Broward Lighting Project
Pushing the Boundaries of Technology
The Emerald Laser Lawn was funded and managed by Broward County. It required significant design development work as well as approvals; the use of lasers in a public place required that particular safety regulations be met. Lasers present a concentrated form of energy within the light beam and so health and safety issues needed to be addressed as a central part of the project development. Corson worked with specialists in the field, nth degree creative, to establish the practicalities of the project.
Additional demands arose because of the particular concerns of Broward County in terms of maintenance and public safety. The use of laser technologies in a permanent installation has pushed the boundaries of use of such technology in public places. This technology is usually associated with performance events. The green diode laser system is housed in security camera housing located beneath a newly sited bench and a metal shroud provides enhanced protection. The opening slits through which the lasers are beamed are designed to avoid becoming a finger trap while allowing the passing of light; however, heavy duty glass covers were added to protect the equipment. This added an extra level of security but means more maintenance as the glass will need to be kept clean.
The maintenance of this element of the art project is undertaken by Broward County as part of the funding agreement. A maintenance and conservation schedule is submitted as part of each project commission. Inevitably a balance needed to be found between the functionality of the work in achieving the desired visual experience and issues of health and safety.
Download the Broward County maintenance and conservation schedule as an Adobe Acrobat format document, 46KB.
