Residence Rhenen, Elst: post-top lighting in a wooded setting

The project in brief

Residence Rhenen lies near Elst in the province of Utrecht, on the wooded slope of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. The residential park sits among mature trees and is served by narrow access roads, footpaths and small parking bays. The exterior lighting had to do two things at once: guide residents and visitors safely from the car park to the front door, and preserve the feeling of being in a forest.

Two post-top models with a matching design language were chosen. This allows the access road to receive more light than the footpaths while the overall picture stays calm. Both luminaires are mounted on low columns, so the light stays beneath the tree canopy.

Why low columns work among trees

In a wooded setting a tall column is usually the wrong choice. If the light point sits in or above the canopy, leaves block the light and dark patches appear on the path. With a mounting height of 3 to 4 metres the beam stays below the branches. Column spacing becomes shorter, in practice often 12 to 16 metres for a symmetrical post-top, but uniformity improves and the columns almost disappear between the trunks. A black or dark grey column strengthens that effect.

Atmosphere and safety in one lighting design

For footpaths and residential streets, average illuminance levels of 3 to 5 lux are common, depending on the lighting class chosen. More light does not make a forest path safer; uniformity and the absence of glare do. A post-top with a symmetrical 90 degree beam and a flat underside puts the light on the path and hardly any upwards.

Colour temperature sets the mood. Warm white from 2200 to 3000 K suits a forest, looks calmer and attracts fewer insects than cool white. It is also kinder to bats and other nocturnal animals in the area.

How to build this with the Lichtplein range

The modern post-top luminaires in the POLARIS series are suitable for this application. Output is selectable at 30, 40 or 60 W and colour temperature at 2200, 3000 or 4000 K, up to 9,600 lumens, IP66 and fitting a spigot of 60 to 80 mm. With the remote control from the same series you set output and colour per column after installation. If you prefer a more traditional look, there is a classic model of 40 W with 4,000 lumens.

For the column you can choose between the aluminium columns of CIVIS in 3, 4 and 6 metres, or the conical steel columns of TURRIS in 4 metres (also available in 6 metres), hot-dip galvanised or additionally powder coated in RAL 9005. The matching column cut-out (fuse unit) is in the NEXUS series.

Points of attention for the installer

• Roots and cables: route the cable outside the crown projection of large trees and use directional drilling where needed.
• Moisture and leaf fall: a forest stays wet for a long time. Choose IP66 for the luminaire and a galvanised or powder coated column.
• Lead time: columns take 3 to 6 weeks, luminaires ship from European stock within 5 working days. So order the columns first.
• Business only: Lichtplein supplies businesses only. Project pricing applies from 20 columns and 100 luminaires.

Frequently asked questions