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  By Valeria Palacios Klein CLD, Senior Lighting Designer at Coastal Source When people hear the phrase colored lighting in outdoor spaces, it’s likely they immediately think of bold, oversaturated hues that feel more theatrical, even gauche, than refined. But color-tunable lighting (often referred to in the industry as RGBW) has evolved dramatically. Today’s advanced [...]

By Dan Hollenkamp, COO at Toggled Dan Hollenkamp, COO of Toggled, shared the following seven trends that he believes will redefine buildings and energy management in 2026: 1) Smart Buildings Become True Energy Orchestrators: By 2026, smart buildings will function more like managed micro-grids as operators face rising energy demand, electrification pressures, and aging infrastructure. Even [...]

  JLL’s 2025 Global Real Estate Technology Survey reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in buildings has surged remarkably, with 92% of corporate real estate occupiers now piloting AI solutions—a rapid jump from less than 5% just three years ago. However, only 5% of organizations report achieving most or all of their expected results from [...]

  The 2025 Smart Home Technology Trends Survey, conducted by Harbor Research for the Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings (ASHB), details escalating adoption, evolving consumer attitudes, and emerging opportunities in the smart home sector across the U.S. and Canada. Drawing insights from 611 respondents, the report highlights a rise in smart home adoption—from 49% [...]

  By Brent Protzman, Director of Product Management at Lutron Electronics The way we design and use commercial real estate has undergone a fundamental shift. Spaces that were once almost exclusively cubicles and private offices must now adapt to hybrid work models, evolving technology, sustainability mandates, and heightened occupant expectations. Looking forward, the buildings that [...]

  By Allana Wooley, User Experience Lead, Lutron When you think about lighting control, your first instinct may be to picture a physical interface – a wall switch or touchscreen – but today’s smart lighting solutions go well beyond traditional fixture and control aesthetics to holistically manage daylight, support occupant comfort, optimize energy use, and [...]

  Contemporary water feature lighting merges art and technology to create immersive outdoor and architectural experiences. In 2025, designers are using dynamic lighting systems to enhance fountains, waterfalls, ponds, and interactive public installations, emphasizing both ecological sensitivity and emotional impact. The focus has shifted from static illumination to dynamic scenes that translate the character of [...]

  New research from KPMG reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) systems have the potential to reduce energy waste in buildings by up to 30%, significantly improving energy efficiency and supporting sustainability goals. This is particularly important as buildings contribute roughly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and with urban populations expected to reach 70% by [...]

  Smart switches are rapidly gaining favor over smart lamps (bulbs) as the preferred technology for home lighting automation, thanks to their superior reliability, cost-effectiveness, and integration with daily routines. Unlike smart lamps—which lose their “smart” capabilities when a physical wall switch is turned off—smart switches control the entire circuit, ensuring lights remain responsive to [...]