Ensuring the lighting design is delivered

Well-coordinated lighting design and documentation provides the cornerstone for the expectation of a high quality final result. However, to be fully and accurately implemented, it is often necessary to provide diligent construction administration. Reed Burkett Lighting Design provides a variety of services focused on helping the client fully realize the vision of the original design intent.

Bid Review and Negotiation

From a client or owner’s perspective, a competitive bidding environment is often felt to be the best way to ensure that a reasonable project cost is realized. Unfortunately, the assessment of those bids is not always straightforward and may demand special expertise to sort out what is being proposed and whether or not it is truly meeting the demands set forth in the documentation. Reed Burkett Lighting Design serves in the expert role, analyzing the bids and providing an assessment of how well they have captured the intent of the project. RBLD can also be involved in the negotiation of trade-offs among bids, helping the client determine which ones will best suit the project.

Submittal reviews and on-site Services

Reed Burkett Lighting Design can provide a number of important services during the construction phase that significantly increase the likelihood that the original lighting design intent will be ultimately realized:

• Reviewing of lighting shop drawings and equipment samples, ensuring the proper products are being supplied
• Reviewing of alternate or substituted products through the shop drawing review process, making certain that the products proposed can deliver the necessary performance to meet the specification requirements and the lighting design intent
• Responding to RFI’s and similar field question issues
• Participating in project site meetings where decisions concerning document interpretation or light fixture installation are critical
• Conducting and documenting punch list items related to lighting or lighting control installation

Any and all of these services are frequently included as a part of RBLD’s overall construction administration services.

Aiming and Adjustment

Many lighting designs incorporate the use of adjustable lighting equipment such as accent lights, specialty wall washers, variable cove lights, floodlights and other similar products. The careful and proper adjustment of these fixtures may be critical to realizing the overall lighting design intent. Reed Burkett Lighting Design frequently includes the service of on-site direction and observation for the aiming of these lighting sources by the contractor. The critical eye of the lighting design professional is extremely beneficial in making sure that the time and cost expended on incorporating adjustable lighting in the project is fully appreciated.

System Commissioning

Lighting controls and programming are often complex. Building codes and performance rating systems such as LEED often demand that controls of all types be commissioned by professionals so that they are assured of meeting their promise with respect to energy management. From a lighting designer’s perspective, controls are a dimension to the design that can also give a client a spectacular visual effect, spatial flexibility, establish or alter mood, enhance experience and many other possibilities. Where it is essential that the lighting control programming be carefully choreographed in order to achieve a desired effect or intent, then the lighting design professional should play an active role. Reed Burkett Lighting Design frequently provides this service on projects and considers it an important aspect of delivering the total design intent.