As designers, the Lightswitch team often has to move deftly between varying project types. Our role requires a good deal of balance and logistical strategy, no matter the client. But the field we have found to be one of the most unique, challenging, and ultimately rewarding is that of aquarium lighting. Every experience at an aquarium teaches us something new. It’s hard to work so closely with animals without learning some lessons from them – and we’ve been delighted to find that these lessons often correlate closely with our professional philosophy.
A Lesson from the Penguins: Always Begin with Thorough Research
Every aquarium lighting project begins with research. Though the aesthetic of a design is important, the safety and health of the resident animals is paramount. Lightswitch often starts by consulting organizations such as the Zoological Lighting Institute, seeking out articles and papers related to the behavior and needs of the species we will be lighting, and, perhaps most importantly, consulting animal care specialists on location.
An aquarium’s animal care specialists are some of our most valued resources during the research stage and beyond. These professionals spend every day with the creatures of the aquarium, understand them deeply, and will always advocate what’s best for them. Most helpfully, these specialists can gauge how the lighting affects the animals in their care.
The importance of thorough research was exemplified during our work with the majestic emperor penguins of SeaWorld San Diego. Working with the penguins required our team to meticulously investigate the animals’ native habitat and lifestyle. We found it was especially important to calculate the amount of UV light that would be received by the penguins in the wild during the days-long dark periods at the South Pole. This is not simply a matter of aesthetics – if the penguins’ light levels are not ideal, they may begin to lose their feathers or even cease reproducing. For the health of these incredible birds, we carefully calculated the number of footcandles to use for their “summer” months versus their “winter” ones.
A Lesson from the Dolphins: Always Communicate Clearly and Honestly
Lightswitch has learned that our conversations do not end with lighting professionals and animal care specialists – we also find ourselves communicating with the animals themselves. The introduction of colorful lighting must be done gently, giving the animals time to adjust. Luckily, marine animals are happy to share their thoughts about the process with us.
Perhaps the most intriguing example of this animal-human relationship we’ve observed was during the choreography of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium dolphin presentation after the client asked for moving lights and gobos on the water during the program. Dolphins, we now know, are fairly accommodating when it comes to lighting changes – however, they will always assume that a beam of light is solid until they learn otherwise. This means they must be introduced slowly to each new element. This process can seem tedious, but it is always rewarding. Dolphins are incredibly curious animals, and they want to explore these new elements in their environment. Kristen Neria, Director of Exhibit Services at the Shedd, affirms, “They respond to what we’re doing. It adds enrichment to their day."
However, these educational presentations at Shedd involve more than just dolphins. Our team has worked to light beluga whales, otters, and more. The biggest lesson we’ve learned from the animal care specialists is how to respect the animals’ wishes. Their well-being is prioritized in these situations, and if they communicate that they don’t want to be a part of the current activities, we will always listen.
Additionally, for the safety of all involved — animal and human — many precautions are put in place when our team works above the water. Sometimes, even reaching the lights in the first place is difficult, especially when they are located over a 30-foot-deep cold-water habitat.
Lightswitch has worked with our clients to develop a range of solutions to this issue. Catwalks are often expensive and invasive to install, so other methods must sometimes be employed, including large carts that extend team members over the water. During these installations, all animals are relocated to other habitats, a mesh grid is installed above the water to mitigate the risk of tools falling in, and industrial-strength vacuums are utilized to eliminate dust that could contaminate the area. Finally, Shedd divers comb the water for one last safety check before any animals return.
A Lesson from the Jellyfish: Embrace Your Creativity
In recent years, many aquariums have incorporated large and showy jellyfish exhibits into their facilities. These creatures can make for quite an eye-catching display, with their ethereal movements and diaphanous bodies. In our travels, we have seen many contrasting approaches to jellyfish exhibits, including Monterey Bay’s elegant, monochromatic displays and Tokyo Skytree Aquarium’s bright and saturated lighting.
The process of creating an engaging jellyfish exhibit often starts the same no matter the location: a narrow exhibit with slow, circling water that continually moves the fish. We’ve found that these habitats usually come with pre-programmed lighting. However, Lightswitch often opts to rewrite these remotely controlled systems in favor of a manual system that’s verified to be healthy for the animals.
Our team is also fascinated by researching which frequencies of light illuminate the jellyfish best. Taking this a step further, which frequencies make them disappear entirely? This knowledge not only interests us, it also helps us design the most dynamic lighting possible. Yet it’s not only jellyfish who encourage creativity in habitat design. As Neria states, “Guests should feel like they are immersed in an underwater environment.” As designers, we employ strategies to make sure the guests never see themselves reflected in the glass – only the watery world beyond.
To create the illusion of depth and boundlessness, lighting is directed towards the front of the exhibit, essentially eliminating the perception of the back wall. Though we have worked with aquariums that use timing technology to mimic the natural course of daylight, we have also found that natural light is sometimes dismissed in lieu of more “cinematic” lighting that makes the underwater scene look the way it would in a movie.
During events such as the dolphin presentation, all lighting must work both above and below the water. In the past, we’ve asked animal care specialists to dive beneath the water with the dolphins to observe how the light will appear to the animals, as well as to the audience viewing it through the observation glass. Through these exercises, we’ve calculated underwater light loss to be about nine times greater than that of air, depending on the time of day and the movement of the water – knowledge we now take with us into each new project.
A Lesson from the Sea Lions: Respect Your Coworkers
Many marine animals are highly intelligent, and they have no qualms about making their needs known. This is especially true of sea lions, who are some of the most vocal among our animal colleagues. These huge creatures will absolutely communicate when they’re enjoying themselves – or when they’re not – usually by splashing and barking. It’s our team’s job to heed them when this happens.
Sometimes, however, this is a challenge. When Lightswitch enters a new aquarium environment, the client often expects us to accomplish the job as it has been done in the past – but this is not always the most efficient path, nor is it always best for the animals involved. Part of our role is to identify and address outdated methods. We take pride in our ability to approach a client with constructive questions. Simple quandaries, such as how fixtures will be maintained in the future, are often overlooked in favor of immediate solutions that offer less longevity.
"What I love about Lightswitch, [and] what’s a great differentiator,” says Lightswitch Principal Warren Kong, “is the company’s willingness to dive into the granular questions that will extend the lifetime of fixtures to the maximum.” We don’t believe we’re ever simply hired for the project at hand: we are also responsible for what the client will need in 10 years or more. This mindset goes a long way in satisfying the client’s needs in the long run – but also in addressing potential short-term issues.
"We strive to be good client advocates,” says Lightswitch Director Tammy Smith, who has worked with the Shedd for a decade. “We spend the client’s budget like it’s our own.” It all comes back to respect. Our team must remain observant, in case the sea lions tell us they’re ready to be done for the day – and we must also keep an eye out for long-term concerns being communicated by the fixtures themselves. In this way, we are truly listening to the humans, the animals, and the space itself.
Always Learning, Always Growing
At Lightswitch, we pride ourselves on our multifaceted approach and our multi-talented designers, who can adapt to a range of project-specific challenges. Even with our team’s extensive history in the lighting industry, we have found the experience of lighting for aquariums to be deeply educational.
Not only have we learned the pitfalls and best practices alongside our business clients, we’ve also absorbed so many lessons from the animals with whom we’ve shared the space. Their communication and boundary-setting skills are often more honed than those of our human peers.
These creatures inspire us to be better communicators ourselves, bolstering our professionalism and challenging us to reach new levels of interpersonal skill. Lightswitch is grateful to have found our place in the aquarium lighting industry: a unique and adventurous world full of compassion and wonder for the animals who reside there.