To the editor:

I practiced architecture for more than 40 years and was responsible for large hospitality projects for 25 of those years. In retirement, I do try to keep up with technology. Lighting technology has not changed in several years now as incandescent lamps have given way to LED lamps. LED lamps typically last incredibly long times, so that means we’re stuck with bad lighting even longer.

In the area of residential lighting, we are being failed miserably by local builders. An example is a recent tear down and replacement of a 1910 era, 2,000-square-foot house with a new 2024, 3,000-square-foot home priced at $2.6 million. A larger house on the same-sized lot means windows and porches overlooking the neighbors’ smaller house side yard with garbage cans stowed, and well, you get the point.

What’s startling is when the builder – whose property is just now going on the market, so no owner yet – leaves the lights on throughout the house overnight, and the next door neighboring yards and houses are also lit up.

So, what’s going on? Builders have the resources to obtain better lighting design, but for some reason they don’t. I have walked new houses with old toggle style switches, unshaded light fixtures and no dimming of any circuit – really.

When the stair hall in the new house mentioned above is lit up, so is the neighbor’s house. So when you turn on a way too bright light, that’s what you get.

Lighting fixtures are typically equipped with LED lamps, also known as bulbs. The color temperature of a LED light bulb is measured in Kelvin, which is a unit that indicates the hue of the light.

Color temperatures for LED light bulbs range from 2,700 Kelvin, which is a soft white, warm color that’s good for living rooms, bedrooms and restaurants; 3,000, a bright and neutral white light that’s a good choice for homes; 4,000 K to 5,000 K, a cool white light, like bright daylight; and 6,500 K, a bright bluish hue of light that’s often used in commercial locations for task lighting.

Anyone going out to buy light bulbs should look at the label and buy low Kelvin bulbs, thank you.

Because, what I’m seeing in project after project are lamps with overly high Kelvin values for the intended use. The houses are lit up like bus stations, not cozy homes.

And, there is so much lighting being used in new house design that there is no way the property remains discrete.

We haven’t even discussed dark-sky lighting that helps prevent disorientation of birds, and reducing outdoor lighting overall. Since when do we need 500 watt light bulbs anywhere? It seems builders are competing to demonstrate poor lighting design. So, all I can say is that buyers should demand better. That’s typically how things improve.

-Paul DeCourt, registered architect, Alexandria