This course explores the art and science of landscape lighting design, teaching participants how to move beyond simply lighting objects and instead create emotionally powerful scenes that transform outdoor spaces. Drawing inspiration from theatrical design, the program emphasizes the use of color, intensity, and direction to shape atmosphere and mood. Students will learn to select and apply light sources with purpose—avoiding “fixture fixation”—and develop systematic approaches to illuminating trees, architecture, and hardscapes effectively. The course also introduces the four critical phases of the design process, giving participants the tools to communicate value, overcome sales challenges, and deliver compelling lighting experiences. 

Analyzing recessed lights is an important thing that even experienced lighting design professionals need to do on a consistent basis.  If you don’t have a deep understanding of the most basic building block of architectural lighting design, then you need to learn more!  Fixture options change constantly…how do you know what to choose for your projects?  It’s not just about what you can sell, it’s about what solves the particular problems of a project.  Reading spec sheets, understanding lumen output, and how to compare fixtures to each other is critical information that will be covered.

Second only to recessed lights, linear LED fixtures are a huge aspect of architectural lighting that have to be fully understood.  How important are the extrusion choices and how do they work into the millwork details?  How important are things like color rendering, lumen output per foot, dimming range, etc?  How do you pair up linear fixtures with tunable white recessed lights?  These are just some of the difficulties with linear fixtures that will be covered.

This course introduces the five critical areas of professional landscape lighting installation, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to deliver efficient, reliable, and high-performing systems. Topics include streamlined installation workflows, power management and system design, best practices for cables and connections, fixture placement and pre-aiming techniques, and final documentation for long-term serviceability. By combining technical expertise with practical application, this program empowers contractors and designers to elevate their craftsmanship and provide clients with durable, beautifully executed lighting solutions. 

The best recessed light in the world is useless unless it is put in the right location…so true!  You can’t fix a basic thing like fixture placement once they have been installed and sheetrock goes up.  How confident are you that what you’ve put on paper will actually work?  And lighting design is SO MUCH more than just where you put recessed lights…are you thinking like a designer? Or are you just blindly drawing an array of circles on a plan without considering the effects?  This seminar is critical for anyone who wants to make sure they are not making a mistake in their design process.