Priorities. What will your project B.E.C.O.M.E.?

Envision Lighting Design helps clients address all the issues in the BECOME acronym (below) but it is the way these items are prioritized that will give each project its own unique fingerprint. Which is most important to you and your project?

Budget – Budget necessarily plays an important role in every project. Is budget your number one priority, or do other concerns take precedence? Knowing the budget up front saves design time and design costs. The ELD team is skilled at designing to a budget - especially when we know what it is!
Environment (energy, efficiency, nature, resources) – Lighting consumes energy and impacts the environment. We want to be good stewards of the limited resources available to us. We don’t waste light. This includes minimizing “throw-away” light into the sky, which is not only wasteful, but can have a negative impact on birds and other wildlife.
Community (safety, cultural value) – Lighting can help create a sense of place and a sense of safety. Light is an equity issue. Exterior lighting plays an especially important role. Lighting can also enhance, entice, surprise, and delight.
Orientation (wayfinding) – Because lighting can entice, it can also help lead people to where they need to be. Lighting can be used to help people find their way: lighting and technology can be combined to identify open parking, lighting can differentiate one place from another, and it can guide people along a path.
Maintenance – Even LEDs require maintenance. They may last longer than legacy light sources, but maintenance is inevitable. Drivers tend to fail before the actual diodes. How important are maintenance considerations on your project?
Essence (identity, brand) – Illuminated architecture defines a neighborhood and creates identity. Producing a harmonious lighting concept can impact tourism and brand recognition. This is where lighting contributes to the personality of a space.

Which aspect of B.E.C.O.M.E. is most important to you?
Your priorities will impact what your project becomes.

We are so excited about what's new in 2022, and the best part is that we will be tackling this year with YOU, our clients, partners, and friends!

In retrospect, when we slow down to think, the bright, flashing things that are typically vying for our attention in the day-to-day fade a bit, allowing our real priorities to shine. Some of last year's proudest moments were when the ELD team volunteered with some great St. Louis initiatives, including Pocketparks whose mission is to activate and beautify city streets by encouraging healthy habits, and The Little Bit Foundation which is breaking down barriers to learning. Significantly, in their first-ever Women in Lighting Awards, the international organization WIL recognized ELD Principal, Lisa J. Reed for her role as a supporter of women in our industry. Speaking of awards, the Envision Lighting Design team received FIVE IES Illumination Awards, and four of them were National Awards of Merit! We completed some stellar new projects in 2021, too. How cool was it to be involved with the Muny upgrades? Super cool, and their new behind-the-scenes lighting helps them function so much better. The newly upgraded Central West End Metrolink station was a 2021 project highlight as well. Its color-changing glass canopy adds a pop of color to the middle of the Washington University School of Medicine campus. The McKelvey Hall ribbon cutting in October was a treat, and it was fun to reconnect with most of the design team that day. Our trip to Hendersonville in November included a perfect rainbow, confirming that the project really was a pot of gold!

It's that time of year when everyone is talking self-improvement. One of the ELD team's collective goals is to increase our vocabulary this year, so we are launching the Wednesday Word of the Week! Follow us on social media to learn alongside the ELD team. We are also always looking for ways to give back to our community. This year, you'll find us putting our energy into WILD STL, CREW STL, and the USGBC Mo Gateway Chapter, where Lisa will begin serving as the Membership and Marketing Committee Chairperson. Whatever your goals are, we want to be a resource for you, so be on the lookout for more blogs, articles, and educational material from the ELD team this year.
Where do you want to connect ?
What do you want to learn?

​We are here for you in 2022 - still the biggest lighting geeks you'll ever meet!