Hyatt Hill Country Lighting Case Study

The Hill Country Hyatt multi-use tent lighting project was one of our more unique commercial lighting projects to date. In this joint venture, we acted solely as distributors working in partnership with a Houston-based lighting design and Houston electrical contract services company known as Illuminations Lighting Design.

The Hill Country Hyatt, located in San Antonio, TX, had hired Illuminations Lighting to design and install a new indoor commercial lighting system for a rather challenging structure they had constructed on their property.

This structure was a 5,000 square foot semi-permanent climate controlled tent. The tent was constructed because occupancy had exceeded the limits of the current tennis facilities, and a new structure was needed to cover the tennis court slab and handle overflow guests at the hotel. The advantage this new structure offered was that it could also be used for other functions as well, such as golf tournaments, wedding receptions, Movie Theater, business functions, galas, gold tournaments, and many other uses.

The luxury hotel had decided to construct a semi-permanent structure first, measure the success of the activities and revenue generated, and then they would decide whether or not they needed to build a permanent structure in the future.

In order to create space for this tent, the hotel had uninstalled the tennis court lighting poles and nets, and they hired a landscaping company to help blend the structure into its surroundings. As part of the construction project, the tent builder had installed 400-watt high bay lights to illuminate the interior. These commercial lights performed poorly from both a functional and aesthetic standpoint. The space resembled a garage, not a multi-use gathering place.

Illuminations Lighting Design was contracted to develop and install a new tent lighting system. They contacted us for a 3D model of the proposed system they designed, and to order all necessary equipment. We acted promptly on behalf of ILD, publishing a photometric layout, a 3D rendering of the proposal, and explained the features, advantages, and benefits of the new equipment to the hotel owners.

The proposal met the intended budget of $20,000 (installed) and included (10) rustic chandeliers that featured 21 Lamps, a 2 ring design, and 10’ of sturdy chain per chandelier. ILD also installed a Lutron dimming system for setting light levels. Because the tent was built for multiple, separate uses, switch legs and circuits had to be installed to allow for custom switching and dimming. When the client approved the proposal, we then worked closely with Justice Lighting Group to hammer out all the details of the order, including finish, style, proper chain extension, and critical lead time for delivery of equipment to job site to make certain the equipment arrived on time.

As we previously noted, RLLD acted strictly as a distributor on this project. The owner of ILD, impressed with how efficiently we worked with his organization, had this to say about RLLD Commercial Lighting:

“They quickly quoted and shipped the chandeliers from the factory, straight to the jobsite. They arrived on schedule and without any issues. As a specialty lighting and electrical contractor, staying on schedule means the customer is happy and the job is profitable. I will certainly be using RLLD for other residential lighting and commercial lighting projects.”

RLLD Commercial Lighting has a wealth of such resources and product knowledge that can help any client or specialist organization choose the right fixture for the job. RLLD assists contractors, owners, architects, and end users in locating and purchasing the correct lighting equipment to use on their projects. RLLD can also handle the sale, lead time notification, order tracking information, freight and shipping coordination, and financing for purchase of all commercial lighting equipment we carry.

How do I contact RLLD?

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for contact us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. You can also check out our glossary of lighting terms and commercial lighting blog for answers and tips to many lighting issues.

Our commercial lighting design office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including Sault Ste Marie, MI (CIU), Cleveland, OH, (CLE), College Station, TX (CLL), Port Angeles, WA (CLM), Charlotte, NC (CLT), Columbus, OH (CMH), Champaign, IL (CMI), Hancock, MI (CMX), Cody, WY (COD) and Colorado Springs, CO (COS).

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Commercial Recessed Lights & Lighting Fixtures

Enhanced illumination helps create a more positive and focused work environment in the office. It also improves employee morale, and contributes to increased productivity which can be vital to recession proofing a business in todayʼs unstable economy. Of course, many businesses may feel that now is not the best time to invest in a comprehensive overhaul of their interior lighting system. For such companies, commercial recessed lights offer an affordable enhancement to the existing general lighting system that represents a safe-bet investment in a sluggish market place and also helps to reduce liability and improve general safety.

A certain number of foot-candles are required for clear visibility and safe mobility within a building. Pockets of shadow or low levels of light represent areas where employees can injure themselves or suffer from eye strain due to insufficient light. Commercial electric recessed lights are ideal for improving illumination in these areas and increasing visibility so employees can more easily perform tasks and move between stations when necessary. Reducing the risk of injury or work-related physical stress helps decrease the potential liability for an organization with substandard levels of lighting. Something as simple as installing a few commercial recessed electric lights could potentially qualify a company for reduced commercial liability insurance rates, provided the contractor who installs the recessed lights provide the organization with a photometric analysis that details the improved quality of interior lighting and shows where newly installed recessed light fixtures work provide new directional lighting for important tasks in key areas of human traffic and activity.

Recessed electric light fixtures are also an important source of accent lighting in commercial interiors. Meeting rooms and foyers are two very important rooms that every company should spend the money to literally put in the best possible light. Recessed electric lighting fixtures in these rooms can be wired to dimmer controls that allow for the light to be set to appropriate levels for different events. Speakers, sales presentations, private meetings, and even video conferencing can all benefit from the flexible and controlled illumination produced by commercial recessed electric lighting fixtures.

To determine specifics such as housings, trims, and lamp types, it is necessary to quantify floor and vertical cube space, and to spend as much time as necessary to interface with clients to learn the key activities that represent their business model and what type of light fixtures will best support those activities. This information can then be passed on to us so that we may process this data using sophisticated lighting design software that generates a comprehensive photometric analysis of the clientʼs interior office space. This photometric assessment depicts a point by point, room by room breakdown of required levels of lighting and optimal locations for fixture placement. Knowing these two details helps the contractor determine exactly how many recessed electric lighting fixtures are actually needed, and which housings, trims, and lamp types will best meet the requirements of the proposed installation.

For ceilings that cannot be cut due to restrictions in the commercial lease, retrofit recessed lighting fixtures may be the best way to go. Smaller companies who feel the pain of investing even in a few new ceiling lights can be reassured with the promise of lowering power bills with low voltage models. Unique interior architecture such as sloped ceilings can also be accommodated with special recessed electrical commercial light fixtures made just for such interiors.

These are just a few examples of the range of options available through RLLD Commercial Lighting. We supply contractors with an enormous diversity of commercial recessed electrical lighting lamps, housings, and trims that combine unobtrusiveness with flexibility. All equipment is American made here in the United States and drop shipped directly to the clientʼs location unless otherwise requested. Photometric lighting analysis and adjunct consultation services are free to clients and serious inquirers, and consultations services are available for a reasonable fee for contractors seeking expert advice on an as-need basis.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for contact us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. Our home office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including like Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FLL), Orlando, Florida (MCO), Santa Monica, CA, (LAX) Columbus, Ohio (CMH) (LGA) New York, NY, (JKF), St. Louis, MO, Detroit, Michigan (DTW), Madison, WI (MSN), San Francisco, California (SFO), and Omaha, Nebraska (OMA).

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Commercial Exterior Architectural Lighting

Working with a design services hardware vendor like RLLD Commercial Lighting will give your business, no matter how large or small, access to resources few of your competitors can obtain, saving you time and money in the process and providing a level of scientific precision few of your competitors can rival. With specialized architectural lighting design software, we will input the data that you gather from any municipal, commercial, academic, government, or sports facility site and scientifically calculate the precise photometric lighting requirements for optimal foot candle density and directional lighting control. These calculations are vital to the development of a competitive and cost effective proposal that your client will feel confident about. Remember, what you propose today should perform for many years with a minimum of future complications, expenditures, or mishaps.

Ideally, exterior architectural lighting should compliment natural and architectural elements with luminaires whose fixture designs reflect the geometric themes and subtle nuances of the environment they light. These luminaires must also function with optimal efficiency and deliver the quality of light that purely functional site lighting fixtures provide. It is necessary for your clients to realize from the beginning of the consultation process that exterior architectural lights absolutely have to anticipate stringent lighting control laws now taking effect across the nation. New lumens per watt efficiency requirements, light pollution restrictions, and limitations on the actual lamps that can be used are becoming increasingly. What you propose to your client today must be able to withstand not only the forces of nature and time, but also the forces of change within human infrastructure and society. Creating an exterior architectural lighting design customized to the exact activities and aesthetic of your client’s site with minimal maintenance, upgrades, and replacements is something we specialize in helping you do.

This often equates to something like a Spartan approach to fixture placement. As increased efficiency and efficacy in HID and LED outdoor lights make it possible to get more lumens per watt from the average lamp, we can illuminate larger areas than ever before with fewer physical fixtures and less obtrusive equipment. This gives a huge competitive advantage to freelance electrical contractors and smaller design firms who normally lack the funding to invest in high-end development software packages and lack the manpower to engage in long-term collaborative design sessions with clients who know intuitively what they want, but lack the technical knowledge to spec out the details in a timely manner. RLLD Commercial Lighting experts can handle this phase of your proposal development for you by taking the raw data you collect from your client a point-by-point schematic of the entire exterior architectural lighting system.

As a general rule, we subdivide exterior architectural lighting systems into components representative of specific operations and aesthetics. This is necessary because different elements of site lighting often fall into overlapping categories of regulation. Parking lot lights and parking lot light poles are good examples of this. Parking lot lights must meet the minimum foot candle requirements of the local community in which they are installed. They must also control their light output in such a fashion as to fully comply with local dark sky laws, and the poles used to support them must meet wind load requirements mandated by higher levels of government. Commercial garage lighting requires equal attention to both vertical and horizontal foot candle density, and calculating this delicate balance requires either access to specialty software or a degree in high-level calculus. Building and landscape lights must keynote geometric forms, and these as well must be both energy efficient and optimized for glare reduction and light pollution control to remain compliant with government mandates.

The key to developing a truly superior architectural exterior lighting system is to use only enough visible commercial lighting supplies to compliment the scenery without dominating its elements. Decorative fixtures should be visible, yet “low profile” in their positioning, and they must always bring more attention to the objects they light than they do their own appearance. By paying attention to this simple, but much understated fact in the world of lighting design, you will give yourself an enormous competitive advantage over rival bids that over emphasize equipment and miss the essence of precision design and true site enhancement.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial lighting, commercial lighting and athletic sports field lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. Our home office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including San Juan, PR (SJU), Isla De Vieques, PR (VQS), Fajardo, PR (X95), Erie, PA (ERI), Killeen, TX (ILE), Sheridan, WY (SHR), Casper, WY (CPR), Parkersburg, WV (PKB), and Escanaba, MI (ESC). We also service clients internationally, with lighting manufacturer representatives working out of Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America. ALBQ, NYC, LA, MPLS.

Architectural Area Lighting

Architectural area lighting features an aesthetic element that differentiates it from purely functional site lighting. Although lamps used in both architectural area lighting and site lighting are often similar--if not the same-- light sources, architectural area light fixtures are manufactured with a noticeably higher degree of decorative design. As such, equipment costs can be rather high at times, and this can deter city governments, academic institutions, and even small companies from making an investment that would otherwise serve their outdoor lighting needs on a number of levels ranging from public appeal to commercial branding. When architects, general contractors, and certified electricians encounter this type of resistance, they can come to RLLD Commercial Lighting for adjunct lighting design support that will enable them to propose cost-effective, energy saving light sourcing that offers both tangible benefits and ROI on multiple levels.

Contractors frequently bid projects for office buildings, churches, museums, civic centers, municipal headquarters, universities, restaurants, resorts, and country clubs that require a highly customized, often sophisticated architectural area lighting system that will contribute essential, specific elements to their property, building ornamentation, and public image. The fixtures and lamps that are used must completely meet the multiple demands of dark sky laws, increasingly strict LPW efficiency codes, minimum foot candle requirements, and bring the client measurable ROI through reduced power requirements and minimized ongoing maintenance.

If you are a commercial developer or sole proprietor, licensed electrician, you can quickly and accurately meet all of these demands simultaneously and expeditiously by working with a vendor like RLLD Commercial outdoor Lighting that offers complimentary, adjunct design services to any firm or license DIY lighting installer. Before we suggest specific lamps or fixture types, we talk to you first. We want to learn as much as possible about your clientʼs site. . Does your client have a parking lot, a parking garage, or both? What is the total number of buildings located on the property? Are there areas that resemble a public park, open landscapes, recreational facilities, or walkways that require special park lighting? How many people work or visit the facility at night? What is the total acreage of the property if it is located on a considerably large piece of land? How much light will the entire system output, what it will cost, and what will be the expected return on investment for your client?

The data we gather during this dialogue is now inputted into specialized lighting design software that enables us to calculate on a point-by-point level the exact photometric requirements that are needed to determine which fixtures will best produce building accent light, perimeter and walkway security, glare free, well-lit parking areas, and aesthetic, shadow-free landscape, and energy savings through reduced electrical usage and fewer calls to maintenance. By taking the guesswork out of architectural area lighting, RLLD Commercial Lighting helps contractors first determine exactly what lighting levels and power requirements are optimal to propose, and second, which actual products will most effectively and affordably offer clients lasting solutions that are affordable, reliable, and aesthetically superior. By allowing smaller design firms and individual lighting design consultants to have access to software that normally only larger firms can afford, RLLD Commercial Lighting also helps level the lighting design playing field, arming small companies and consultants with competitive advantages that can rival even the largest firms in photometric accuracy, specification grade quality, and multiple benefits at the line item level.

RLLD Commercial Lighting stocks a full selection of architectural area parking lot lighting fixtures, lamping options, commercial lighting poles, and mounting accessories that allow the contractor to offer more options to the client at the line item level. As a representative of a number of reputable, domestic, and established manufacturers, we can offer any commercial developer, architect, or lighting designer impeccable lead time on products made here in the United States and drop shipped anywhere in the country to expedite time to market delivery of products and services.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. Our home office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (PIT) Atlanta, GA (ATL), Marina Del Rey, California, Coral Gables, Fl, Redmond, Washington (RDM), Memphis, Tennessee (MEM), Madison, WI, (MSN) Portland, Oregon, (PDX) and Stamford, CT.

Architectural Lighting Projects

Civil engineers, general contractors, commercial electricians, architects, and professional lighting designers will find it much easier to choose architectural lights equipment when they work with RLLD Commercial Lighting. As an impartial vendor that represents multiple manufacturers, we offer small companies and sole proprietors direct access to vendor relationships that would otherwise be out of their reach. These contractors enjoy tremendous freedom of choice when selecting architectural lighting fixtures, poles, mounting options, and accessories because we are an impartial vendor that is not required to fill any quotas for the manufacturers we represent. Because of this, our commercial clients will never be pressured into buying architectural lights from any one particular manufacturer. Rather, our specialists will help each client meet any design challenges and lighting regulation requirements needed to design a site lighting system, and then they will help that client find the best fixtures, lamps, and mounts most appropriate to the needs of the project at hand.

Architectural light experts at RLLD Commercial Lighting have been cross-trained in a number of fields which allows them to strategically balance the major considerations of safety, regulations, aesthetics, and on site security when helping develop school site lighting designs. Foremost in our thinking is the need to help contractors and engineers recession proof their projects by building ROI into the purchase order. We look for ways to increase lumens per watt efficiency by pointing out the best lamps, optic designs, and ballasts for optimal lighting output and stable regulation of current. We also have a rapidly growing inventory of LED architectural outdoor commercial lighting fixtures that stand poised to replace other types of lamps completely in the near future. This revolutionary technology can cut power usage by as much as 80% and offers additional benefits of longer lamp life and maintenance free, environmentally friendly operation.

Dark sky laws strictly control the amount of glare and potential light pollution that can be produced by architectural lighting. In order to avoid violating these codes, it is always a good idea to consult with an RLLD Commercial Lighting design specialist familiar with the laws of a given area. This will both familiarize you with a city, county, or state’s legal requirements, and it will offer you the added benefit of working with an expert who not only knows the facts, but also knows which fixtures which will offer the highest level of compliance combined with optimal performance.

Armed with this information, we can guide the general contractor, designer, civil engineer, and even freelance designer into a whole site architectural lighting design.

Architectural Building Lights
Our team knows which building lights will compliment architectural keynotes without overpowering its facade or shining unwanted glare into other buildings. Building facades are extremely important because they often bear the company brand. Many industrial buildings also paint their logo on the side of their warehouse. Our variety of wall-mounted architectural lights, sign lights, wall packs, and canopy lights makes it possible to keynote each of these building features without light spillage or excessive expense.

Architectural Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting systems must work to extend the themes established by architectural lights into the general landscape beyond. This creates a sense of unity between human structures and Nature. It can also serve as a form of security lighting, because shadows often pool around building corners or courtyards between buildings. Keeping these areas illuminated minimizes the opportunity for burglars or vandals to approach the building unseen.

Parking Lot Lights
Parking lot lighting systems should be developed per wind load requirements in your area and foot candle minimums required by law. Dark sky laws must also factor into the equation so you can determine which light fixtures will best produce a glare free luminance contained within facility boundaries with no light spillage falling into surrounding streets and neighborhoods.

Parking Garage Lighting
Vertical footcandles are just as important to commercial parking lot lighting as horizontal footcandles are. Evenly distributed vertical light is essential to the depth perceptions drivers rely upon to safely navigate around obstructions within the garage. Determining the balance between vertical and horizontal footcandles usually requires special software that smaller companies may not be able to afford. These companies can gain equal footing with larger firms by letting RLLD Commercial Lighting input data into our software to produce a proposal that reflects mathematical accuracy and precision selection of lamp wattage and fixture placements.

The complexity of architectural lighting systems can quickly add up to a very costly expenditure that is strenuous to the budgets of mid-sized companies and frightening to small companies who are currently being hit hard by the recession. Low voltage equipment and fluorescent fixtures can be used to help many of these entities reduce power costs, and as LED lights continue to emerge, even more energy cost savings can be created by replacing traditional high pressure sodium and Metal Halide fixtures. For the convenience of contractors, licensed DYI lighting designers, and smaller organizations on tight budgets, RLLD Commercial Lighting also custom designs architectural lighting packages that feature of a blend of basic equipment and specialty equipment that can be adapted to any site lighting scenario.

RLLD Commercial Lighting experts stand ready to assist the client and the serious inquirer on a complimentary basis both through online channels and phone-based advisory services. General inquiries can also expect a high level of attention and expertise for a small, reasonable consulting fee. RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures.

If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you.

Our facility is located in Houston, Texas with vendors located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., New Orleans, La., Cleveland, Ohio, Kansas City, Mo., Mesa, Arizona, Virginia Beach, Va., Omaha, Nebraska, Oakland, California, Miami, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Arlington, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, Denton, TX, McKinney, Texas, Midland, TX, Killeen, Texas, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, ALBQ, NYC, LA, MPLS.