• Slim Design: 1-Inch Square Cross-Section
• Slide Switch Field Selectable CCT: 3000K, 3500K or 4000K
• Integrated LED Driver
• Standard and High Output; 90 CRI
• Premium Diffusion Lens: No LED Dotting
• Available in Four (4) Lengths: : 8", 12", 24" and 32"
• Linkable Up to 400W
• Optional Splice Boxes with Switch and/or Occupancy Sensor
years family owned
designing lighting's insightful newsletter bringing you updated, fresh new content to nurture your passion for all things lighting.
Next issue of The Spec publishes in October Subscribe here
Randy Reid Editor
C l i f f S m i t h P u b l i s h e r
Katherine Stekr – Senior Associate,
ARCHLIGHT SUMMIT, AN EVENT LIKE NO OTHER. DEBUTING SEPTEMBER 21-22.
Introducing a new commercial lighting event that will bring refreshing hands-on educational opportunities, diversified speakers and state-of-the-art product demonstrations and solutions from leading manufacturers in commercial, residential and hospitality lighting. Hosted by Dallas Market Center, join the sharpest minds in the Design Build industry for a unique experience far beyond what you’re used to.
REGISTER NOW AT ARCHLIGHTSUMMIT.COM/ATTEND
MADE POSSIBLE BY:
JIM BENYA
KELSEY BOLSTER
LONGO
BURR RUTLEDGE, IALD
STEFANIE SCHWALB
Editorial Director’s Notepad
Creating Healthier Built Environments in a Post-Pandemic World
By Ellie Ragiel
How can lighting designers contribute?
Benya’s Art & Science
Spectral Wars Episode 2: Revenge of Gaea
By James R, Benya, PE, FIES, FIALD
Human Centric Lighting (HCL) and the success of bioactive circadian health benefits.
Cover Story
Uncovering Architectural Beauty Like Never Before at Saint Thomas
By Randy Reid
The magnificent lighting of Saint Thomas Church in NYC
The Health and Lighting Research Center
A Healthy Investment: Circadian Lighting in the Workplace
By Charles Jarboe, MS and Burr Rutledge, IALD
Is circadian-effective lighting achievable?
Zero Bond – Simple Yet Elegant
By Randy Reid
Old and new converge to convey the essence of luxury.
Lighting for Houses of Worship
By Tom Butters and Gerry Cornwell
The design issues and challenges of lighting houses of worship.
Moving Forward by Going Back to Nature--An Optical Perspective
By Scott Zimmerman
An argument for adding infra-red energy to artificial light.
Residential
How “Smart” is the Residential Market
By Linda Longo
Smart technology is available to make consumers’ lives easier, but are they ready for it?
Controlling Sanctuary Spaces
By Kelsey Bolster
Overcoming the hurdles in designing lighting for sanctuary spaces through the use of controls.
Hospitality
Hotel Citrine Heads to Palo Alto
By Stef Schwalb
A vibrant new venture in Silicon Valley offers an upgraded experience in hospitality and sustainability.
Electrifying Design: A Century of Lighting
By Rand Reid
The High Museum of Art exhibition examines key contributions by international lighting designers and manufacturers.
New IALD Members
People on the Move
Upcoming Shows
Advertisers’ Index
Up Close with Dean Skira
In a few months, we have the opportunity to touch and hold—and in some cases caress—beautiful luminaires, ones that we may have already seen in some Zoom meeting but not fully appreciated. LightFair gives us the opportunity to use all our senses and evaluate new products. As important, it also gives us the opportunity to look into the eyes of the salesperson to see if he believes in what he is selling.
Editorial Director: Randy Reid
Publisher: Cliff Smith
A strong LightFair is in all our interests, and it is vital to two organizations who are dedicated to our profession—IALD and IES. Each owning one third of the show, their finances—and success—are strongly tied to a strong event. When you attend and exhibit at LightFair, you are directly supporting both associations. The loss of LightFair income has had a severe impact on their budgets over the last 18 months.
Director of Audience Development: Angie Hullfish
Rather than discuss the importance of the show with the presidents of both organizations, I went to the professional level and corresponded with the people who run the day-to-day operations, Dan Salinas, Acting Executive Director of the IES, and Ashley Robbins, Interim Chief Executive Officer of IALD.
Contributing Writers:
James Benya PE, FIES, FIALD
Principal at Design Services, Inc. and The Benya Burnett Consultancy
Linda Longo
Residential Lighting Contributor
Stefanie Schwalb
Hospitality Lighting Contributor
Interim Managing Editor at Boston Magazine
Staff Writers:
Ellie Ragiel
Margaret Runnels
Jacob Wright
Published by EdisonReport
1726C General George Patton Dr. Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: 615-371-0961
designinglighting.com
designing lighting is focused on the Business of Lighting Design™ and provides business information to the lighting design community. In addition to the website, designing lighting publishes bi-monthly online magazines featuring original content, interviews within the community and highlights successful award winning lighting designs. While designing lighting is based in the U.S., it has contributors from Europe and is developing a global presence. (ISSN 2693-9223)
Statements and opinions expressed in articles and editorials in dl are the expressions of contributors and do not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of the EdisonReport. Advertisements appearing in the publication are the sole responsibility of the advertiser.
Both IES and IALD adopted strategic plans that call for more financial diversification and less dependence on LightFair revenue. Ashely Robbins explained that until COVID, about 80% of IALD’s revenue was from LightFair. She stated, “Unfortunately, the pandemic hit before we could implement the plans and, combined with the loss of revenue from not having LightFair in 2020, the impact on the IALD has been significant.”
A large portion of the IES budget is also from LightFair. Dan Salinas explained that the IES Board met face to face in Boston in July, where the Staff Directors presented (via Zoom) the Implementation of the Strategic Plan going forward for the next 5-10 years. Dan stated, “It is bold and impressive, and the Board voted unanimously to move forward.”
Dan also emphasized the importance of meeting in person and that several manufacturer’s reps he speaks with are all very tired of trying to engage customers via online tools like Teams and Zoom. They are so ready to be face-toface, even if it is with a mask. He said, “As a specifier, I need to be able to see the products and concepts up close and personal, in 3-D not Zoom-D so I can’t wait for the doors to open!”
Dan also reminded me that hotel rates have dropped tremendously, and early registrations are better than 2019 levels.
In June, a CEO of a large OEM told me that in 2021 he was allowing very limited travel and that was before the Delta variant. Make no mistake, there will be fewer companies exhibiting at LightFair and there will be fewer people manning those booths—which can be a unique opportunity for the OEMs that do exhibit—so long as the lighting designers support the show. If the lighting design community sits on its collective hands this year, it will signal weakness to the OEMs and there will be less enthusiasm for Las Vegas in 2022 and could begin a downward spiral. If the designers come out in full force, the OEMs won’t be able to miss the 2022 show.
Some lighting designers prefer LEDucation over LightFair and LEDucation has earned its stripes and in some ways outperforms LightFair. At designing lighting (dl), we believe there is room for both successful shows.
But this notepad is focused on LightFair, where committees meet in person.
LightFair is where our R.P.’s are discussed and debated and consensus reached. LightFair is where education occurs. It is where Boards of Directors debate policies. Awards are given and speeches are made. It is where designers learn about products from manufacturers by day and party with those same manufacturers by night. LightFair is the one show where most industry leaders attend, and if you want to see someone in person, you know there is a good possibility you will see them at the show.
Without a strong LightFair, entrepreneurs will fill the void and there will be new mediocre shows, but none will be as encompassing or as productive as LightFair. The goal of the new shows will not be to help the industry or the organizations that support our industry, but to simply make money off the industry. If the lighting design community wants a strong LightFair and consequently, a strong IES and a strong IALD, this is the year to come and support the show in full force and see those product demonstrations in person.
Click to watch the ZOOM YouTube Video
ADJUSTABLE SPOTLIGHT 120/277V
Beam Angles From 5º to 50º Up To 25,000 CBCP
3 1/4” Diameter, 5” - 6 1/2” Length COB, 19 Watts, 1856 Lumens
The ZOOM Series is a compact spotlight designed with a locking lens grip to adjust the beam spread from a 5 degree narrow spot to a 50 degree flood. Powered by COB LED technology, the ZOOM Series has exceptional narrow field beam performance up to 25,000 CBCP from just 19 watts.
Lighting Services Inc The premier specialty lighting manufacturer.
S u b m i t a p h o t o a n d b r i e f d e s c r i p t i o n
o f y o u r p r o d u c t o r s e r v i c e t o
e d i t o r @ e d i s o n r e p o r t . c o m
O n l y o n e s u b m i t t a l p e r c o m p a n y w i l l
b e c o n s i d e r e d .
W i n n e r s w i l l b e a n n o u n c e d o n
T u e s d a y , O c t o b e r 2 6 .
S e e p a s t w i n n e r s h e r e .
Now a single product family can support 98% of downlighting use cases.
DMF’s next-generation DRD Series is engineered to allow for ultimate flexibility. Fixed, adjustable, wall wash, and multiple lumen outputs all with one housing. Our modular solution offers this and a range of color temperatures, field-changeable beam angles from 15 to 90+ degrees, 120/277 voltage regulation, and 1% dimming with TRIAC/ELV or 0-10V built into the module. Standardize on DRD and write fixture schedules with ease.
By
ELLIE RAGIEL
i U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Air Quality: What are the trends in indoor air quality and their effects on human health?
ii Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, How to Design Healthcare for Covid
As humans, we spend most of our time indoors. We go from our homes to our office buildings, with perhaps a few stops in between at a café or a restaurant or a public building. In fact, it’s simply not that we spend most of our time in a built environment, it’s all our time— the US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average person spends around 90% of their time indoors every year.i Thus, the spaces we live or work in can have a profound impact on our health. Even the tiniest hint of mold or dust or carcinogenic material can affect us, especially as most of us spend nearly all our waking (and sleeping!) hours in the same few buildings.
Understandably, the responsibilities that come with this knowledge have often fallen upon designers, and the architectural design community in particular. Each time a new study comes out they are encouraged to design better, and some of the most beneficial ways to do so, as recent studies all point to, are practices that increase indoor airflow and quality and the avoidance of any toxic or harmful building materials in design.
While building healthier indoor environments has been a topic of conversation for designers for many years, along with the recommendations about air quality and materiality that come with it, the events of 2020 have proven to be a new catalyst for this awareness. in the design community. In the post-pandemic world, more attention than ever has been placed on what the healthy future of tomorrow will look like. Life has changed in countless ways in the past two years—most of us are left shellshocked by a global event we never saw coming, and one thing many can agree on is that they will never again view health and sanitation in the same way. Designers, and especially architectural designers, in this climate, have been reminded of their unique duty to create healthy environments, so that people can feel safe in the environments in which they spend nearly all their time. For architecture this may mean considering social distancing protocols in design or thinking carefully about high traffic areas and high touch spaces. For residential design it means considering that people may spend more time in their homes now more than ever and preparing for an increased desire for home offices and home gyms.
Lighting designers may also carry the burden of these new changes and there are many ways in which their designs can improve the built environment for health-minded considerations. Like all types of designers, materiality will play an important part in that change. Metropolis Magazine recently held a panel to discuss considerations of health and sanitation in design. The panel was titled “Healthy Spaces, Clean
Surfaces,” and featured several well-informed professionals on the subject, one of whom was Ryan Johnson, Materials Researcher at the Healthy Building Network. As Johnson noted time and time again in this discussion, diligent and responsible material sourcing is one of the most important ways that lighting designers can protect the built environments to which they contribute. Additionally, while manufacturers have surely become better in recent years about fully disclosing all the materials in their products and providing HPDs, it is also a designer’s duty to confirm those statements, and thus ensure they are doing everything they can to keep their clients and environments healthy.
Health-conscious material sourcing will surely play a large role, but there are other architectural lighting considerations that could be explored to promote healthy built environments. One interesting new development that is being researched more extensively is the benefits of daylight in the built environment. Researchers and designers have long known about daylight’s mood-boosting abilities, especially in spaces designed for healthcare. A lesser-known development, however, is that daylight can also be an effective tool to combat airborne pathogens, bacteria on surfaces, and dust colonies.ii Perhaps daylight integration is the new holy grail of health-conscious design for the lighting community in the same way that improved air quality was for the architectural design community.
This trend is surely on the rise, and an increased consciousness of daylight’s benefits in the postpandemic world can be seen by several new innovations. One of the most interesting of these is an increase in many firms desire to develop daylight-mimicking technology. There are now dozens of luminaires on the market that promise to provide all of daylight’s benefits in spaces with low levels of natural light. Samsung is one such company, who, early last year, teased the development of an artificial window that would mimic daylight in any indoor environment.
For any lighting designer hoping to participate in the post-pandemic revitalization of health-conscious design, these two options—careful material sourcing and a greater appreciation for daylight’s benefits—are a good place to start. However, with the changes brought about by Covid-19 far from gone, it is extremely likely that even more ideas for how lighting can continue to improve the built environment will continue to surface. P
UL continues to innovate for the needs of the lighting marketplace. As demand grows for sustainable, energy-efficient solar lighting systems for use in both urban areas and remote locations, leverage our global safety science expertise for support in all global markets. Whether you’re looking for performance measurements, information on how new technology impacts your products, or standards information and testing capabilities, UL has solutions for you.
Visit our new lighting homepage at UL.com/lighting where you can view our core services and industry segment offerings.
orgotten centuries ago, the inhabitants of the blue planet Gaea evolved to become biologically dependent on daily cycles of light and darkness. Human descendants of hominids created communities and then cities to house their growing population, and increasing density was accompanied by socialization and community activities well into the night. Wayfinding and security at night from marauders and thieves became concerns for the species, and there was a hue and cry to provide anthropogenic light. Gaeans learned to burn candles and oil in lanterns, the warm glow into the night of lanterns lighting the way and keeping citizens safe from mischief.
Centuries passed and then electricity was discovered and tamed. A lamp using electricity was invented and electric lights were quickly adopted throughout the cities and towns. Electricity company owners seized the opportunity to distribute and promote increasingly profitable electric lights and to operate them all night. Society evolved with it and extended socialization and business hours through the night as people lost their innate fear of the shadows of night. Over less than a century, the night became significantly less dark, and, in many places, there was little difference anymore between day and night. Like many other human inventions, anthropogenic light at night (ALAN) became virtually out of control and quickly began to disrupt the cyclic photoperiods and symbiotic existence of humans, insects, fish, avians, amphibians, mammals, trees, algae, and all other life forms. Mostly ignoring ALAN, the humans debated many other pollutants, climate change and loss of habitat while many species moved towards extinction and the blue planet turned brown.
Concern for the impacts of ALAN were largely ignored until 1987 when the International Dark Association (IDA) was formed in Arizona. Other nascent efforts to address
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?'... If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."
― Aldo Leopold
ALAN included the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), begun in 1993 in Toronto to combat bird deaths due to lights in high rise buildings1. And in a stunning reversal of past practices, the IES Environmental Lighting Committee created and published Recommended Practice for Lighting for Exterior Environments RP-33 in 1999, for the first time introducing the lighting industry to the impacts of anthropogenic light at night (ALAN) and explaining principles to mitigate light pollution. The idea that light could be considered pollution was a warning siren to an industry accustomed to always increasing the uses and amounts of outdoor lighting with little or no regard for its negative impacts. It was not taken very seriously at the time.
1 Bright Lights, Big City, Dead Birds, FLAP 2000
2 Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting, Travis Longcore and Catherine Rich, 2002
3 Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, September 2019
Another warning siren came soon after from the environmental science community. In 2002, the American researchers Dr. Travis Longcore and Catherine Rich organized the first conference on the ecological consequences of artificial light at night. “That meeting, and a research textbook that Longcore and Rich published afterward2 , are widely considered the genesis of interest in the environmental-science community.”3 What inspired these environmental scientists was a scheme to light a prominent bridge in Los Angeles with millions of lumens of narrow beam metal halide lighting shooting straight up in a column of light. That installation was ultimately stopped by the Los Angeles environmental community, but shortly afterwards a similar system was installed at the site
of the World Trade Center in New York. As predicted by Longcore and Rich, the Towers of Light attracted migratory birds that flew in circles upward until falling to their death from exhaustion. The deadly outcome has caused use of the lighting to be very restricted, but still the Tribute in Light has been blamed for affecting over 1.1 million birds over 7 years despite limited to operation for one night per year.4
In 2011, an IDA team consulted with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that led to a report5 strongly recommending the immediate use of the “Best Available Technology (BAT) to reduce light pollution on beaches …needed to preserve sea turtles as a species.” Being left with a choice of action or sea turtle extinction, the right choice was made and today there is enforcement of restrictions against ordinary lighting on Florida beaches. But it raises the question why we seem to always move rapidly and carelessly towards the
making them vulnerable to predators. Light pollution from the iconic Sundial Bridge was a factor that contributed to the near loss of Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon from 2011–2013.6” We should have known better.
Today the blue but browning and struggling Gaea is subjected to many forms of pollutants in addition to the loss of darkness at night. Worldwide climate change dominates the headlines while increasing darknessdenied circadian impacts to all living beings are but a few of the imminent challenges the planet’s inhabitants face. In recent years we fiercely debate the correct color temperature for outdoor lighting yet continue to encourage the burgeoning trend of color changing, vibrant outdoor lighting for everything from casinos to airports and bridges and attach multiple story video screens to buildings and billboards. We have proven with energy efficiency that as a lighting industry we can
precipice before coming to terms with the impacts of our work on life itself.
A celebrated and prominent bridge spamming the salmon run of the Sacramento River, the Sundial Bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava in Redding, California is a masterpiece. Completed in 2004, It connects campuses of major city park across the Sacramento River. As usual, the lighting of this bridge was designed for human activities without regard for surrounding life forms and especially the life cycle of salmon, a major economic contributor to the entire region. Bridges, in particular, often have lighting that shines into rivers at night, and attraction to these stationary lights can stop juvenile fish in their tracks as they migrate downstream,
respond to the challenges of our Gaea’s future, but we must now undertake work with equal haste to put the darkness back into the night, not just for humans but all life. Gaea’s revenge has started and of course not just because of our loss of night – but reviving the night is something we can do before Gaea has had enough of us.
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?'... If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering." Aldo Leopold P
4
5
6
By
REID
he Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan has been a fixture of the city’s Episcopalian community for over a century. Established in 1842, Saint Thomas is a marvelous piece of architecture, with soaring ceilings and classic gothic revival detailing. It was an honor being one of the IESNYC judges to witness this majestical 2021 Award of Excellence design by Renfro Design Group who was chosen to illuminate the architectural beauty of the church.
Recently, I sat down with the design team, which consisted of Richard Renfro, Sarah Randall, Silvia Mazzarri, Fabio Tuchiya, and Jenny Stafford. Sarah, Silvia, and Fabio were able to provide some fascinating insight into the design process, which, it seems, was very much hands-on from start to finish. The Saint Thomas facilities manager, who worked tirelessly with Renfro Design, is ironically named Angel Estrada.
Renfro Design Group had been a long-time partner of the church, beginning with a lighting project in 2000, in which an unfortunate electrical fire in the church necessitated a complete overhaul of its lighting and controls system. At that time, supplemental lighting was added to complement the decorative chandeliers. The exciting innovation at that time was using control systems to dim down the incandescent light bulbs to 90% for
extended lamp life, reduced maintenance, and increased energy efficiency.
After the successful completion of that project, Renfro was then bought back in 2006 when the church decided to undergo an almost decade-long project to restore the iconic stained-glass windows. Like many churches of this style, one of the most important central design elements of the building are the intricate stained-glass windows. In the case of Saint Thomas, these windows make up almost half of the entirety of the soaring nave, with dazzling colors depicting intricate biblical scenes. While undoubtedly these windows themselves add to the magnificent lighting in the interior of the church, it is actually their recent restoration, surprisingly, that provided the church a unique opportunity to revitalize the interior lighting design. In order to maintain usage of the church while the restoration above took place, all of the lighting sources were moved down to a level below the windows.
With the windows fully restored in 2015, instead of simply putting those same fixtures back to their original position, Saint Thomas Church and Renfro instead used the circumstance as a unique opportunity to modernize the lighting. This process
centered around implementing LED technology into the church which had previously only used incandescent lighting.
After the windows, the second major component of the project was re-lighting the reredos or the stone carvings behind the altar which is an exquisite architectural and decorative element in the church. At almost 80 feet tall, lighting the reredos was a significant challenge. Before 2000 a 40-foot-tall-boom was used to mount the light fixtures, but the light could only reach up 40 feet out of the 80 feet. In 2000, Renfro replaced the boom with a 60-foot tall, motorized track system that allowed incandescent lighting to reach higher up the reredos. And in 2015 a wirelessly controlled LED system was installed in two rows to replace the incandescent lighting.
The team re-used the 60-foot motorized track and mounted multiple 6-foot trays where light fixtures were mounted that can mechanically run up and down the track to side-light the reredos. Two Ketra LED strips were lodged onto the trays on each side, one to illuminate the further side while the other filled in the near-side of the reredos. The wirelessly controlled full color changing LED solution offered much tighter beam control giving them
more flexibility with color and intensity. Similar Ketra PAR lamps were used for lighting the Reredos from the top. ETC projectors were used to slightly highlight the rectangular form of the central tablet with Q-Tran strips concealed within the tablet to reveal the interior carvings.
The final result is stunning, and the reredos mesmerizes like never before! The internal parts of the reredos are more visible, and the light reveals the sculptural beauty and the sophistication of the stone carvings and ornaments. When a visitor looks at the reredos as a whole, it is clearly calling attention to the grandeur and the architectural beauty that was almost hidden to the public before.
Another significant component of the restoration process was relighting the chandeliers that were 20 feet in the air. Although the chandeliers were not submitted for the IES Lumen Award, they were an ongoing part of the project as an essential decorative element. The pendants were retrofitted with dimmable LED lamps at both the visible light globes and the concealed uplights that provide a subtle light reflecting soft light on the ceiling above.
The internal parts of the reredos are more visible, and the light reveals the sculptural beauty and the sophistication of the stone carvings and ornaments.
But the main source of lighting for the nave was the LED track fixtures at the clerestory. Edison Price 5-degree LED spotlights were used for sharp cross-aiming on each side of the Church illuminating the seating area and the aisles. For example, the fixtures in the south side of the church cross aimed to light the north side pews and vice versa. At the lower side aisles, small accents tucked behind columns were refurbished by Aurora Lampworks to take a Soraa LED lamp for concealed pathway lighting.
Sarah describes a scene of being harnessed in on ladders nearly 100 feet off of the floor in order to manually adjust and focus all of the lamps. This task was of great importance, as they designed general lighting in the nave without detracting from the beautiful stained glass or spilling too much light onto the adjacent architecture. The team remembers this process fondly, saying that experimenting with countless mockups took many months of testing and hands-on work but was the most fun part of the process.
Because the walls were so tall, no offthe-shelf aiming tools were available. Therefore, Richard built many tools to help with aiming, including a laser model to measure the beam locations of track fixtures, and magnetic tools to find and retain angles of fixtures. The team used walkie-talkies to mimic the same angle in opposite sides of the church.
Sylvia explained that swaths of brown paper were temporarily added to the pews below to better see how the light was landing as they angled from 100 feet above. Another technique involved using light measuring technology on their phones for a better read on how light was hitting the floor, especially to ensure light on both sides of the church aisle was balanced. The mockups were an experimental process.
The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys is widely recognized as the top Anglican choral ensemble in the United States. Front and backlight (reading light) were provided allowing the choir to read their hymns without glare and also lighting their faces for the audience. The blue-tinted glass window allowed the daylight to cast a beautiful colored light on the walls and the orchestra as well.
The team emphasized the importance of the close working relationship with the facilities manager, Angel Estrada. A fascinating piece of the story is that atop the new organ the sculpture of an angel was carved in the likeness of Angel Estrada to represent his significance to the Church.
The lighting job is seamless and accomplished the plan within the cost. It is well-deserving of the received laurels. The finished product of the church is stunning and incredibly well-designed, a change which nearly-perfected the control of the beams spanning down from the high ceilings to the floor below, as well as giving increased quality of light and dimming capabilities. This long process of mockups and testing and many days spent painstakingly adjusting from 100-feet in the air paid off, as this stunning project received the recognition that it deserved with the Award of Excellence in the 2021 Lumen Awards. P
New v-shaped luminaires focus light where it matters: directly onto your products.
• Lightweight, easy to install
• Sleek, contemporary design
• Uplighting prevents cave effect
• Energy-efficient, dimmable LEDs
• Uniform color spectrum
• Wide beam angles
Eliminate shadows and dark areas with the most innovative commercial lighting in the market. The QTL Series by TCP includes aisle lights, high bays, and general purpose strips – with even more products coming soon.
Innovation is LED by TCP.
CHARLES JARBOE By Burr Rutledge
In addition to enabling vision, light-dark patterns reaching the back of our eyes are the major synchronizers of circadian rhythms to the local position on Earth. Light can also elicit an acute alerting response in humans similar to a cup of coffee. Since the discovery of the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in 2001, a series of studies depicting how this novel photoreceptor interacts with the classical rods and cones to convert light signals into electrical signals to the biological clock, a process called circadian phototransduction, have been made available to the lighting community.
The scientific community – while not necessarily in agreement on the metrics nor the neurophysiological details of circadian phototransduction – does agree that bright days and dark nights are essential for maintaining synchrony between the external environment and the internal biological master clock in our bodies. That synchrony, in turn, results in better sleep, health and wellbeing. As such, there is a growing call for application engineers and lighting designers to begin translating this scientific knowledge from controlled laboratory conditions to real-world applications.
This is not to say that there won’t be challenges. For starters, we need more light to affect our biological clock than we need for vision, and our beloved Vλ does not represent the spectral sensitivity of the circadian system. (Footnote: as a reminder to readers who may not be familiar with it, Vλ is the spectral sensitivity function that is used to define the lumen)
The timing and duration of light exposure are also critical for the circadian system, so knowing when to deliver and when to remove bright light in the environment becomes essential. Additionally, glare, energy consumption, aesthetics, and cost remain critical components of sustainable, effective design.
Through collaboration, outside-the-box thinking, and a clear understanding of the design factors that are most important, circadian-effective lighting can be achieved while maintaining established design
and energy efficiency standards and without being impossibly complicated. Exemplary design projects can help grease the gears of this process and guide the way for the design community. The recently completed IESNYC Lumen Award winning lighting design for the flagship office of a financial services firm located in New York City serves as one such project that is a significant step towards the normalization of circadian-effective lighting in commercial office spaces.
It began like many other large LEED-Gold projects: corporate standards required Lighting Power Densities (LPDs) at least 35% below ASHRAE while maintaining 30 fc on the workplane using 3500 K correlated color temperature (CCT) lighting. Mockups were reviewed and approved at the conclusion of Design Development for the two signature lighting elements in the workspaces: a) the backlit, faceted ceiling at the trading floors, and b) custom 30”×30” luminaires utilized throughout the project.
At the beginning of the Construction Documents phase, however, the client pulled the lighting designers aside and asked what it would take to incorporate “circadian lighting” into the approved design.
The lighting designers investigated evidence-based circadian lighting strategies and drafted a feasibility
report determining that the design targets for circadianeffective light could be achieved while maintaining the energy efficiency, visual comfort, and aesthetic requirements of the project. However, deviations from the corporate standards for light level (30 fc) and CCT (3500 K) would be required. The designers also insisted that a team of light and health scientists serve as technical partners to verify that the proposed design would deliver the targeted circadian-effective light. For this project, the circadian stimulus (CS) metric was utilized. For more information go to CS Calculator (2.0) | Light and Health Research Center (light-health.org)
Occupant schedules in the space posed a design challenge. Because of the client’s hours of operation, some workers arrived in the office as early as 6:00 am while others worked as late as 10:00 pm. The goal was to deliver high circadianeffective light in the morning (circadian stimulus (CS) = 0.3 at eye-level starting at 6:00 am) and gradually transition, by changing light level and CCT, to a circadian-ineffective light (CS = 0.1 at eye-level) after 10:00 pm while maintaining enough illuminance for visual performance. See Table 1
By characterizing the usage patterns of the space, it was possible to strategically deliver the circadian-effective light only where it was required and not waste energy in other areas of the building. The use of expansive overhead light sources with diffuse intensity distributions allowed for vertical-to-horizontal illuminance ratios of 0.5:1, avoiding excessive horizontal illuminance levels and minimizing potential for glare. Moreover, when combined with nearly uninterrupted windows around the perimeter of the space, the higher light levels and cool CCTs of the morning and early-afternoon settings not only provided a bright, cheerful, and comfortable work environment, but also
created the illusion of more daylight penetration into the space.
The technical team performed on-site measurements including vertical and horizontal illuminance, CS, and spectral power distribution of the various light settings. This revealed a slight spectral shift of the LEDs due to interreflected light, which reduced the predicted CS values and required an increase in light levels during commissioning to compensate; underscoring the importance of performing site measurements.
• Diligence and attention to detail are needed to achieve the design targets, not only in computer simulations, but after the installation is complete.
• Do not rely on computer simulations alone if you want to make sure your CS design targets are achieved in the field.
• Implementation of circadian-effective light in the field can be done without sacrificing energy efficiency, visual comfort, and aesthetics.
• The collaboration between owners, designers, and scientists is key to success.
In summary, circadian-effective lighting should not be a luxury item and is achievable through creative problemsolving, collaboration, and a clear understanding and communication of the value of light to the owners and the users of the space. The more projects we have like this one, the more mainstream these ideas are going to be. P
Connecting Sky & Earth, Light & Shadow
A beacon. A looking glass. An immersive room of light. Architectural lighting that is striking industrial design by day, and by night, enchanting and ethereal pieces of luminescent art. Discover the groundbreaking luminaires from the Typology Collection, designed and engineered in collaboration with Designworks, a BMW Group company.
Find us at landscapeforms.com or contact us toll free at 800.430.6205.
By
RANDY REID
ow many times have you seen images on the Internet and wondered, “Where did they get this gorgeous photo?” The pictures of Zero Bond had that effect on me. I was honored to be one of the 2021 IESNYC Lumen jurors and when I saw the images of Zero Bond, I had to see it in person. The project earned the Lumen Award of Merit.
Zero Bond is a 20,000-squarefoot exclusive membership club in NoHo, the heart of Manhattan. The site was converted from an old industrial building to an exclusive members-only club. The architect wanted to keep this historic shell intact, while also creating a very highend and modern feel for club and restaurant lighting. It is situated among a historically significant neighborhood and brings ‘chic’ to this area. While the design focuses on history it also adds modern artwork for an essence of luxury.
After my site visit, I had the opportunity to zoom with Focus Lighting’s Edwin Allen, one of the designers that worked on the Zero Bond project, to discuss different aspects of designing innovations they applied.
There is a gallery to showcase artwork which gives the place a high-end restaurant/club aura. Edwin explained that a major goal of the owner was to create an “Instagramable” space where influencers would want to take pictures in front of the cool architecture and lighting. Edwin said, “Lighting the background like curtains, arches, and art for guests to take pictures and post on social media, works as an important marketing strategy for the club.”
While the design focuses on history it also adds modern artwork for an essence of luxury.
Edwin noted that its original industrial aspect was very prominent with bare white floors, white ceilings, and a factory floor. Nevertheless, it had some fantastic architectural gems including brick arches and
window frames, which they wanted to emphasize with illumination.
Upon my visit, I was greeted by a magnificent Baccarat chandelier in a glass box, on the first floor, courtesy of one of the owner’s partners.
The ceiling is a high-reflective mirrored finish; a futuristic play with existing brick walls and a modern fixture that makes the pendant appear even more iconic. The uniqueness of this glass is that it is a slightly curved mirror that reflects the name ‘Zero Bond’ on the floor.
There are beautiful iconic and textural archways at the entrance of each floor. Originally, piping wrapped around the arches for the boiler system. The pipes were removed, and the archways lit using sealed in-grade luminaires from MP Lighting. Edwin said, “Originally we used a spot optic, but the light could not quite travel to the top of the arch, so we switched to a medium spot.” The perfectly placed medium flood LED lighting illuminates the inside of the archways without any spill affecting the rest of the room. To better follow the curve of the arch, Edwin worked with the architect to ensure the ceilings were painted a dark color, giving the archways a beautiful glow and making them stand out from all the space around them. The uplights were 2200 Kelvin and also accented the bronze curtains and red brick walls.
Zero Bond has a library with numerous glass cases using custom metal work and 30 LED strips from Q-Tran. The library hosts books covering everything from Picasso's life and work to the history of Ottoman court fashion. The challenge for the installation was to perfectly hide the wires as the power supplies were remote mounted in the ceiling. During the day the library and the back bar have a dynamic white back wall adding a cooler effect complimenting the skylight. In the evening, without the effect of the skylights, the color warms to 2400 Kelvin.
The Bar and dining area have a very interesting lighting story. Usually, in a historical building the location of track lighting is determined by the location of the rafters. In the case of Zero Bond,
the beams were added in locations that would best accommodate and conceal the Alcyon two-circuit track lighting by Signify’s Lightolier. The ceiling is a theatrical grid bringing attention to each table with a precise, warm spotlight.
One of the biggest decisions for the project was what type of light source to use for the accent lighting. After reviewing different LED options and their relative pricepoints, the Owner decided that it was worth the extra maintenance to use low-wattage (20w) halogen bulbs. During level setting, Focus set the dimming to below 30% to greatly increase lamp-life and add even more warmth to the space. Splashes of colors like purple and magenta, on simple silvery grey furniture are added after 10 pm, to transform the lounge into a nightclub space.
Edwin explained that the focus was to spotlight every table to enhance the appearance of food and drinks. Different layers of light ensure that drinking and dining partners look great as well.
The fourth floor of the club acts as a private gallery, with exquisite artworks adorning the walls. This rotating gallery features statues and paintings by local artists such as Keith Haring, Claes Oldenburg, and even some Andy Warhol, adding to the sophisticated and trendy ambiance. The owner was concerned about the level of lighting that would complement the artwork. The below picture is a permanent sculpture of Basquiat and the back of the sculpture is hollow and covered with gold. Edwin used spotlights to accent the sculpture’s artistic value, saying, “We had to shoot some light into the back of his head to make the piece sparkle.”
Mesmerizing magic happens in the open sky ceiling. Edwin says the installation was time consuming as they assembled this breathtaking fixture on site. A friend of the owner helped supply simple PVC pipes with sockets on each end of the pipe. A track fitter was adjusted on each end of every stick, and the pipe was painted gold to give a metallic finish.
The fixture uses 25-watt candelabra base incandescent bulbs which
“The team kept the concept simple but elegant and that’s how we end up with this comforting home-awayfrom-home magnificent establishment.”
Edwin Allen
are dimmed down to 10% for a warm glow and longer lamp life. Edwin said, “We were concerned about using LED just because of the potential noise with so many fixtures on one circuit.” Given the dimming, Edwin estimates the Kelvin temperature is 1800 to 2000. He said, “There was a lot of trial and error in the commissioning but in the end, this nest-like design structure has the outline of an eye and strongly appealed to the architect and the owner.”
The windows were also part of the lighting design. Different light fixtures, optics, and lengths were considered before deciding on the Boca Flasher NanoLume 2-foot fixture that fit in the center of the window frame hidden behind a valence, with a medium spread lens. The windows were 2400K.
The Lutron HomeWorks system was specified for controls, and it worked perfectly because HomeWorks is a module system that can handle many small zones. Both floors are on the same Lutron system. This also grants the owner access with
his iPad or iPhone. There are a few button stations mounted near the bar and host stand for physical control. Edwin said, “They don’t use timeclocks when they want to change the scenes as they much prefer a manual control so they can feel the mood of the crowd.”
Edwin said, “The goal of the project was keeping the historic shell intact while still giving out the highend club feel to the building.”
The lighting design was created with such grace and the most prominent design features include warm lights and attractive splashes of colors creating a cozy and romantic atmosphere.
Zero Bond aims at providing a luxury safe place for gatherings and business meetings. Edwin points out that this project needed creativity and an innovative approach to keep things within the budget. Edwin further stated, “The team kept the concept simple but elegant and that’s how we end up with this comforting home-away-from-home magnificent establishment.” P
Finally, a small form-factor direct/indirect luminaire features all the integrated options generally found in larger profiles. The BW165 provides uniform illumination, performance optics and integral driver options with deep dimming, all wrapped in a compact 1.65” modern design.
Worship is an intensely personal endeavor that may or may not involve a community of participants. Lighting should acknowledge and enhance this deeply personal act…
IES Handbook, 10th Edition, p. 1247
This article is an overview of the design issues and challenges of lighting in houses of worship. With a real-life heritage project to illustrate.
Luminaire aesthetics are critical, whether the church is a traditional or modern design. Every element of the architecture, including, or even especially, the luminaires, must work in a cohesive fashion to strengthen the overall impression of space and light.
Luminaire material finishes must be coordinated. Glare control, always an issue in lighting design, is a critical element in houses of worship. Any glare in the field of vision for participants must be avoided.
Luminaires in houses of worship are likely to incorporate translucent elements. The color and diffusion of these materials will determine the success of the design as well as contributing to glare control.
The designer must determine the appropriate vertical and horizontal illuminance, especially considering an aging population. An adult over sixty years of age requires almost three times as much light as a person in their twenties.
Traditional church lighting will represent, on average, over 25% of the operating cost in a house of worship. The rapid evolution of white light LED sources has enabled designers to greatly reduce the electrical load from lighting and therefore the operating cost. This can be critical for church
organizations with limited resources for operations and maintenance.
In most cases, the designer will specify light source color rendering and color temperature which approximate the appearance of incandescent sources. However, some consideration must be given to daylight integration. Large windows are a standard feature of houses of worship, and this means significant daylight in the space. Unless modified by stained glass, the predominant color temperatures will be quite high, typically 4,000K or more. LED sources give us the luxury of adjustable color temperature, and that may be appropriate in some projects.
High ceilings are common features in houses of worship. Most spaces will require some uplight, and this is especially true of exposed wood ceilings. Another advantage of uplighting is that this technique enhances the uniformity of illuminance throughout the space.
Stained glass windows are glorious in the daytime, but at night can become very dark. Carefully designed exterior lighting, which is usually present for security and safety of church members, can also contribute some backlight to the stained glass, making evenings services more dramatic.
There are a number of situations where the use of a custom designed luminaire might be preferable.
Lighting for houses of worship is very specialized, and there are few manufacturers who offer appropriate luminaires. If there is no commercially available catalog fixture available,
a custom luminaire may be the only recourse. In the case where the original luminaires are to be retained, in most instances, they will need to be renovated to meet current electrical code requirements, to accommodate new technology light sources, or to provide uplighting.
Other advantages of new custom luminaires are greatly enhanced performance, and reduced maintenance.
If the team decides that custom made luminaires will give the desired results, the design process will need to change. The designer will need to determine the performance of such a luminaire. This is complicated by the fact that the luminaire doesn’t exist, so luminaire photometric files are not available. Designers can use software to estimate the performance of custom luminaires. Another common approach is to build a full-size sample or mock-up. This is often a better approach, as it allows the client to have a real impression of the appearance of the new luminaire, and the designer will have higher confidence of the performance.
Most of the celebrants and volunteers in houses of worship are not electrical engineers, so ease of use of the lighting controls is essential.
Wireless lighting controls are readily available, even through big box stores, and these can enable multiple locations. For example:
1. A light switch near the entrance for basic general illuminance for a volunteer or cleaner.
2. A lighting control for the pulpit, so that the celebrant can change illuminance levels for special occasions, such as candlelight ceremonies.
3. A lighting control for the organ loft so that the organist or choir director can change lighting levels as required.
These controls can also be linked to smart devices, so that the ‘switches’ are portable.
Another element of houses of worship, and the element which is closest to the hearts of many worshippers, is the special event. This can be part of a religious tradition, such as Christmas, or a very personal event such as a baptism, a wedding, or a memorial service. Lighting design and especially controls must accommodate these life events.
Life safety is essential, and appropriate lighting controls can be specified to ensure sufficient illumination in the event of an emergency.
Most houses of worship also incorporate one or more meeting spaces for community events. These
spaces have a wide range of uses, but the lighting is often an afterthought. A lighting designer can specify luminaires and controls to enhance the flexibility of the space, and improve the experience for participants.
Almost every house of worship in North America has an adjacent parking lot, and the lighting can be a key element in defining the attractiveness, the safety, and the utility of the building in the evening. Exterior lighting can also enhance the building’s physical presence at night.
A lighting designer will start with a User Needs Analysis, which thoroughly catalogs all of the different lighting tasks throughout the space. This will assist in generating a design which will meet the needs of the users, their expectations, functions and tasks. Without this step, it is virtually impossible to ensure successful results.
The Chapel at Royal St. George’s College, which was built in 1890, is in The Annex area of Toronto, Canada. As is the case with most re-lighting houses of worship projects, the requirements were more light, more control, less energy, and a low project cost. Add into the mix that this was a Heritage site, and the task could seem daunting. Deborah Gottesman of Gottesman Associates, an architectural lighting design practice in Toronto, was awarded the challenge of this Chapel. Deborah’s starting motto for any project is,
“If you listen carefully to the narrative of the project, the lighting concept emerges from that.”
This was going to be put to the test from Parks Canada’s Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada. Standard 11 states:
(a) Conserve the heritage value and characterdefining elements when creating any new additions to an historic place or any related new construction. (b) Make the new work physically and visually compatible with, subordinate to, and distinguishable from the historic place.
The Chapel area had an existing light level of 40 lux (4 foot-candles) at the pews in the evenings. This is woefully low for reading text and had to be increased. The double hammer beam ceiling reaches a height of 21 metres (70 feet). Over a hundred years of smoke, soot, dust, and other light absorbing materials had settled onto the surface of the ceiling. As any graduate from the IES Lighting Fundamentals basic course will know, the reflectance of the ceiling is a key factor in delivering the required light to a task. Basic maintenance principles consider room surface dirt depreciation. Just think of what the RSSD light loss factor would be for over 100 years. The challenge and goal were to reveal the ceiling, not accent it to avoid it becoming a distraction.
glass pendants were respectfully removed for repurposing. Small accent tight beam luminaires, which were hidden in the window frames, were used to highlight the angels at the altar.
To allow for the goal of choral and theatrical performances at the expanded front stage, a new theatrical lighting and controls system was integrated with the luminaires strategically installed high on both sides of the arch.
not happening at 40 lux. While Heritage Guidelines can be a challenge, they do allow for modifications to allow the space to continue to be beneficial. As Deborah so aptly explains, “If you have a heritage site and you can’t modify it in any way to make it useful for today, you’ve effectively lost its complete purpose.” In reference to retrofitting the existing luminaires, Deborah suggested “It was a matter of finding a respectful modification.”
The Solution – Retrofit, Customize, Repurpose and Conceal Additions
The first step, while simple, was certainly not easy, and that was to clean the 100 years of grunge from the hammer beam ceiling that peaks at 70 feet. A subcontractor specializing in such endeavours was called on and the result was remarkable.
A custom upper trumpet was added to each modified chandelier to house and conceal four uplights. Glass shades were added to the downlight portions of the chandeliers to diminish glare and 15-Watt PAR30 LEDs replaced the original incandescent sources. This gave a savings of 83% off the connected load.
Custom dimmable pendants which augmented the chandeliers in the main Nave and Apse areas were designed and installed in the Transepts. The existing
At the maximum setting the illuminance in the pews is greater than 300 lux (30 fc) at 30” above the finished floor. Uplights and downlights are controlled separately, and the appropriate light levels can be tuned to meet all of the varied tasks required through lighting controls.
To summarize the project, the goals were met for functionality, flexibility, heritage requirements and budget. Although, as a Heritage project it was exempt from lighting power density, it outperformed the National Energy Code for Buildings and ASHRAE 90.1 by 40%. This project was awarded an Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Illumination Award of Merit.
Deborah stated, “Every project has guidelines. It is not restricting, it is challenging.” It is the way she and her company approach all projects, it is a “Balancing act of making the space what it needs to be, while still respecting what it was.”
References
IES Lighting Handbook, 10th Edition, Chapter 37, IES, New York
IES RP-41-20 Recommended Practice for Lighting Theatres and Worship Spaces
IES RP-28-20 Recommended Practice for Lighting and the Visual Environment for Older Adults and the Visually Impaired
Our bodies were designed to benefit from natural sunlight.
Over the last century, when we evolved from the incandescent bulb to fluorescents and LEDs, we focused on lighting spaces instead of light’s interaction with the human body. The invisible near-infrared spectrum that is present in natural sunlight was absent from these energy efficient bulbs. LEDs only included the visible light spectrum, as the positive health benefits of near-infrared energy were largely unknown at the time. An unintended consequence developed: emerging research suggests that lack of
certain sunlight characteristics could be linked to health problems.
The body assumes we are exposed to a single, predominantly near-infrared emitter:the sun. In nature we are never exposed to UV/Visible photons without an excess of near- infrared.
As creating healthier spaces becomes the driving force behind innovation and marketing, the lighting and architecture industries should re-introduce the invisible portions of the solar spectrum that we removed from our homes, offices and schools. One only has to model the
eye, brain, womb, and skin to quickly realize that the body has gone to great lengths to collect and localize, in our most sensitive tissues, the portions of the solar spectrum we eliminated. Current LED lighting/displays and UV/near-infrared blocking coatings on our windows counteract nature. They increase the oxidative stress on our cells because they do not stimulate protective bio-optical responses of sunlight.
Sunlight used to represent the single largest energy input to the human body. However, as shown in the figure below, visible-only LED lighting, which is devoid of beneficial, invisible near-infrared energy, has eliminated that part of the solar spectrum from our homes, offices, and schools. This void is compounded by the fact that we spend about 90% of our time indoors.
Why is that significant? Our bodies use invisible near-infrared energy from natural sunlight to repair1, protect1, and detox2 our cells. Unlike UV and visible light, nearinfrared energy penetrates more than an inch beneath our skin’s surface to reach the most critical tissues (e.g. retinas, gray matter, blood vessels, fetuses).
Research continues to uncover ways in which sunlight interacts with the human body, as well as animals and plants. Findings reveal a host of previously undiscovered optical mechanisms that show we have evolved to use the entire solar spectrum, not just what we see with our eyes.
In fact, the fluid surrounding the brain acts as a light guide in the near-infrared, ensuring distribution of energy deep into the brain. Similar optical effects have been shown to occur in the eye, womb and skin. Research validates that brain and eye development of the fetus benefit from exposure to near-infrared energy3,4
As children’s eyes continue to develop until about age 13, regular exposure to natural sunlight helps their eyeballs form properly to reduce the risk of developing
myopia (nearsightedness)5,6, which is now reaching epidemic proportions worldwide7 .
In addition, studies have shown that students studying under natural light perform better than students studying under artificial lights (fluorescent or LED)8,9
When near-infrared energy is absorbed by our bodies, it prompts the release of nitric oxide compounds that increase blood flow and remove toxic waste10,2 Our bodies also convert near-infrared energy into other energy, adenosine triphosphate11 (ATP), which our cells need to thrive12 .
Without question, our bodies need nearinfrared energy, and we don’t spend enough time outdoors to absorb the amount we need.
Blue light overexposure has come to the forefront as our homes, offices and schools converted to visible-only LED lighting and we increased our use of electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, computers).
Let’s be clear. Blue light can be beneficial. During the day, blue light (in all natural and artificial lighting) helps boost alertness as well as increase memory and cognitive function. However, exposure to blue-only light without the rest of the solar spectrum can damage our eyes’ retinal cells2,13
The sun provides blue light, however, it is never present without nearinfrared energy also being emitted.
We didn’t have a circadian rhythm14 problem when our homes were being lit by incandescent bulbs and we spent more time outside. Ads for sleeping pills and a plethora of melatonin and other supplements were nowhere near as prevalent as they are today.
The answer to problems falling asleep may not be found in a bottle, but rather in a bulb.
Blue light overexposure from visible-only LEDs has become a key reason for sleep disruption15,16. At night, too much blue light interrupts our circadian rhythm by suppressing the production of melatonin, making it difficult to fall asleep. Consequently, researchers recommend reducing blue light exposure for at least an hour before bedtime17
In an effort to alleviate this problem the industry has developed color changing, visible-only LED lights. Their drawback? They lack near-infrared energy, which may help to regulate your circadian rhythm and support less disrupted sleep17
As near-infrared energy uniquely penetrates deep into the skin, it stimulates the release of nitric oxide compounds. This increases blood flow and antioxidants as needed10
It has long been known that nitric oxide accumulation in portions of the brain is a required element to enter REM sleep. The quality of sleep is not just a matter of less blue light18
The industry has created a “full spectrum” LED market segment that purports to deliver what the name implies. The issue is that these lights contain only the full visible spectrum, without the invisible spectrum that comprises the majority of sunlight. A bulb simply cannot resemble or mimic the sun without containing nearinfrared.
More than 4,000 peer-reviewed medical journal articles have highlighted how near-infrared is used by our bodies to stimulate repair21 in our cells, along with a host of other functions. This underscores the need for lighting that more accurately represents sunlight.
We as an industry have the opportunity to impact health in a positive way, however, it requires more than visible-only lighting. We need to re-introduce the invisible spectrum into the equation.
We need to advocate for research on lighting and its effects on the human body, plants and animals that includes the near-infrared spectrum, not solely visible light. P
References
1 Warburg, Otto. “The oxygen-transferring ferment of respiration.” Nobel Prize, Nobel lecture, Dec. 10, 1931, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1931/warburg/ lecture/.
2 Jaminet, Paul, PhD. “The Benefits of Near Infrared Light.” Perfect Health Diet, June 9, 2015, www. perfecthealthdiet.com/2015/06/the-benefits-of-nearinfrared-light/.
3 Bardi, Jason. “Light Exposure During Pregnancy Key to Normal Eye Development.” University of California San Francisco (UCSF), January 16, 2013, www.ucsf.edu/ news/2013/01/13399/light-exposure-during-pregnancykey-normal-eye-development.
4 Steigman, Shaun A., Kunisaki, Shaun M., WilkinsHaug, Louise, Takoudes, Tamara C., and Fauza, Dario O. “Optical properties of human amniotic fluid: implications for videofetoscopic surgery.” PubMed (National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information), Fetal Diagn Ther. 2010;27(2):87-90. doi: 10.1159/000262279. Epub 2009 Nov 25. PMID: 19940448. www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19940448/.
5 University of Sydney. “Eyes on the sun: Child sunshine exposure and eye development.” Medical Xpress, May 21, 2013, www.medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-eyessun-child-sunshine-exposure.html.
6 He, Mingguang, MD, PhD; Xiang, Fan, MD, PhD; Zeng, Yangfa, MD; et al. “Effect of Time Spent Outdoors at School on the Development of Myopia Among Children in China.” JAMA Network, September 15, 2015, www. jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2441261.
7 Mehta, Neesurg, MD, Wen, Angie, MD. “Myopia: A Global Epidemic.” Retina Today, September 2019, www.
retinatoday.com/articles/2019-sept/myopia-a-globalepidemic.
8 Mirrahimi, Seyedehzahra, Lukman, Nik, Ibrahim, Nik, and Surat, M. “Effect of daylighting on student health and performance.” 2013, wseas.us/e-library/ conferences/2013/Malaysia/MACMESE/MACMESE-20.pdf
9 Cooper, Kenneth J. “Study Says Natural Classroom Lighting Can Aid Achievement.” The Washington Post, November 26, 1999, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/ politics/1999/11/26/study-says-natural-classroomlighting-can-aid-achievement/776b9d19-05e8-417a8591-3053063ad8be/.
10 Keszler, Agnes, Lindemer, Brian, Weihrauch, Dorothee, Jones, Deron, Hogg, Neil, and Lohr, Nicole L. “Red/near infrared light stimulates release of an endothelium dependent vasodilator and rescues vascular dysfunction in a diabetes model.” PubMed (National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information), [published correction appears in Free Radic Biol Med. 2019 Feb 1;131:443]. Free Radic Biol Med, Dec. 2017;113:157-164. doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017, www.pubmed.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/28935419/.
11 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What You Need To Know About Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP." ThoughtCo., Aug. 26, 2020, www.thoughtco.com/atpimportant-molecule-in-metabolism-4050962.
12 Reiter, Russel J. and Zimmerman, Scott. “Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body.” Melatonin Research, February 21, 2019, www.melatonin-research.net/index. php/MR/article/download/19/208?inline=1.
13 Heinig, Nora, Schumann, Ulrike, Calzia, Daniela, Panfoli, Isabella, Ader, Marius, Schmidt, Mirko
H. H., Funk, Richard H. W., and Roehlecke, Cora. “Photobiomodulation Mediates Neuroprotection against Blue Light Induced Retinal Photoreceptor Degeneration.” ResearchGate, March 30, 2020, www.researchgate.net/ publication/340299256_Photobiomodulation_Mediates_ Neuroprotection_against_Blue_Light_Induced_Retinal_ Photoreceptor_Degeneration.
14 National Institute of General Medical Services, National Institute of Health. “Circadian Rhythms.” NIGMS.NIH, www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/ Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx. Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
15 Milone, F. Ferro, Bolner, A., Nordera, G. P., and Scalinci, S.Z. “Pulsed Led’s Light at 650 nm Promote and at 470 nm Suppress Melatonin’s Secretion.” SCIRP (Scientific Research Publishing), Mar. 20, 2015, www.file. scirp.org/pdf/NM_2015032015024664.pdf.
16 Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. “Blue light has a dark side.” Health.Harvard, May 2012 (updated July 7, 2020), www.health.harvard.edu/stayinghealthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side.
17 University of Haifa. “Blue light emitted by screens damages our sleep, study suggests.” Science Daily, August 22, 2017, www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2017/08/170822103434.htm.
18 Kalinchuk, A. V., Lu, Y., Stenberg, D., Rosenberg, P. A., Porkka-Heiskanen, T. “Nitric oxide production in the basal forebrain is required for recovery sleep.” Journal of Neurochemistry, Wiley Online Library, August 21, 2006, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.14714159.2006.04077.x.
Smart technology is available to make consumers’ lives easier, but are they ready for it? The answer is complicated.
“Momma” and “Dadda” are still the first two words an infant learns to say, but “Alexa” and “Siri” might follow quickly after. Today’s younger generation has grown up with technology and is quite comfortable with relying on it to perform a wide variety of tasks daily. While their Baby Boomer and Gen X parents have accepted technology for some things, many remain wary about installing an all-inclusive wireless technology solution.
Instead, consumers in the over-50 demographic prefer to dabble in the “smart home” category with a more piecemeal approach. They are comfortable purchasing enormous Roku TVs to stream movies over the internet (using Netflix, Hulu, etc.), but may only add one “smart” lightbulb or one voice assistant (i.e. Amazon Echo/Alexa or Google Nest) in the entire house.
A study released by the Consumer Technology Association® (CTA) last year noted one-third (31%) of U.S. homeowners said they were likely to purchase tech products during 2021 despite any uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. What are they buying? According
to CTA research, the smart home technologies that gained the most household penetration are in categories such as smart speakers, smart lightbulbs, and smart doorbells — and most of those sales are coming from repeat customers adding devices to their existing networks versus first-time tech buyers.
Builders and real estate agencies have embraced smart technology in their offerings, defining a “smart home” as one that offers networked products such as heating and cooling, lighting, security, and entertainment through either a mobile device or by a separate, inclusive system.
Realtor® magazine analyzed the smart home packages presented by several national builders and discovered a potpourri of brands included in each model. For example, Pulte’s starter smart-home package includes CAT6 wiring in the family room and wireless access points connected to a central location for setting up a home network. “The actual router and access points are not included, and additional CAT6 wiring is charged per room. The upgrade package includes
voice control, a wireless access point from Ubiquiti, Nest thermostat, Liftmaster garage door, and a Schlage front door lock. À la carte options include smart switches from Leviton, speakers from Sonos, and other various AV solutions,” the magazine reports.
According to the Realtor research, builder D.R. Horton has partnered with subscription-based Alarm.com as a part of its Home Is Connected program with a base package offering a Honeywell thermostat, Skybell doorbell, and Kwikset lock connected to the Qolsys IQ panel.
Meanwhile K. Hovnanian Homes, Realtor notes, offers a smart-home package with Brilliant Controls that includes a Brilliant Control panel, Ecobee thermostat, Ring doorbell, and Amazon Echo Dot with no subscription service required.
While the builder and real estate industries were ready to tout smart home benefits, the pandemic altered that trajectory. As a result of building materials shortages and historically low-interest rates, whether
a new home is equipped with a smart home package or not is no longer the selling point that real estate agents, builders, and even lighting professionals had predicted it would be back in 2018 and 2019 when demand was expected to skyrocket in 2020 and 2021.
With new home sales stalled as demand outpaces supply, remodeling activity has surged. This bodes well for lighting showrooms who have invested in smart home solutions. Their challenge, however, is the considerable competition they face from big box retailers, electronics stores, and online sellers. It’s not just a price war, but a bid for recognition. Lighting showrooms struggle with achieving visibility as a smart home product provider.
“We sell and promote smart lighting controls,” says Natalie Green, a sales associate at Ohio-based Gross Electric, who is also a certified Lighting Specialist from the American Lighting Association (ALA). “Consumers are always looking for another way to make their lives easier and with smart lighting controls you can do that,” she explains. “When it comes to lighting controls, people like them because they are easy and convenient. They can control their lights from their phone, turn off their whole house with just one button, and so many more options.”
Awareness of smart products has been growing, according to Green. “Not everyone comes in asking about lighting controls, but a lot of people do. It’s something we promote to our customers just so they are aware of all of the possibilities,” she comments. “There are many different lighting systems available, but it’s all about finding what is the right system for the customer.”
“Smart lighting was the first to be a smart consumer product because it was simple, fun, and the results were almost instantaneous and highly visible. It was a plaything, and the availability of smart bulbs with a phone app made it an easy package to sell,” explains Terry McGowan, FIES, LC, principal of Lighting Ideas and Director/Engineering for the ALA. “The variations of smart bulbs have resulted in bulbs with microphones, speakers, batteries, and various kinds of sensors so that they automatically turn off or on when people are near, when daylight goes away, or when the power fails. I believe lighting is the key to the integrated home. A few showrooms have already figured it out and I see opportunities for other approaches — especially as electric utilities become more active in the integrated home industry.”
Angela Fielden, co-founder of Simply Floors and Lights in Texas, has been researching the smart home category with an eye toward expanding her showroom’s offering. “Starfish from Satco and Bulbrite’s Solana smart bulbs have gotten interest; however, I am finding many customers have already installed a smart home system and just want to find compatible lighting to go with it.”
Lisa Bartlett, owner of Pace Lighting in Savannah, Ga., is hesitant to delve deep into smart home systems. “It’s not because I don’t want to sell it, but I think it would take a heavy marketing push in order to have people come to my lighting showroom expressly for smart home tech,” she remarks. “It’s just nowhere near top of mind for consumers to equate a lighting showroom with smart home. I think our best entry into this category is through Satco’s Starfish and Legrand’s products. That way, it becomes a smart lamp and smart device that we are adding on to the sale. But the class of whole-home smart solutions? Those are mainly sold by AV installers.”
McGowan points out that Urban Lights showroom in Denver has been working with A/V system integrators to not just learn about smart products, but also understand how the consumers view those products in the context of integrated homes. “That sounds like a great approach – to learn from those already participating in the space and to be ready with top-notch lighting products and application knowledge,” he says.
Lighting manufacturers who serve the showroom channel have created user-friendly products and collateral materials designed to build awareness among end-consumers and speed adoption. These products can be set up by the homeowner within minutes of opening the box. Many of these versions have RGB and Tunable White capability built-in, along with pre-set or scheduling ability, as well as voice operation using Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
While these products can also be purchased online, the differentiator in buying from a lighting showroom lies in the level of education that a trained associate can provide. For example, quite a few brands have imagery on the package or in the marketing material touting “wellness” as a benefit of tunable white lighting without detailed explanation of how to implement the process at home.
If lighting showrooms can overcome the hurdle of heightening consumer awareness of their stores as a resource for smart home products and integration, this category will become increasingly important – and profitable – to the lighting showroom channel. P
New architectural lighting products available for specification
ETi Solid State Lighting Unveils SilentAire and CleanAire product lines that offer Innovative UVC Solutions for Commercial, Residential Markets. These lines incorporate UVC wavelengths between 200-280nm to break the bonds in the DNA and RNA of viruses and bacteria, making them unable to multiply and thereby inactivating them.
ERCO has now created the Iku recessed downlight system for premium Human Centric Lighting concepts. Tunable white is just one of several features for flexibly and dynamically combining architecture, activities and atmosphere in the lighting concept.
Axis Lighting is launching StencilFlex, a framework for limitless lighting design. StencilFlex is a simple, cost-effective delivery system for the layers of light you want, where you want them. It features a sleek, versatile framework based on the Stencil® form factor. And it uses innovative IMW™ (Integral Modular Wiring), Nomadic™ and Empower™ technologies to connect lighting inserts where needed and maximize design flexibility.
Modular Lighting Instruments launches the Semih LED fixture which owes its intriguing shape to the Taoist symbol: the Yin and Yang. At first glance, the fixture is a simple cylinder—but an equally dividing S-shaped cutout at its vertical center allows the fixture’s LED head a 75-degree tilt in both directions, which transforms this seemingly simple spotlight into a versatile luminaire. Its ability to be rotated at 180 degrees at its top makes Semih a highly flexible fixture that can be specified in a number of commercial, hospitality, and residential applications.
ULTRA Germicidal Smart Fan by Modern Forms is a groundbreaking fan system incorporating a powerful germicidal* Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) LED module that irradiates the air, with an efficient ceiling fan that circulates the air from the occupied spaces to the unoccupied upper reaches of an area.
Even with limited space you can add a modern edge to your home with your lighting. The MALOU LED chandelier, from Canarm, offers a calming simplicity with its acrylic square frames that each hang from four adjustable wires, making it the perfect light for any space. MALOU's integrated LED's add to this sleek design, casting a long lasting glow while saving on energy costs.
PROLIGHTS' new LED spotlight has won a Build Back Better gold award. The recently released fixture is the latest innovation in the architectural range by the Italian manufacturer, and it has sparked a lot of interest since its debut. The EclDisplay has a 25W, high CRI LED engine. There are five different source options available: fixed white sources in 2,700K, 3,000K, 4,000K, 5,600K, as well as a 40W RGB+WW source, capable of delivering a wide tunable white range, as well as beautiful pastels and saturated colors.
Sun Valley Lighting announces the introduction of the classically-styled Marbella LED luminaire for street and public area lighting. The fixture is offered in three models: post top, arm mount and wall mount, all featuring graceful, curving details reminiscent of traditional European lanterns.
LightArt introduces their Performance Light Core — a game-changing solidstate lighting solution delivering highperformance lighting to decorative fixtures. Traditionally, decorative lighting fixtures fail to produce enough functional light for large spaces, leaving designers looking for additional illumination. LightArt’s Performance Light Core solves this problem by providing configurable and functional lighting within sculptural and decorative forms.
Perceive by Cooper Lighting Solutions optical patterns create the illusion of depth on a smooth flat surface, blend subtle styling with an innovative optical system to create visual interest, and provide comfortable illumination. Perceive technology helps create a fresh and modern appearance that makes an interior space visually interesting without breaking the budget.
Why settle for square fixtures when everything in the ceiling is round?
Pipeline Modular is a flexible lighting system featuring a round profile to seamlessly blend with pipes, conduit, ducts and vents. Industrial, modern and easy to install, Pipeline is truly a designer favorite.
Pipeline Modular Suspension goes up, down, and turns corners, creating a truly unique three-dimensional lighting layout. A wide variety of connectors are available and can be customized using color. The pink pipeline channel connectors shown here were designed to reflect brand identity at every turn.
We engineer lighting solutions to help cultivate your creativity.
For assistance on your next lighting project, contact us at design@pureedgelighting.com or visit our website at www.pureedgelighting.com
Inevery good lighting design, there is often a hard-fought battle to balance form and function; tradition and modernity; reverence and relevance. Nowhere is this battle more evident than in the lighting designs for Houses of Worship. While the offices, classrooms, and gathering spaces can generally hold to accepted lighting design standards and conventions, Sanctuary spaces for Houses of Worship can put any well-intentioned designer through their paces. As a technical resource for our local design community, the technical details of how a particular fixture is controlled have often become more of a hurdle in a design than even the aesthetic quality of that fixture. It is a constant challenge to continuously look at every piece of the lighting package and answer the age old “can we control it” question with a confident “Yes, and here’s how…”
Whenever we are invited to the table on a House of Worship design, inevitably, one of the first items that comes up is a discussion on how to control the house lights. In more modern sanctuary spaces with theatrical lighting components, a common thought is “well, obviously these house lights have to be DMX controlled” and/or “I don’t want to allocate all of my lighting budget to generic house lights”; in more traditional spaces, we often hear “but I need this to
dim like incandescent” or “can’t I just have a dimmer box on the wall”. As it happens, both users are asking for the same thing. They need a house light that can be controlled from the console and the wall station; they need good low range dimming performance, and they need all of this in a costeffective solution.
While no one is arguing the merits of a DMX-based solution for those houselight applications that will truly utilize it –those that use a RGBW color changing fixture, or a space that often changes shape – the majority of houselight control strategies ultimately require a delicate balance of function, performance, and economy. Often, DMX is chosen out of habit or familiarity, rather than driven by the true functional needs of the space. Other venues elect to use 0-10v, but still need to manage low range dimming concerns and integration with control consoles. Modern versions of reliable standards are able to rebalance these priorities in order to give owners an efficient solution without requiring them to choose their best two-out-of-three.
In designs that are adamant about using a DMX controlled house light, this preference often comes back to a hold-over assumption from the incandescent era that the only way to
get the console to talk to the fixture was to use a DMX-backed dimmer, so that the console could talk to the circuit. As lighting and control technologies have evolved, the pinnacle of control has long been held to be a fixture that can mimic the performance of the incandescent dimming range. In the days in between incandescent and LED houselights, fluorescent fixtures in several form factors made use of dimming drivers and these fluorescent sources fulfilled two out of the three criteria – functional simplicity, and economic viability – but when compared to traditional incandescent sources, it could not match the dimming performance, so for many venues, 1% and 10% dimming was as good as they could get. For other venues that could not sacrifice dimming performance, hybrid solutions between HID sources and incandescent sources lessened the impact of high-density racks. With the advent of specification grade LED fixtures into the marketplace, alongside digital DMX drivers for the architectural lighting market, suddenly this goal became much more universally achievable.
Undoubtedly, in the shift from incandescent to LED sources, there is reduced cost in terms of power infrastructure. But embedding DMX into a houselight – and in this case, we are looking at strictly white light, hardwired applications – is more complicated than it looks and implementing this successfully adds its own set of costs to the project. For example, depending on the size of the sanctuary, you will have device limitations, normal vs. emergency power control considerations for which there a separate set of equipment is required, added fixture addressing and wiring complexity, low voltage conduit spacing rules for separating
high and low voltage wiring, end of line terminations, and more. The question that must be asked and answered is “does all this added equipment and complexity really serve the needs of the space?” Designers must have a mind to consider that most of the users of the lighting system in a house of worship are non-technical volunteers and balance the complexity of controlling all these loads so that the non-technical volunteer is not overwhelmed with the user interface, while still providing a featureset rich enough for the technical user to interact with the space in an efficient and meaningful way.
In its former life, 0-10v was a commercial performance standard whose limitations were accepted as fact. It provided a space for advancement in fixture output performance but could not quite get to the low-level dimming output of incandescent sources. Where fluorescent driver dimming thresholds were limited because of the minimum amount of current required to maintain the gas excitation, LEDs do not produce light this way and thus, are not limited by the current minimums of fluorescent fixtures. Modern 0-10v dimming solutions allow designers to meet all three criteria of functionality, performance, economy with to the advent of programmable drivers and deep dimming solutions. The old analog standard of 0-10v is now reborn with a programmable interface, allowing manufacturers to set the dimming threshold down as low as 0.1%, and applications in which we previously defaulted to DMX to achieve the lowend incandescent-like dimming can now achieve the same level of performance over more familiar four-wire dimming.
Where much of a project’s cost impacts used to be tied up in highdensity dimming, the evolution of LED performance has reduced the power infrastructure needs to the point where an 8-relay panel can replace a 24-circuit dimming rack. More recently, many manufactures have begun to offer their relay panels with both a DMX control bus, and 0-10v dimming outputs – solving the problem of getting the console to talk to house lights without going through a series of external interface boxes to do so. In simple houselight applications, auditorium houselight control needs the ability to dim in rows or groups from front of house to back of house. Depending on the size of the space, you may have aisles, balconies, under-balconies, or other specialty zones, but rarely do any of these require individual control of each fixture in order to accomplish this goal. DMX-controlled relay panels with 0-10v outputs will accept houselight control from the console, consolidate the power infrastructure, and allow for a reasonable amount of control granularity – a zoneor circuit-based allocation – instead of a fixture-based DMX solution.
So how do we answer these questions? Can we control it? Is DMX control worth all the added infrastructure? How do we determine which control solution is best? For some – that answer is undoubtedly a DMX solution – it is a multi-use space, or there is a large amount of technical integration with stage lighting or AV systems, or the client wants to use a color-changing house light – for these applications, DMX control at the fixture level certainly makes sense. But for other sites, where the targets are a highly efficient houselight fixture with good low range dimming performance, control from multiple locations and no need for the added features of a DMX houselightthese applications can get the best of all worlds through a deep-dimming driver, coupled with a DMX controlled, 0-10v relay panel. Streamlining old standards to their most efficient forms allows owners to quickly achieve the best function and performance for their budget. Widespread availability of deep-dimming drivers means that aesthetic is not tied to dimming performance, so no matter the fixture shape, the low-end dimming performance is consistent across all form factors. LED efficiencies enable good uniformity while minimizing power density and controlling these fixtures from a console no longer requires multiple interfaces to get from houselight to console to wall switch. These adaptations are concise and scalable for any size application and are a reliable solution for any designer’s tool kit. P
VISIONEERING’S DISINFECTION LUMINAIRES SUPPORT CLEANER SPACES
Visioneering’s LRTH-DFX troffers and the LRK-TRH-DFX retrofit kit feature 365 DisInFx™ UVA technology that helps fill a critical need in shared spaces by reducing building occupant’s exposure to harmful bacteria. The technology enables continuous disinfection in spaces without requiring occupants to leave. Both luminaires provide modern styling and high visual comfort that is ideal for offices areas, retail stores, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and fitness centers.
Next time you require the right lighting solution for your application, Think Visioneering.
Learn more at Viscor.com/DFX Troffers
A Vibrant New Venture in Silicon Valley Offers an Upgraded Experience in Hospitality and Sustainability.
STEF SCHWALB By
Silicon Valley is synonymous with all things tech, so a focus on top-notch hospitality may not be what you think you’d find first and foremost with a visit to the area. But Hotel Citrine, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, aims to elevate the experience. This vibrant property seamlessly combines sustainability with modern-day luxury for travelers who want mindful accommodations without sacrificing comfort or amenities. Constructed with sustainable materials, all efforts have been made to limit the hotel’s carbon footprint through its commitment to water saving, recycling, and energy conservation.
Owned and developed by T2 Hospitality, and managed by Evolution Hospitality, the Hotel Citrine opened this past spring and is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. It’s located on the same campus as the AC Hotel Palo Alto and is convenient to area restaurants, airports, and outdoor activities, plus the CalTrain, the Shoreline Amphitheatre, Stanford University, and numerous renowned tech companies.
The hotel has 150 well-appointed guest rooms and suites; 1,400 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor gathering space; and a large meeting room, the Citrine, which opens up to an adjacent 590-square-foot patio. There is also a private dining room featuring sustainable cork flooring that can be used for small gatherings such as a yoga class, or alternatively, as a boardroom. Last but certainly not least, is the Wild Onion Bistro & Bar, with an all-day menu covering breakfast, brunch, and grab-and-go items in the morning and bistro items for the afternoon and evenings.
Architecture for Hotel Citrine was led by San Francisco-based Axis/GFA, interior design by Los Angeles-based Beleco, and lighting design by Costa Mesa-based First Circle Design. We spoke with Matt Levesque, Founding Principal at First Circle, which handled both the interior and exterior of lighting of the property, about working on the project and how the general design aesthetic and architecture—as well as the location of the hotel— impacted how his team chose lighting components.
“Hotel Citrine’s location and architectural motif had a large influence on our design choices. As you will notice in the architecture, the contemporary lines and grand entrances set a definitive tone,” Levesque explains. “This led to lighting studies with the architect and developer about the hierarchy of which elements were best suited to be featured from a vehicular or pedestrian experience. Of course, these decisions led to the treatment of the landscape surrounding the building.” He adds viewers can see that the landscape associated directly with the building (seating and associated planter beds) is accented with integrated lighting—a similar scheme to the building. “As the landscape transitions further out to the motor court, the accent lighting shifts to a more traditional uplight technique to meld vehicular and pedestrian experiences,” Levesque says. “As for the environment, in consideration of the surrounding neighbors, we ensured that the building and motor court illumination did not directly impede those properties.”
At the Hotel Citrine, guests will notice the eye-catching custom fixtures in the lobby, the Citrine meeting room, and in the Wild Onion, which help set the mood of the surroundings and bring warmth to each space. While they were designed and specified by the project’s interior design firm Beleco, First Circle coordinated and specified the LED technology and the dimming requirements to ensure quality, says Levesque, as well as the synchronization of the ambient lighting generated from these luminaries with the overall interior vision. “The integrated lighting throughout (cove lighting and millwork),” he adds, “really reinforce the building’s exterior style. It further exudes a caliber of experience to the guest.”
With every project, challenges exist, and, for Levesque and his team, the inevitable obstacles in this case presented a unique opportunity. Firstly, considering the property’s overall layout, the lighting design intent required configuring two hotel masses on a relatively small footprint. “If you think about it, that’s two hotels on one lot, so it’s necessary to find balance between each hotel’s visual personality while melding their motifs via the motor court and the overall site,” Levesque explains. “The result was a blend of feature and wayfinding lighting techniques that supported and informed each other to help create a cohesive feeling similar to a large resort project.”
The second challenge was universal—the global pandemic. “We finished the design process in the standard timeframe, approximately nine months. That was all very normal. The challenge really hit us all when COVID-19 slowed down the construction process,” notes Levesque. “Our construction administration (CA) phase easily doubled in time. Scheduling efforts and getting products to the site in an efficient manner really became a dialogue in minutia and how best to assist with data flow to the client’s management team. That said, we were quite grateful that our client proceeded forward regardless of the unavoidable hinderance.”
While the arrival of COVID has delayed and even cancelled many projects lighting firms across the globe were slated to work on, First Circle has managed to keep the workflow and proposals going for the most part. In lieu of that, Levesque has noted several trends taking place in the industry right now. “We are seeing clients engage more about lighting in general. They are starting to notice lighting during their traveling experiences, thus becoming engaged in more detailed conversations about how lighting influences atmospheres,” he says. “Client involvement, of course, is very much welcomed as this is an intangible art form and we rely on individual’s visual experiences and extensive dialogue to develop a successful lighting design.”
"We have also discovered a strong demand for the lighting designer to understand the backbone of dimming/ control options as this has a considerable impact on cost and how the operator wants/ needs the design to function successfully"
Matt Levesque
Regarding techniques and evolution of technology, he adds, Levesque and his team are seeing linear lighting securing a prominent place in the geometry of spaces and more integration of lighting within architecture. “We have also discovered a strong demand for the lighting designer to understand the backbone of dimming/control options as this has a considerable impact on cost and how the operator wants/needs the design to function successfully,” he reveals. “We are nerdy designers that require both lobes of our brains to balance in the ever-evolving world of technology and art!”
As far as what Levesque and his team look for when it comes to lighting design inspiration, the creativity differs with each project. “Typically, we begin with the architect’s and or interior designer’s vision since, generally speaking, they have invested a large amount of time with the client to set the tone of the space prior to First Circle’s arrival on the project,” he concludes. “Following theme determination, we will research styles of art that resemble the same vernacular. Inevitably this step instigates discussions with the architect or interior designer about techniques or layers of light that can further enhance their original visions—it’s truly a collaborative process”. P
THE TAVOLO features a high-CRI output and can accommodate numerous accessories. It allows the lighting designer to add glare reduction with louvers, barndoors, or snoots. The twist-lock TIR optic provides a tight 5° spot. All dimming options go to 1% of total output.
THE CELESTE is a powerful, American-made house light which features tight dimming control. Featuring numerous dimming options, seven available beam angles, and five standard finishes, its durable construction and craftsmanship ensure that it will be a fixture in your venue for many years to come.
MANUFACTURED BY
By
The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is featuring the exhibit, “Electrifying Design A Century of Lighting. Recently I took the trip to Atlanta and witnessed these luminaires first hand.
This exhibition examines key contributions by international lighting designers and manufacturers through the lens of three ideas—Typologies, The Bulb, and Quality of Light. Throughout the exhibition, the most compelling, innovative, influential, and, sometimes, earliest expressions of a concept can be seen both as functional works and as awe-inspiring forms that delight. It is on view through September 26, 2021.
Moooi Works, Dutch, established ca. 2009 designer
Moooi
Dutch, established 2001 manufacturer
Moooi, New York
In 2018, the design firm Moooi challenged its in-house design team to create the ultimate chandelier. The resulting Mega Chandelier is so overwhelming in its scale and image that the visual impact of the whole swallows its parts. Moooi’s team included various individual chandelier typologies in the overall composition to offer a stylistic mini history of the form.
MOLOCH FLOOR LAMP
1971
Anodized aluminum, painted aluminum, steel, and bulb
GAETANO PESCE (Italian, born 1939) designer
BRACCIODIFERRO
Italian, active 1971-1975 manufacturer
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund
In 1971, Gaetano Pesce was inspired to design an oversize lamp because there were few standing lamps that could illuminate pubic spaces for large interiors. Rather than create something new, he decided to base his lamp on an existing one—designer Jac Jacobsen’s iconic L-1 Adjustable Table Lamp of 1937, which was inspired by George Carwardine’s Anglepoise Lamp, on view in this gallery. Pesce ultimately increased the original’s scale and details by a factor of four to create the Moloch Floor Lamp.
2000
Polyamide, stainless steel, and bulb
Ron Arad (Israeli, born 1951) designer and maker
Centre Pompidou, gift of the Societe des Amis Du Musee National d’Art Moderne, 2003
In 2000, architect and designer Ron Arad designed the Ge-Off Sphere Hanging Light using rapid prototype technologies (also known as 3D printing). Here, he deploys this technology to reimagine the ceiling lamp as a flexible, adjustable form. Printed in polyamide, the lamp can be stretched or compressed by hand, allowing the user to customize its shape, depending on the needs of a room. The central bulb reflects light upward or downward, illuminating the coils, whether unraveled or stacked, above or below it.
DESIGNED 1978, MADE CA, 1985-1989
Fiberglass, enamel, steel, rubber, and 40-watt incandescent bulbs
MARTINE BEDIN (French, born 1957) designer
MEMPHIS MILANO
Italian, active 1981-1988 manufacturer
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museum purchase funded by the Design Council, 2020
Martine Bedin displays bulbs with a sense of whimsy in her Super Lamp for the Italian design collective Memphis. Resembling a streamlined toy car, the rounded base is crowned with a row of similarly shaped bulbs with differentcolored socket collars. The lamp is more sculptural when unlit, but the warmth of the illuminated, exposed bulbs matches the exuberance of the design. The result is that even while displaying the bare bulb, Bedin indicates that lighting can be more than simply utilitarian—it can express ideas of play and wonder, all while maintaining its core function.
The following members were accepted to the IALD between June and July 2021.
AGAPEH ALLAHVERDI
Associate IALD
Los Angeles, CA
Reyes Engineering
MARGO MAJEWSKA
Educator IALD
San Francisco, CA
California College of the Arts
JUSTIN KOBAYASHI
Associate IALD
Raleigh, NC
Clark Nexsen
CHLOE FUNG
Associate IALD
Singapore Inhabit
ISABELLA TRIFIRO
Junior Associate IALD
Rome, Italy
Baldieri Lighting Design
NURUL WARDANI Associate IALD
SINGAPORE | Limelight Atelier Pte Ltd
GUILLERMO TIPACTI QUIJANO Associate IALD LIMA | EISSA
HAIWEN SHEN Associate SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG | Inhabit (Bejing) Ltd.
LAURA MÊNERA Affiliate
BOGATA | NOVALUX
MADILYNN QUINN Student IALD BOZEMAN, MO
SOFIA LINDEN Student IALD
ALINGSAS, SWEDEN | Jonkoping University
Schuler Shook is pleased to announce a leadership transition many years in the making. Our Founders, Duane Schuler and Robert Shook, began a transition plan in 2016 to guide the firm’s leadership to its next generation, and that transition is now complete.
After beginning their consulting careers separately, Duane and Bob teamed up in 1986 to create Schuler Shook. Over the succeeding 35 years, Schuler Shook has become a world leader in Theatre Planning and Lighting Design. With over 55 staff members in our five US offices and in Melbourne, Australia, we serve a wide range of projects of all scales.
Bob notes “We could not possibly be more pleased to see the Schuler Shook leadership team performing at the highest level of design and firm management. We are confident that these nine partners will continue to raise the bar in every aspect of collaborative excellence.”
Duane adds “As we step back from our current roles, we are thrilled by the talents that the entire staff brings to Schuler Shook‘s long-standing reputation as creative and insightful partners in the design process. Bob and I are very excited about the future of the company.”
Duane and Bob remain engaged and involved, advising clients and the design staff at Schuler Shook. The nine partners directing the firm are building upon their inspired leadership.
Designed for people working in the industry who desire graduate education but have no previous formal education in lighting.
Attend class online (fall & spring) and in-person (summer week-long intensive in Boulder).
Earn nine university credits and achieve a professional graduate certificate granted by CU Boulder.
For more information visit: https://www.colorado.edu/rmla/architectural-lighting-certificate
charter
orld-renowned lighting designer, Dean Skira received his training at the Fashion Institute of Technology and began his career in New York, but after a few years he moved back to his home in Croatia. Croatia is on the Adriatic Sea and features beautiful islands, a great climate, wonderful food and wine, and a very strong hardworking population that appear to all be pulling in the same direction.
In 1994, Dean received his first big break as he was commissioned to light a church tower in Pula. In the mid ‘90s most designers would simply use floodlights with giant reflectors on the ground to light a tower, and, if you were lucky, the bottom half of the tower was illuminated. Dean’s design was different, and even considered radical, as he was going to light the tower from the top down using metal halide mixed with blue fluorescent tubes.
The church accepted the design but there was one problem. He could not find an electrician that thought it was possible to install the structure, cables and fixtures on the tower itself. His father suggested going to a bar and finding three big men to ask for their help, telling them the electrician said it was ‘impossible.’ That worked and early the next morning Dean and the 3 men climbed to the top of the tower. Dean strapped a rope around his
waist and leaned out over the tower with the men holding him by his legs. Passersby mistook the young man as suicidal and called police. At that point, Dean instructed one of the men to run down and lock the door, while Dean shouted to the police that he was only installing lights. More police and firefighters arrived at the scene; locked out, they had no choice but to simply watch. As the morning progressed huge crowds gathered around the tower to witness the installation. Once it was complete, the journalists conducted interviews and took pictures and young Dean Skira had made a name for himself in Pula!
As his career progressed it was time to move the office out of his bedroom, and he built a desk which consisted of an
old door. Pula’s mayor asked for a proposal to light the streets in the old part of town. Dean used a 300-dpi laser printer that he had brought from the U.S. and created a simulation for the floor plan of the entire town and its current illumination, then devised a floorplan with the new lighting. This radical design not only lit up the streets but also a little of the seashore, while throwing some backlight on the trees behind the street. The project was approved, and it became one of the first large jobs in Europe using a Type 5 Optic. Dean learned the importance of using visuals to promote his designs.
Dean’s girlfriend at the time had a PhD in Architecture and many of Dean’s friends were architects, so he began to offer architectural services with his
lighting design—a combination unheard of then. His practice began to grow outside of Croatia.
During our visit, I saw several awards and many names looked familiar: IES, IALD, Architizer, and Red Dot.
We discussed a few of his favorite projects. One was the EURASIA tunnel in Istanbul connecting Europe and Asia. He acclaimed, “No project went that smoothly ever. Everything was by the book, and it was perfect.” Upon the successful completion of the tunnel, he was asked to design the entrances to the tunnel. Seven competing proposals had been submitted and all seven had been rejected by the heritage preservation commission. Dean’s design added arches as well as lighting and his proposal was accepted and installed.
Another important job was the Evolution Tower in Moscow which earned an IES award in 2019.
Shipyard Cranes Lighting Giants was also one of his favorite designs.
We talked about the business of lighting design and one way he sells his services is by having the client picture the additional dollars earned by making an outdoor area appealing at night. He emphasizes that great lighting creates additional value. “Light openly invites people to new
areas but you have to keep them coming back,” he said.
“This is where dynamic lighting has a role. What is being lit should look different and the audience should expect the unexpected.”
Dean emphasized the importance of visuals in helping decision makers make an emotional connection to invest. He truly believes that great lighting is not just for safety, but it also brings increased revenue. On one current job he is proposing, he conducted a 3D scan of the entire village to show the various effects of dynamic lighting. “Imagine a concert in an ancient Roman theater and there is one look before the concert, a second scene during the concert where perhaps only the steps are lit and they look like they are glowing, and a third scene as people are
departing,” he described. His rendering was very dramatic and appealing.
One of Dean’s biggest passions is the importance of emotion in lighting. He said, “Music and light are the only two invisible things that create emotions. We don’t speak enough about the importance of light for the people and how it affects their emotional state.” Dean speaks around the world at various events including PLDC and Light + Building. During the middle of one TED talk he asked the producer to bring up all the lighting in the room to 100% and then asked he audience to imagine a nice romantic dinner. He explained that when one walks into a room, subconsciously one has a hunch that something is wrong, but can’t figure out it is the lighting until it is pointed out.
Dean designs lighting, but unlike in the US market, he also designs luminaires. He asserted, “Designers love light, but we don’t like fixtures.” His recent design, Nime, is a luminaire completely hidden in the ceiling and the human eye sees no source. There is only a small 1cm circle. The luminaire is manufactured by Delta Lighting and all the hardware is above the ceiling including three lenses. Dean said, “We break that beam to 0 degrees and that is where we have the 1 cm opening; below the ceiling the beam can be either 20 degrees or 50 degrees and can be rotated 360 degrees. Nime is scheduled to launch in the US in October.
We also spoke about the state of the design industry. Dean pointed out that he is the only true lighting designer in Croatia that charges for lighting design as most manufacturers give away a design for free. He said practicing is very different than in the US and the UK as most of the rest of the world does not appreciate the profession of lighting design.
Dean ended the conversation with a tease about a project he is presently developing that he thinks will be his legacy. He said, “It is the most important project of my career and will resolve most of the issues with light trespass, light pollution and energy savings.”
Stay tuned!
for
