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Professional Services FAQs
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 Q. What are Design Services? |
A. Techni-Lux has assembled a team of Lighting Designers, Director of Photography, Electrical Engineers, Electricians and Artists to help create and integrate lighting into virtually any environment. Our team has worked with Architectural, Archi-tainment, Retail, Industrial, Theatrical, House of Worship, Studio, TV and Themed attraction lighting for well over 100 years in combined experience on hundreds of projects and productions. We can work with you, your architect, design team or anyone involved to help determine the best lighting for your situation. Techni-Lux Design Services is an independent division and can work with lighting from any manufacturer or supplier, not just the lines Techni-Lux represents. We are a member of IALD (International Association of Lighting Designers) and one of our moral requirements is that we do not lead you to one specific product or line but provide an overall design that works best for your needs.
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| Q. Why do I need Design Services? |
A. Techni-Lux Design Services will work with your project or production and help guide you into the most effective, efficient and reliable system for your budget. Unfortunately lighting is often an afterthought or given minimal consideration at best. This leads to excess or worse yet, inadequate light for the job. Lighting technologies are changing rapidly and there are far more efficient technologies now appearing that can save you on install, maintenance and other costs.
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| Q. How can I save money by using a designer? |
A. Often times excess will be built into lighting infrastructure that may not be needed. For example many facilities will build a catwalk or bridge system to access the lights. With newer designs, we are utilizing motorized truss systems for access. This will save on steel, access, roofload and installation labor. Additionally, we may be able to use intelligent moving lights thus eliminating dimmers, electrical home runs and electrical system load due to higher efficiencies and greater line usage. Also less lights means less air cooling and handling. In one project we were able to work with the clients architect, provide their dream lighting system and save several hundred thousand dollars on install. A lighting designer can bring new technologies, ideas and knowledge to the team to make sure that the most recent innovations are being used. Proper illumination can also help highlight and transform a space with emphasis on detail, color and pattern to provide additional impact.
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| Q. Isn't this my architect’s job? |
A. Maybe, maybe not. Some architectural firms employ lighting designers along with engineers, interior designers, etc. and they will be well set to provide you with these services so long as they are requested and considered. If not, the lighting may be set up in a basic layout without specific consideration for effectiveness or budgets. A qualified lighting designer, like an architect, has formal schooling and ongoing education in his chosen field and can often bring additional insight to the table. The designer by no means replaces the architect but will help bring additional resources and vision similar to the use of an interior designer. The lighting designer is just another member of the overall team. Lighting can also be used to "brand" a space just as the architecture does. The architect has a lot to do already and will often welcome the additional support of a designer to help illuminate their work.
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| Q. How do I "brand" with lighting? |
A. Lighting can be a very flexible and powerful medium. It allows the manipulation of the visible environment to provide control and direction through illumination. In other words, if it’s not lit, you won't see it. Taken further, a multi use space can be transformed into many different feelings or environments by the controlled use of lighting. Take a church room for example, instead of re-painting; re-carpeting and remodeling the room from time to time we can provide a new look at the push of a button. In this way a custom look can be obtained for each of the traditional services, contemporary services, youth services, praise and worship sessions, weddings or scouting events. This makes a space more flexible and more valuable for mixed use. Additionally less labor is involved in changeovers and each service is "Branded" or given a custom style and look. The space also becomes more valuable for special event or concert use with a powerful lighting system. To further understand this idea, take a look in out library for the article; Don't Remodel, Re-Light!!
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Q. Why hire a lighting designer when I could get a vendor to install products for the cost of the equipment only?
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A. For the same reasons you would hire an architect and not just have the contractor build the building blindly. A vendor sells equipment but is not necessarily qualified to layout the systems and interface with those involved. Lighting affects building loads, power distribution, and HVAC, to name a few. Everything needs to be considered and planned out for placement angle and distribution.
In many cases, we have been able to save money and provide a quality product with minimal project impact. Also, in many cases, the design fee can be refunded back through the equipment supplier or installer since they will have a smaller workload.
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| Q. Do you only design for new construction? |
A. No, we will provide design services for new construction, remodeling, renovation, change outs or additions. We even provide design services for special events and productions. Our demo rig and design team are often called upon for festivals or seasonal productions.
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| Q. What do you provide? |
A. We provide support, teamwork and a great attitude. We work with the latest CAD design tools to integrate lighting into your design. We can then provide renderings, animations, working drawings and equipment buy lists to you. Before your project even begins we can show you what it will look like!! Lighting can be difficult to explain and visualize so we have several tools and even a render farm at our disposal to best illustrate what you are getting. Remember that the designer is being hired to help translate your vision and feel free to work with them to get what you are after. We can also provide custom controls, interfaces and entire AV systems. We have electricians that are specifically trained in entertainment systems available to work with your team on a consulting basis or even for installation.
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| Q. Do you install? |
A. No. Techni-Lux will either recommend independent installers that have been specifically trained to work with this type of product or work with your installers to provide proper training.
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| Q. How do we learn to use all this gear? |
A. We can provide training, integration and programming services. We also have a full seminar series available. We can provide training on the gear, maintenance, controllers and programming for initial start-up or ongoing operation. Before beginning any project, you need to know who is going to take care of the maintenance and daily operation of your system. It is important that someone from your facility be competent in the systems you choose. Any equipment is only as good as its operator and maintenance, it is just a tool. We will work with you to not only find a system that you need, but one that you are comfortable with. We will then train you in what the system can do and provide.
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| Q. How do you achieve the look of custom lighting on a limited budget? |
A. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. However, lighting does not have to be expensive if you have a good background knowledge about it. Good lighting can be obtained with some proper research and a little elbow grease. We will often explain that you need only one of 2 things for lighting, either money or time. In other words, most of the effects that are created with expensive elaborate lights can be done with a little work and experimentation. Money can buy you some shortcuts but is not always the stopper in lighting.
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| Q. How expensive can lighting design get? |
A. Extremely, it depends on what you ask for, who you talk with and how much information you have. In most cases though it is very affordable or even saves money. The initial consultation costs you nothing and there are no costs until you are aware and comfortable with what you are getting into. We are here to help get good lighting into the right places, in order for us to do this we need to be affordable. We are often the least expensive part of the design team overall. Remember that in many cases the design fees are simply part of the overall lighting package.
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| Q. What are the initial consultations like? |
A. This is where we get to know each other and the project. You decide if you need us and we tell you what we can provide to the project. We ask for three key pieces of information; Project layouts and drawings or pictures, your dreams and ideas, lighting budget. The last, budget, is most critical, it drives the design intent. we will tell people that it’s like looking for a car; we can show you a Yugo or a Ferrari or anything in between. We don't mind which way we're going but a lot of time and money will be wasted if you are not honest about what you need budget wise. The design will take the same time and cost the same no matter which approach we use but if we come to you with a million dollar system when you wanted to spend ten thousand (or vice versa) we need to start over or you will not have a design you can work with.
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| Q. When should I consult a designer? |
A. As soon as possible in any project, I have yet to tell someone they are too early but too late can cost money in excess, change orders or overbuild.
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| Q. Why Techni-Lux Design Services? |
A. We're here, you already found us. Seriously though, Techni-Lux is very active in the industry and has worked on a variety of high profile projects and helped solve some pretty unusual problems. We are set to work with the necessary people to best incorporate lighting using our engineers and designers in the most efficient manner. With Techni-Lux you get an entire design and engineering team that can address your unique needs with multiple points of view and opinions. We can also fabricate and layout entire systems (control, lighting, audio, video, integration) utilizing all of our resources. We have many references available for your review.
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| Q. Who is your team? |
A. Lead Designer: Tony Hansen IALD
Tony has over 30 years experience in design starting in Minneapolis in the early 80's doing theatrical work. More recently he has worked with Universal Studios Florida, Sally Corporation, Tivoli Gardens, Wet 'n Wild and many others in Themed attraction design. He is also an accomplished House of Worship designer and has thousands of shows under his belt ranging from television, to industrial, touring and theatrical. His unique experiences combine to provide a well rounded vision with years of practical experience.
Lead Engineer: Lance Gaboury
Mr. Gaboury, technical director, is a degreed engineer from University of Central Florida with over 15 years experience. He provides the all-important design and quality control feedback that bolsters the success of the company.
Draftsman/Layout/Programmer: Lisa Hansen
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| Q. What are some problems that great lighting solves? |
A. Sightline, visual and illumination. Lighting can help address video issues, dark areas, over-illumination, and a whole slew of problems. Lighting must be considered, it is the difference between light and illumination. Take a look at some of our articles in the library.
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| Q. OK, I'm interested, how do I get started? |
A. You can either get in touch with us through one of our dealers or through "Contact Us" under the "Company" tab up top. We will be happy to work with you directly for design assistance but we will work with one of our highly qualified dealers for any sale. They are close to you and can help you with ongoing support.
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