Going with the ‘Flowspace’

Distinctive luminaires create playful, urban vibe in coworking space

By Jason Broadhurst

Like millions of others across the globe, Jocelyn Trott found herself working at the dining room table during the height of the pandemic. With kids underfoot at any given time, she saw the opportunity to develop a coworking space in her community.

Coworking spaces have grown in popularity with the pandemic. Some companies have eliminated in-person offices, leaving individuals feeling the need to connect or just get out of the house. Flowspace is Lake Oconee’s first such space, offering 15 private offices and two meeting spaces for remote workers and small businesses. Trott purchased three suites in a commercial building, previously an art gallery and interior design store. As an interior designer, she had distinct design goals for the 4,000 square foot renovation. “I really wanted to create that ‘Wow’ first impression when you walked in the door,” Trott says. “It also needed to be a premium, professional environment because our users often meet customers on-site. And finally, it had to feel warm and inviting, encouraging interaction.”

A range of architectural luminaires from Eureka Lighting drive a playful, urban vibe that is both bright and comfortable. Eureka’s Quadrant pendants illuminate the main living room space and corridor as you enter Flowspace, and two Mute pendants are suspended in an adjacent community kitchen. Both are acoustic lighting products, and work to absorb sound in the ample space. A discreet diffuser in the Quadrant fixture provides warm, ambient lighting. And Mute’s wide, planar diffuser creates a comfortable illumination while contributing to an intimate zone over the dining counter. The charcoal felt panels in each fixture maintain a consistent design aesthetic and offer a bold contrast against the white exposed ceiling. Trott also introduced linear graphics along one wall to draw attention to Quadrant’s distinct silhouette.

“Both Quadrant and Mute have scale and presence, but each does this with soft material and a soft light,” Trott says. “And there’s no question that the acoustic pendants have substantially decreased the echo caused by the high ceilings and large windows.” A small flight of steps leads users further into the coworking spaces. An adjacent large monolithic wall was another opportunity to make a statement. Trott chose Eureka’s Node wall-mounted luminaire, using the hexagonal shapes to create a unique pattern of accent lighting across the wall. In shades of charcoal and gray, the acoustic felt also contributes to sound absorption. “When I originally ordered Node, I already had a vision of what I wanted to do,” Trott says. “But when the luminaires arrived, we were inspired to rethink our approach. We laid them on the floor, moved them around, and created something completely different from the initial design. You don’t

Coworking spaces have grown in popularity with the pandemic. Some companies have eliminated in-person offices, leaving individuals feeling the need to connect or just get out of the house.

often get that opportunity to adapt on-site with architectural lighting.” As first impressions go, these unusual fixtures are visible from the street, especially in the evening, serving notice to passersby that this space truly is different. Just past the Node display is another casual lounge space. Trott wanted a luminaire to create a sense of place, so she selected A-Light’s Relay pendant. Its direct lighting provides continuous illumination down to the chairs, with minimal glare. Its uplight features a batwing distribution to highlight the ceiling and make the area feel more open. The hexagonal shape complements the nearby Node luminaires, and its black frame pops against the white ceiling and walls. “Visitors really respond to this fixture,” Trott says. “They’ll often walk up the stairs and exclaim, ‘Wow, what is that? It’s so cool.’” One of two meeting spaces is outfitted with Eureka’s Outline luminaires. A pendant is suspended over the boardroom table, and an additional recessed version is mounted in the ceiling. The stylish, contemporary luminaires have a unique aesthetic presence in the space while serving multiple functions. The pendant’s uplight provides ambient illumination to give the small room an open, airy feel. Some of the adjustable projectors in the pendant provide functional task-oriented light down to the tabletop below. Additional projectors in that pendant, as well as the projectors in the recessed fixture, are used to highlight nearby artwork. Trott was appreciative of this rare opportunity to create three layers of light with a single fixture. All lighting in Flowspace is managed with an nLight® AIR networked lighting controls platform. Users can adjust both the uplight and downlight in the meeting room to adapt for face-to-face meetings versus video conferences. Common areas may also be transformed from workday spaces to evening cocktails by simply adjusting the lighting. “I could not be happier with the final result,” Trott says. “When I saw the fixtures go in, I realized I would need to up my interior design game to match this incredible lighting.” CCR