Architectural Linear Lighting | LED Strip Solutions for Buildings

Overview

What architectural linear lighting is

Architectural linear lighting uses continuous LED strips to define the lines of a building - coves, recessed slots, wall edges, facades and joinery. Unlike spotlights, the light source itself is hidden and the effect is a clean, uninterrupted line. This page covers the main applications, specification decisions and long-run power design.

Cove lighting

Hidden in a ceiling cove to bounce soft indirect light across the ceiling.

Recessed linear

Flush slots in walls or floors that show only a thin line of light.

Wall grazing

Narrow-angle light close to textured walls to reveal stone and brick.

Wall washing

Wide even beam that uniformly lights smooth walls and reduces contrast.

Specification

Spec decisions: CRI, color and dimming

Architectural projects are specified before the strips are ordered. The four values below determine the visible quality and how the lighting integrates with the building controls.

Parameter	Standard	High-end
CRI	Ra 80 (corridors, back of house)	Ra 90-95, check R9
Color temperature	2700K / 3000K / 4000K fixed	Tunable white 2700-6500K
Dimming	Phase-cut / 0-10V	DALI / DMX512 / addressable
SDCM binning	≤5	≤3 for color-critical spaces

Long runs

Powering long runs: 24V vs 48V and voltage drop

Voltage drop is the main technical risk on long architectural runs. The far end of the strip dims and shifts color as voltage falls. Two approaches solve it: 48V strips for long single feeds, or 24V with repeated injection.

24V with injection

Inject power every 5 meters. More drivers and junction boxes, but 24V strips and drivers are widely stocked and lower cost per meter.

48V single feed

Run 15-20 meters from one feed. Fewer drivers and cleaner ceiling voids, ideal for long coves and continuous corridors.

Size every driver at 1.2-1.3x connected wattage. A driver running at full load runs hot and fails early.

Products

Recommended products for architectural projects

Specify COB for dot-free indoor lines, neon flex for visible and curved outlines, and wall washer strips for building exteriors.

COB LED Strip

Dot-free continuous line for coves, recessed slots and joinery, CRI 90+ options.

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LED Neon Flex

Silicone extruded line for curved and visible outlines, IP67/IP68 exterior versions.

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Wall Washer Strip

Wide-angle linear flood for facade washing and grazing on commercial buildings.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Wall grazing places the light close to the surface (10-30cm) at a narrow angle to highlight texture such as stone, brick or rough plaster. Wall washing positions the light further away (60-90cm) with a wider, even beam to flatten texture and uniformly illuminate a smooth wall. Spec the mounting distance before ordering the strip.

Use CRI Ra 90 or higher for hospitality, retail and residential spaces where color accuracy matters. CRI 80 is acceptable for corridors, parking and back-of-house. For galleries and high-end projects, also check R9 (red rendering) and specify CRI 95+.

Specify 48V strips for runs over 10 meters, or use 24V with power injection every 5 meters. A 48V single-feed run reaches 15-20 meters. Calculate total wattage and size each driver at 1.2-1.3x the connected load. Never run a driver at 100% continuously.

Yes. Use 0-10V, DALI, DMX512 or phase-cut dimming depending on the building system. Confirm the driver protocol matches the control bus, and for tunable white or RGBW use a controller with separate channels rather than a single dimmer.

COB inside a sealed aluminum profile is the cleanest for crisp straight lines and recessed detail. Neon flex is better for curved outlines, signage and runs where the light itself is visible without a channel. Both are available in IP67/IP68 versions for exterior use.

Specifying a linear lighting project?

Send us the floor plan, run lengths and control protocol. We will calculate load, injection points and recommend CRI and voltage for each line.

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