I suppose we can always play 'what if.' Let's face reality, though: the safety and convenience of a maintenance worker years later is WAY down on the list of design criteria. Sometimes I think we design lighting to make sure that the ballasts are changed 'hot.'
Economy is high on the list of priorities. Use 277 rather than 120, and you need far fewer circuits. You also make it lots easier to kill someone.
Central management is a high priority, where all lighting circuits get shuffled through a contactor, and a remote controller, in some inaccessible place. There goes the local light switch at every door!
Energy management ... ahh, yes ... now you often have TWO ways to fry when you change a ballast. Split fixtures might look nice, but you still are presenting the guy with a choice of either placing everyone in the dark, or working hot.
Emergency lighting ... ever try to turn one off? Now, there's some competition for the PoCo ... there's a battery that wants to zap you as well!
When I build my mansion up at Lake Tahoe, I think I'll just use keyless fixtures, with pull chains and CFL's
