ᐅ New Construction Lighting Design and Implementation

ruppsn schrieb:
If you want to cook, you use a simple switch to activate the "Cooking" scene, which turns on and dims the preset lights, appliances, etc. accordingly. If you want a cozy dining atmosphere, you select the "Dining" scene, and so on.

I have no experience with KNX myself (except seeing it at a friend’s place), but it is something I could actually imagine implementing. Since I have quite a few plug-in lamps (no photo of my cozy lighting at the moment, and I’m not a good photographer anyway), I find the idea practical—to be able to switch various scenes via light switches rather than mostly via an app. So definitely integrating plug sockets into the KNX system as well.

For those not familiar with KNX, I often emphasize that at least some thought should be given to where you want to control lighting—maybe as two-way switches, motion sensors, or even centrally controlled, timer-programmable socket circuits (for example, for Christmas lights)—because this already provides a certain level of convenience.

@R.Hotzenplotz … your comment about image positioning, etc. … I said this already during the house planning phase … realistically furnish the rooms first and then determine the requirements for lighting, sockets, switches, and so forth.

For lighting reasons (individual furniture pieces), I chose four spotlights for my living/kitchen area back then. I don’t use them often, but they fit well. However, you still have quite a few spotlights in the corners of the rooms, etc. To me, that currently seems a bit excessive.

kbt09 schrieb:
@R.Hotzenplotz .. your comment about picture positioning etc. .. I had said it already during the house planning phase ... realistically furnish the rooms first and then determine the need for lighting, sockets, switches, and so on.

That's true. You did say that. The furniture was also planned accordingly. But we didn't go as far as having pictures included in the plans. I honestly hadn't thought about the pictures until now, when I noticed that all the walls are blocked by the wall lights. You have more flexibility with spotlights.

We can still change the wall lights, but not the spotlights anymore. The concrete ceiling will be ordered tomorrow.

And even that is not set in stone (or concrete?). Unnecessary openings can be closed off, and forgotten ones can be drilled later.

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
The wall lights can still be changed. But not the spotlights anymore. The concrete ceiling will be ordered tomorrow.

Don’t let yourself get unsettled! At some point, I believe you simply have to trust the commissioned planner. With the first one, you didn’t have a good feeling because quite a few things didn’t fit. But with the second one, you seemed to feel that the design made much more sense. I get the impression that you also get along well with the current planner. So don’t let yourself get too confused.

My comment about the spotlights was purely because I’m not really a fan of spotlights; it’s just a matter of personal taste. So there’s no reason to get worried. As I’ve mentioned before, even though I’m not a spotlight type, I find the asymmetrical spotlights in the room corners (e.g. living room, bathrooms) quite interesting. Are these going to be fixed spotlights or will the lamp heads be adjustable? In the latter case, you can nicely highlight and accentuate walls, which certainly creates attractive spatial effects through areas of light and shadow.

Regarding the tiles: as long as your planner is aware of the reflective surface, that’s good. If I remember correctly, the spotlights over the porcelain are positioned behind you when you’re sitting, so it seems your planner has taken the tile surface into account. You could ask again just to be sure, whether that was the intention and whether you’re concerned about potential reflections. Maybe he’ll position the light beam so that it shines on the wall surface, and the diffuse reflection from the (painted?) wall prevents any glare or reflections in the first place. In short, if you feel that he knows his craft, you can also just choose to trust him at some point. After all, this isn’t his first project, one would hope.

About the point with the wall art: I’m a bit torn. Of course, ideally you already know exactly where you want to put pictures. But the question is how much flexibility you want to keep and how likely it is that an initial plan for art will become outdated over time. We only planned for pictures on one specific wall because we want to illuminate and accentuate it with one (the only) ceiling spotlight. Everything else will be decided on-site once it’s finished. Some things, I think, can only really be judged once you’re living there, have the rest of the furnishings in place, and can experience the interaction of light, spatial effect, and possible space for a picture.

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
I hadn’t really thought about the pictures until I noticed that all the walls are blocked by the wall lights. Spotlights are definitely more flexible.

But the wall lights can still be changed. The spotlights, however, can’t now. The concrete ceiling will be ordered tomorrow.

I wouldn’t say they are really blocked. The wall lights could maybe replace the pictures there. If you see pictures as wall decoration, then the wall lights are just a different kind of decoration.

Regarding the ceiling: as Alex mentioned, in some cases it’s still possible to make changes even after the ceiling order. Of course, you shouldn’t add a bunch of new junction boxes at critical spots now, because otherwise the structural engineer will start complaining, but adding a single box here and there should be possible. The problem is if you run into reinforcement bars, so it’s definitely better to know the exact positions beforehand, at least with prefab concrete slabs. For cast-in-place concrete ceilings, it’s a bit different; you have more flexibility to make late changes. Once the ceiling is poured, though, it’s too late, and drilling afterward doesn’t help either, since the box still needs to be installed somehow [emoji6]

ruppsn schrieb:
Don’t let yourself be unsettled! At some point, you just have to trust the planner you hired. With the first one, you didn’t feel comfortable, and a lot didn’t fit. But with the second one, you had the impression that the design was much more coherent. I also get the sense that you work well with the current planner. So don’t let yourself get too confused.

Exactly. It’s going to be finalized like this now. I’ve also had several people review it whom I trust professionally or both professionally and personally. The electrician, our tiler – a versatile craftsman who has already shown very good taste at my parents’ house and who always advises us throughout this project, even on trades he doesn’t cover. And lastly, the architect as well.

You have to stay flexible with the pictures. I agree with that. I don’t see myself able to plan every single picture in detail. I just noticed that in the huge living room, there probably won’t be space left for wall art at the end. And I think that’s a pity.