridge will also have the capability to respond to the movement of larger ships that pass underneath. The lighting project is expected to be complete by 2019, to coincide with the bridge's 50th anniversary. 

4View Listing on CADdetails.com

Create a Lifetime of Memories with
Lilliput’s Distinctive Outdoor Play Homes

With over 20 years of experience building children’s playhouses, Lilliput Play Homes is the respected authority on playhouse design and construction. Crafting high-quality outdoor playhouses of lasting value, Lilliput offers a wide variety of models, options, and accessories to create "made-to-order memories”.

Attention to detail and unique playhouse styling distinguish all Lilliput playhouses, whether they are for residential or commercial use, interior or exterior. Children’s outdoor play areas can be fun-filled, crowd-pleasing additions to businesses and other commercial environments. Day care centers, doctor’s waiting rooms, churches, hotels, malls, and restaurants are just a few of the establishments Lilliput has worked with over the years to create unique, fun and safe play areas.

Here are just some of Lilliput’s featured collections:

Main Street Collection
Once highlighted on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Lilliput’s signature collection is built with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship. These playhouses are “built-to-order" in their Finleyville, PA workshop, unassembled in pre-fabricated panels, and then shipped out for quick and easy assembly.

Disney Collection
Lilliput’s newest collection of children's playhouses is inspired by the magic and enchantment that is Disney.

From the classic Mickey's Diner (right), a vintage 50's style eatery where kids can flip burgers on the grill or catch Steamboat Willie on the outside movie screen, to the fairest house of them all, Snow White's Cottage, the Disney Collection brings imagination and adventure home.

Interested in Custom Playhouses?
Let Lilliput Play Homes help you "Create Your Own Dream."  Working with their professional designers and craftsmen, you can follow your imagination to create completely custom playhouses. From building a replica of a full-sized home to designing the perfect backyard play structure, Lilliput can help turn a typical backyard into a magical place.  As the premier designer of distinctive outdoor playhouses for children, Lilliput Play Homes has been making dreams come true for children across the country and around the world since 1989.

For more information, visit Lilliput on CADdetails.com to download designs, or learn more by calling (724) 348-7071 or by visiting: www.lilliputplayhomes.com.

Aurora Deck Lighting’s design team has broken new ground once again with the introduction of their new Odyssey LED Strip Lighting Kit. The Odyssey Strip Light is an all-new concept in lighting that creates a dramatic curtain of down light from underneath deck rails, stair rails, steps, soffits, patio covers, gazebos, or the underside of a deck to light up the landscape below.

The lights are available from fence and deck supply companies and select retailers nationwide. Visit CADdetails to download designs and product information, or visit www.auroradecklighting.com for more information. (For a list of suppliers or retailers in your area, click on the “Where to Buy” section).