Lightswitch answered the Los Altos History Museum’s request for a lighting design that would add visual sparkle to the “Making Connections” Exhibit, as well as prove cost effective, simple to operate, and electrically efficient.
Lightswitch answered the Los Altos History Museum’s request for a lighting design that would add visual sparkle to the “Making Connections” Exhibit, as well as prove cost effective, simple to operate, and electrically efficient.
Designed by Donald Sibbett for The Los Altos History Museum, the exhibit “Making Connections: Stories from the Land,” informs visitors about the Los Altos region, from its first inhabitants – the Ohlone associated peoples – to its apricot orchards, and finally to its modern-day Silicon Valley businesses. The exhibit focuses on three topics: The Hills (the human story told over time), The Valley (business and production history, from native peoples’ agriculture to tech companies), and The Creeks (the vibrant biota of the Los Altos area).
This newly-installed permanent exhibition needed LED light bulbs and a dimming system that met current California Energy Code regulations. Lightswitch delivered these, as well as adding visual interest through the use of diminutive fixtures inside the custom casework. We also installed a control system that greatly simplifies the docents’ daily routines. Now, many groups of fixtures turn on with the single push of a button, rather than requiring the operation of crowded banks of switches.
The client requested a lighting design that would add visual sparkle to the exhibit, as well as prove cost effective, simple to operate, and electrically efficient. Lightswitch reused the museum’s existing track light fixtures to save costs, reduced the exhibit’s overall wattage, provided intuitive controls, and added visual focus to the area. These improvements helped the museum on many levels, making for a more streamlined operation for staff, as well as a more engaging experience for guests.
