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Job:02-30056 Title: RP-Interior Design Reference and Specification
#175 Dtp:216 Page:228
(RAY)
224-235_30056.indd 228 3/4/13 7:52 PM
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THE INTERIOR DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
Text
LIGHTING CONTROLS
To complement the careful consideration and planning of the lighting scheme, designers need
to have a basic understanding of all the options for lighting controls. They range from wallbox
dimmers common in most domestic settings to complex lighting management systems
appropriate for large buildings that monitor energy consumption. Lighting controls serve two
basic purposes: to create a mood/setting and to conserve energy
. Finding the appropriate
system that works for a specic function and budget may require consideration of one or a
combination of the following systems.
Wallbox Dimmers Wallbox dimmers are the most common form of light control. They are
wall-mounted dimmers that let occupants control the amount of light in
a room. They come in a variety of designs with slide, rotary, or touch-
plate control.
Preset Dimming
Controls
Preset dimming controls are used to create specific lighting scenarios
for a particular space. A conference room, for example, may have set-
tings for a daytime meeting (adjusts for daylight), an evening meeting
(accounts for no daylight), a projected presentation (enough light for
note-taking), and off-hours/maintenance. The presets are programmed
and adjusted by touching a control panel that is mounted in the wall
like a standard switch plate. These presets can be combined with time-
controlled systems to change the scenes at specific times of the day.
Time-Controlled
Systems
Time-controlled systems use clocks to adjust the lighting systems by
programming a schedule for the presets to change or turn on and off.
The range and scale of options are broad. They can control a single
room with an individual clock or an entire building with an electronic
management system.
Occupancy
Sensors
Occupancy sensors control the light by detecting occupants in a room.
Passive infrared or ultrasound sensors are mounted to walls or ceilings,
depending on the size of the room. Small rooms such as a bathroom will
typically use a wallbox sensor with a combined on/off switch or dimmer.
For large spaces, multiple overhead sensors work best. Most sensors
can be adjusted for sensitivity to accommodate a particular space.
Daylight Sensors Daylight sensors detect the amount of light entering a room and adjust
the artificial lights when there is sufficient natural light. This can be
significant for rooms that face south and receive a consistent amount
of light throughout the day.
Lumen-
Maintenance
Controls
Lumen-maintenance controls maintain the lux level in a space by adjust-
ing the brightness of a new lamp and the dullness of an old lamp and
balancing them against the desired level through photoelectric sensors.
These systems require dimming ballasts in all fixtures and a control
system to adjust the output of lamps. Only recently have lumen-mainte-
nance controls become affordable solutions for general use.
PLUMBING SYSTEMS
Plumbing systems
systems are designed by engineers, but must be understood by designers to know when locat-
ing or moving a fixture is reasonable or not.
Water is supplied by pressure through vertical pipes, called
or wherever water is needed. These pipes are small in diameter and can go unnoticed within
the thickness of a standard stud wall. The riser connects to a horizontal pipe that then con-
nects to a fixture.
The more challenging counterpart is the drain, which uses gravity to mobilize waste down to
the sewer connection. Drainpipes always travel downhill at a slope that is regulated by the
building code for different fixtures. The vertical drain that carries wastewater from sinks and
baths is referred to as the waste stack; its diameter is small enough to fit within a typical stud
wall. The drain that connects to toilets is called a soil stack; it is twice as large in diameter
and does not fit within a standard wall construction. Both the waste and soil stack must rise
vertically through a building to the roof for proper ventilation.
Each plumbing fixture has an S-shaped pipe, called a trap, that prevents the water from drain-
ing or rising. The trap also prevents odors in the drainpipe from entering the room. Since every
drainpipe must travel up and down, it is difficult to change the location of a plumbing fixture
without affecting the spaces below and above.
Job:02-30056 Title: RP-Interior Design Reference and Specification
#175 Dtp:216 Page:228
(RAY)
224-235_30056.indd 228 3/4/13 7:52 PM