Spoorbrughof, Apeldoorn: lighting a new residential courtyard

The project in brief

Spoorbrughof is a new residential courtyard in Apeldoorn: carriageway, parking bays and footpaths sit close together and the house fronts stand right by the road. Compact street luminaires on low columns were chosen for the lighting: unobtrusive by day, an even spread of light across carriageway and footpaths after dark.

After sunset the courtyard looks calm and orderly: the low lighting points keep the light on the road and away from the facades and bedroom windows. This project is described here as a practical example; below you read how to achieve a comparable set-up with the Lichtplein range.

Why low columns in a residential courtyard

A mounting height of 4 metres suits the scale of a courtyard and has three practical advantages:

• Less light on the facades. A low lighting point with a flat underside keeps the light on the road, not on the first floor.
• Lower wattage per column. At 4 metres, 1,500 lumens is enough for a narrow carriageway with a footpath.
• A quieter streetscape. A slender column with a compact luminaire does not dominate the new-build frontages.

The trade-off is a shorter column spacing: at a 4 metre mounting height, in practice 16 to 22 metres, depending on the road width.

Light level and uniformity

For home zones and residential courtyards an average of 3 to 5 lux on the carriageway is customary, with at least 0.6 to 1 lux at the darkest point. Footpaths come out at 2 to 3 lux. In a courtyard, uniformity matters more than the absolute level: residents notice dark patches between the columns straight away.

A Type II Short optic spreads the light widely across a narrow road of up to about 7 metres and keeps the throw short, so the next lighting point can stand close by. Choose warm white; it looks more pleasant between homes.

How to build this with the Lichtplein range

For a courtyard like this, the compact 25 W street luminaire from the VIA series fits: 1,500 lumens, up to 130 lumens per watt, IP66, IK08 and a Type II Short optic, designed for a 4 metre mounting height. It tilts on a 60 mm spigot and comes with 10 kV surge protection as standard. For a wider carriageway or parking strip, choose the model with adjustable output from 20 to 50 W.

For the columns, the 4 metre aluminium columns from CIVIS are a good match: lightweight, weather-resistant without a coating and free of rust at the base, supplied on a project basis with price on request. If you prefer steel, TURRIS offers a galvanised conical 4 metre column at a sharp price on request, answer within 48 hours. The column cut-out comes from NEXUS.

Points of attention for the installer

• Order the columns first. Lead time for steel columns 3 to 5 weeks, aluminium columns 4 to 6 weeks; luminaires ship from European stock within 5 working days. The column bases must be in before the paving goes down.
• Coordinate with the groundworks. Combine the cable trench and foundations with the utilities and allow for driveways and parking bays.
• Impact resistance. IK08 withstands a 5 joule impact and is sufficient for a residential courtyard.
• Business orders only. Lichtplein supplies businesses only; project prices apply from 100 luminaires and 20 columns.

Frequently asked questions