$500,000,000 spec house...nothing shocks me anymore

Looks like a space ship landed among all those poor little L.A. million dollar mansions...100,000 sqft of complete unadulterated opulence being built in Bel Air, without an actual buyer, and being dubbed "The One". 

Through my job, I've become desensitized to what people do with their wealth. Last year, I did the landscape lighting on two 20,000+ sqft estates and over the years have designed several other estates that have exceeded 40,000 sqft. So far this year, I'm working on another 20plus sqfter and trying to secure another exceeding 50,000 sqft. I used to ask myself all the questions of "why" and "how could they", but now I just say thank you and go on my merry way. 

To put all this in perspective, the average neighborhood Wal Mart exceeds 45,000 sqft and the average discount Wal Mart is roughly 140,000 sqft. So basically, "The One" falls right about in the middle of all those isles of craziness. Here's the link to a recent article with developer-builder Nile Niami and if you don't want to read the article completely, just take a look at a bit of what "The One" has to offer.

• Five swimming pools
• Night club
• Casino
• Jellyfish tanks
• Cigar lounge
• Sky deck
• Putting green
• 30 car garage
• 45-seat IMAX theater
• 5,000 sqft master bedroom

Here are a couple architectural renderings from McClean Design.

McClean Design

McClean Design

The only things I keep thinking about is spec house and the part in the movie Tin Cup where Cheech Marin, caddying for Craig Sadler says "you have extra large juevos"! Good luck Mr. Niami.

What's everyones initial thoughts?

E2 Illumination Designs is a design-build-maintain landscape lighting company based in Dallas and continually works throughout the country wherever fine outdoor lighting design is demanded. Please contact us with any questions.

Time to visit the Dallas Arboretum

My little ninos in 2014

Every year I try to bring my family to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden to not only see the beautiful explosion of spring color, but mainly to try and capture a few unexpected photos for the office.

If you've never been, I highly recommend spending a Saturday or Sunday...and I do mean a DAY! Take time to enjoy the 66 acres of manicured landscapes and explosion of spring color now through April 10th as the Dallas Blooms are out in full force. 

Dallas Blooms

My personal favorite garden is the Nancy Rutchik Red Maple Rill. I really don't know how to describe its' beauty, but the two-acre garden is anchored by a 100 year old weeping japanese maple and will lead you to the adjoining Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn. 

Nancy Rutchik Red Maple Rill

We usually spend a couple hours on the lawn enjoying a picnic and letting the kids run like "Forrest Gump" throughout the expansive area. After fatigue sets in, you'll find the kids enjoying a roll down the hill in their own little competition with all the other kids to see who can make it to the bottom. Also, take some time to see who is playing in the Cool Thursday night concert series throughout the spring/summer. I already have my eyes on May 26th with the All Funk Radio Show Band to get me a bit of Motown, R&B, and authentic Funk.

The Dallas  Arboretum and Botanical Garden is extremely family friendly and just one of those places to sit back and enjoy all of God's glory. The best time of the year is NOW...before the heat moves in so look for us the next several weeks and enjoy!

E2 Illumination Designs is a design-build-maintain landscape lighting company based in Dallas and continually works throughout the country wherever fine outdoor lighting design is demanded. Please contact us with any questions.

Low Voltage vs. Line Voltage for your Landscape Lighting

Low voltage- Dallas Landscape Lighting

Line Voltage- South Texas Landscape Lighting

A good rule of thumb if you are considering landscape lighting for your home is "large mature trees use line voltage and small ornamental trees use low voltage". 

The pictures illustrate two properties we recently finished installing both low voltage and line voltage systems. The low voltage photograph shows Savannah Holly ornamental trees and a Japanese Maple being illuminated with low voltage LED uplighting. The large Texas Live Oak is illuminated with line voltage mercury vapor downlighting and uplighting.

When comparing the two types of systems there are numerous things to consider such as kelvin rating, beam spread, energy consumption, cost, warranty, and maintenance just to name a few. However, in over 85% of my initial consultations, the client's only desire is to have the end result look beautiful and they don't really care about technical specifications. In the end, the client's landscape will dictate the type of lighting and this basic design principle will serve you well.

Tip for low-voltage landscape lighting: Consider installing the electrical wiring in conduit. At E2 Illumination Designs this is almost always the "standard procedure". Code doesn't require contractors to put low-voltage wiring in conduit as in line-voltage systems. Landscapes (and client desires) continually change, so when the yardman digs up that shrub to plant new seasonal color your electrical wiring is protected.

Tip for line-voltage landscape lighting: Consider having an additional dedicated circuit pulled to one (or more) trees or any other necessary electrical locations. This will give you added flexibility with how you use your outdoor space. For example, you'll now have a plug location(s) for yard work, outdoor fans, holiday lighting, and party lighting. 

E2 Illumination Designs is a design-build-maintain landscape lighting company based in Dallas and continually works throughout the country wherever fine outdoor lighting design is demanded. Please contact us with any questions.

360 House in Roncesvalles, Spain

Architecture Firm- Subarquitectura

Reference Site- Architizer

To quote Subarquitectura "We seek the poetic in all that seems to have been considered from the merely pragmatic point of view. The result is the literal construction of a use diagram. In this instance, form does not follow function, but is instead function itself." 

Sometimes I'm amazed at what I find myself drawn to in architecture. There is absolutely nothing about the 360 House I would like for myself (besides the pool, land, views, location...other than that absolutely nothing!!), but I have an immediate reaction to it that requires me to look deeper. In today's online world, we tend to look at something creative and instantly start to dissect whatever it is we don't like or would change from that "first" look. During initial client meetings, I show a plethora of photo illustrations of past projects to directly observe that immediate reaction. It's that immediate reaction, both positive and negative, that dictate my landscape lighting design. Whether too bright, too dark, wrong color, I need their feedback to create the nighttime ambiance they desire. Lighting, as with architecture, is subjective... 

In creating my designs, I never enjoy designing purely function, as with security lighting. However, I hope to be able to create an illumination effect like the 360 House, encouraging viewers to "seek the poetic".