the advancement of LEDs in the built environment
PROJECT
Tillotson Design Associates’ Erin Dreyfous on the lighting strategies in place at Adjaye Associates’ Winter Park Library & Events Center.
ECO-PRODUCT
A commercial light fixture free of metal, plastic, and glass?
Startup Lightly is changing the industry—and wants others to join for everyone’s sake.
INSPIRATION
Three new hotels show how hospitality design leverages lighting to create ambience and deliver the wow factor to keep guests returning.
NUMBER 71 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 architecturalssl.com
ARCHITECTURAL SSL • Chronicling
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ENTER TODAY WALL GRAZERS DESIGN INTERIOR EFFICIENT ACOUSTICS COMPONENTS STYLISH EVOLUTION BEAUTIFUL LIGHTING INSPIRE LED CREATING SOLUTIONS ARCHITECTURE INDUSTRIAL DECORATIVE ADVANCEMENT INDIRECT LINEAR COVE LIGHTING EXTERNAL FORM SAVE $100 Before Early Bird Deadline: 6/2/23 Final Deadline: 6/30/23 Details at architecturalssl.com The 13th annual Product Innovation Awards will showcase the latest advancements in solid-state lighting applications, products, and components
SPRING/SUMMER 2023
FEATURES
14 Featured Project: Winter Park Library & Events Center
Tillotson Design Associates’ lighting strategies shine without outshining the iconic architecture.
By Murrye Bernard
20 Illumination Matters: Hotels + Hospitality
Lighting draws in guests to stay, relax, and return.
by Vilma Barr
BUZZ
06 Products 2023 LightFair Innovation Award winners announced.
07 Products Yellow Goat Design releases a time-inspired collection.
08 Grants Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education announces 2023 grant and award recipients.
09 Call for Entries
Architectural SSL Product Innovation Awards
Winter Park Library & Events Center
Photography: Dror Baldinger / courtesy of Adjaye Associates
PERSPECTIVES
04 Commentary
The lighting community has the power to unlock the full potential of a project.
By Wanda Lau
18 Designer Insights
Spurthy Yogananda entered graduate school to study architecture and sustainability, but an inspiring educator changed her path.
32 SSL Observed
Transfix immerses visitors in lights, sound, and technology across a 200,000-square-foot venue at Resorts World Las Vegas.
DESIGN + PRODUCTS
10 C rash Course
Five tips for optimal wall washing.
By Alyssa Unciano
13 In Detail
Meet Butterfly, the world’s first organic commercial fixture.
26 White Pages
Smart lighting control with DALI and D4i.
by Tim Whitaker
28 Products
New releases from Euroluce and LightFair.
by Architectural SSL staff
Architectural SSL, Vol. 15, No. 1
Architectural SSL is published 2 times annually, May & November, by Endeavor Business Media, LLC. 1233 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.
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Send address changes to Architectural SSL, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257.
Printed in the USA. Copyright © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or trans mitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopies, recordings, or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the publisher. Endeavor Business Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person or company for any loss or damage caused by errors or omis sions in the material herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. The views and opinions in the articles herein are not to be taken as official expressions of the publishers, unless so stated. The publishers do not warrant either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of the articles herein, nor do they so warrant any views or opinions by the authors of said articles.
ON THE COVER
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Architectural SSL, Vol. 15, No. 1 10
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NUMBER 71 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023
Power of Light
As a prosumer of architecture and photography, I know firsthand how lighting can make a project sing or sink. Architectural SSL aims to celebrate and elevate the lighting community through the stories and news it shares.
A quick introduction before you dive into what I hope is an inspirational and information-filled issue of Architectural SSL. In January, I was given the editorial keys to ArchSSL with the goal of making it a frequent resource for design professionals, owners, product manufacturers, and the building industry at large.
Though I have worked on the technical side of the building sector, I have spent most of my career to date in B2B journalism with a focus on architecture and building publications. I covered technology and news at Architectural Lighting and was the executive editor of Architect magazine. Currently, I also oversee LEDs Magazine and Smart Buildings Technology, both published by ArchSSL owner Endeavor Business Media.
Like many of you, I was drawn to architecture because of its impact on people. At the base level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, buildings fulfill the physiological need of shelter. As we move up the triangle, the built environment continues to play a role, offering a secure and safe place in which we can feel connection to others, become productive and confident in our abilities, and discover the aesthetic beauty of our surrounds.
Lighting is vital to the success of a space. Consider how you feel stepping into an office overly and monotonously lit, with a green cast to boot, versus an office with layers of light demarcating program areas. These musings are not new to any lighting designer, though they may be eye-opening to students and other professionals unaware that architectural lighting is a discipline, as our profiled designer Spurthy Yogananda was before entering graduate school (page 18). Regardless, I hope these pages serve as a reminder of your community’s influence and power.
Similarly, I hope this issue—which also covers pro tips for wall washing (page 10), the world’s first nearly all-natural commercial fixture (page 13), and hospitality lighting case studies (page 20)—offers actionable bits of knowledge that can be deployed in times of need. And, of course, ArchSSL would not be complete without showcasing new lighting products and technologies.
That’s all from me. Now it’s your turn. What do you, as a member of the lighting community, want to learn or read more about?
Wanda Lau, editorial director
ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
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Lester Craft EVP Buildings/Lighting/Technology
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Butterfly by Lightly (p. 13)
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Chronicling the advancement of LEDs in the built environment
PRODUCTS: LIGHTFAIR
2023 LightFair Innovation Award winners announced
In advance of its biennial conference and trade show, held May 21–25 this year in New York, LightFair has announced the 2023 LightFair Innovation Award (LIA) winners in four overall excellence awards—Most Innovative Product of the Year, Technical Innovation, Design Excellence, and Judges’ Citation—and in 11 best of product categories.
“The 2023 winners represent new and necessary industry innovations,” said show director Dan Darby in a press release.
The Most Innovative Product of the Year went to TLS LumiPano by TLS Architectural Lighting, which also was named the best of the Indoor General Lighting category. This perforated metal panel system features a diffused and luminous design evenly backlit by TLS’s patented systems. The perforated patterns can be customized using panels of six standard sizes from 2-foot square to 4 feet × 10 feet with a lightweight polycarbonate diffuser that is 87% transmissive.
is enclosed and sealed, making it suitable for interior and exterior use, educational spaces, and fully wet locations. It comes in four CCTs at 80 or 90 CRI, warm dim, and RGBW, and in 18-, 24- and 36-inch diameters.
BY WANDA LAU, editorial director
The Technical Innovation winner was LynxEM Wireless Control by Magtech, which also won best of the Specialty Lighting category. LynxEM enables monitoring of battery capacity, light loads, voltage, and status of emergency battery drivers, emergency exit signs, and emergency lighting all from a handheld device. It performs monthly and yearly testing per NFPA 101 regulations, reducing labor cost and the risk of error; the test report will be automatically delivered and kept on record for 60 months.
In Design Excellence, the OCL Architectural Lighting Neo Pendant and Surface Mount was named the winner; it also won Best of the Indoor Decorative category. The Neo Pendant is a one-piece rotational molded diffuser that produces a soft, uniform illumination with a 60/40 distribution. The impact-resistant light
Finally, Poleclick by Tekpoles earned the Judges’ Citation, an award that explicitly is not chosen from the best of category winners. The Poleclick connector expedites replacement of LED street and area luminaires by providing a universal data and electrical connector between lamp heads and poles. The company estimates it can reduce lamp head replacement maintenance from two workers taking 20 to 25 minutes to one worker, 5 minutes.
The LIA best of category winners follow.
• Controls Components: ATOM Series Wall
Switch with Scene Controls by Magtech
• Control Enabling Technology: Intelligent Lighting Control Ecosystem with AI-Based Video Analytics by WiSilicia
• Drivers: LiteStream D by LTF Technology
• Downlights: Ghost by Bold Lighting
Indoor Decorative: Neo Pendant & Surface
Mount by OCL Architectural Lighting
• Indoor General Lighting: TLS LumiPano by
TLS Architectural Lighting
• Non-Luminous Products: LightStanza by LightStanza
• Outdoor Lighting: BlueHopper Permanent
Roofline Lighting by MeshTek
• Sources: LUXEON HL1Z by Lumileds
• Specialty Lighting: LynxEM Wireless Control by Magtech
• Track: Solo by Glint Lighting
Winners were selected by an independent panel of five lighting professionals moderated by Mark Roush, an IES Fellow, marketing consultant, and principal of Experience Light. This year’s jurors were Domingo Gonzales, principal at Domingo Gonzales Associates; Zachary Pearson, designer at Fisher Marantz Stone; Kenneth Schultz, principal at Focus Lighting; Scott Guenther, associate principal at MCLA Architectural Lighting Design; and Monica Llamas, lighting designer & project manager at the Office for Visual Interaction.
According to the press release, judging criteria included assessing each product’s clarity of purpose, versatility, adaptability, sustainability, ease of use, design efficiency, and aspects that enhance human well-being. •
architecturalssl.com 06 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL
The Neo pendant, by OCL Architectural Lighting, took LightFair Innovation Award honors in two categories.
courtesy of OCL
Architectural Lighting
“THE 2023 WINNERS REPRESENT NEW AND NECESSARY INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS.”
Yellow Goat Design releases a time-inspired collection
A burst of color can take a space from forgettable to memorable. In April, West Chester, Pa.–based studio Yellow Goat Design launched Brief Epiphany, a collection of seven LED luminaires plus a wall panel that merges pastels with a mix of mediums, including printed polycarbonate, aluminum, acrylic, and even Capiz shells. “This collection captures a fleeting moment of connection, aiming to achieve a sense of transcendence, beauty and joy in experience,” the studio explains in a blog post announcing the launch. “Through the embrace of technology and nods to nature, we explore escapism in a more playful world.”
The fixtures can bring cheer, warmth, and conversation into an array of gathering, collaborative, and professional spaces. A few are highlighted here.
Twin Conductor
Low Voltage Suspension
and a “wave of possibility … crashing down,” according to Yellow Goat Design. Fluted acrylic panels set in 1-inch-diameter metal tubes are edge lit by LEDs.
Harmony encircles the air in a crown of petals. The larger, 7-foot, 9-inch–diameter fixture uses printed polycarbonate petals, while the 5-foot, 10-inch–diameter size can use Capiz shells. The luminaire utilizes 36 LED bi-pins mounted to a rolled metal tube. —W.L. •
Suspend and power low voltage light fixtures without a bulky power cord. Cable Grippers patented K-Grip® system supports fixtures and provides Class 2 low voltage power through a single drop.
cablegrippers.com
Float wraps gradients of pinks, blues, and purples printed on rolled metal around a horizontal tube. Measuring nearly 5 feet long, the suspended fixture is illuminated by an LED neon strip threaded through the tube.
Rincon® is Patented, UL Recognized, and ONLY AVAILABLE FROM GRIPLOCK SYSTEMS.
Griplock’s Rincon® powered suspension both powers and suspends your Class 2 LED lighting fixtures with a thin cable, providing a clean, modern, and elegant look without the need for a separate power cord.
griplocksystems.com
No fewer than 125 elements make up Liquid Sky, a 14.5-foot-long, 3-foot-wide luminaire. The colors recall both a sun rising on the beach
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ARCHITECTURAL SSL • MM.YY • 07 architecturalssl.com
PRODUCTS: BRIEF EPIPHANY
K-GRIP ®
Flux LED Pendant © Hubbardton Forge
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GRANTS: NUCKOLLS FUND FOR LIGHTING EDUCATION
Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education Announces 2023 grant and award recipients
In March, the Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education announced the 2023 recipients of its annual grants and awards, which totaled $140,000. Founded in 1988, the Nuckolls Fund “supports the development of innovative college-level lighting programs for the technology and aesthetics of lighting design with grants, and assists deserving students with awards to further their lighting design education,” according to a press release. The fund is named after James L. Nuckolls, the late light-
ing designer and educator who, among many achievements, wrote the seminal textbook Interior Lighting for Environmental Designers (first edition, Wiley & Sons, 1976).
Two educators each received the $30,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant to expand lighting curriculum. Alyssa Humphries Stewart, associate professor and director of the Center for Lighting Education at Texas Christian University, was successful in her proposal, “Integration of CAD to BIM: The design process and technology paradigm shift in architectural lighting design education and practice”; as was Clotilde Pierson, assistant professor of architectural engineering at Oregon State University, who proposed improvements to educational learning modules in “Daylighting design through experiential learning pedagogy.”
Additionally, two educators each received a $30,000 Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant. Lauren Dandridge, adjunct assistant professor at the University of Southern California School of Architecture and principal of Los Angeles–based firm Chromatic, was successful in her proposal, “Exploring exterior lighting design and its effect on health, community, and nature.”
Robert “Bob” Davis, an affiliate faculty member in the civil and architectural engineering
department at Tennessee State University who also teaches at the University of Colorado Boulder and works as chief lighting research engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, earned a grant for his proposal, “Expanding lighting education: A step towards a more diverse academic pipeline into the lighting professions.”
The Nuckolls Fund also distributed four $5,000 awards to students in lighting. S M Ashik Rahman, at the University of Colorado at Boulder, received the Jonas Bellovin Scholar Achievement Award; Nayoun Ryu, Parsons School of Design, won the Jules Horton International Student Achievement Award; and Bentley Tonniges, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and Aaron Zimmerman, Pennsylvania State University, each received the Designers Lighting Forum of New York
Student Achievement Award.
The Nuckolls Fund’s board of directors reviews the grant and student award applications. In the organization’s press release, Nuckolls Fund president Lee Waldron said, “Each grant principal investigator emphasized the importance of their revised curricula to the students who would be taking the knowledge gained with them into the lighting industry, which will ultimately benefit the end user.”
Along with Waldron, the board comprises Daniel Blitzer, Practical Lighting Workshop; Julie Blankenheim, Chicago Lightworks; Tom Butters, Lighting Agora; Erin Speck, George Washington University; Conor Sampson, CS Design and McGill University; and Brian Stacy, Arup. Since its founding 35 years ago, the Nuckolls Fund has distributed more than $1.85 million. —W.L.•
architecturalssl.com 08 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL
CLOCKWISE: Alyssa Humphries Stewart, Clotilde Pierson, Robert Davis, Lauren Dandridge
SINCE ITS FOUNDING 35 YEARS AGO, THE NUCKOLLS FUND HAS DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN $1.85 MILLION.
courtesy of Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education
Start your 2023 Product Innovation Award submission today!
Deadlines and fees
Finalize and submit your entry by June 2, 2023, for a discounted early bird rate of $325 per entry. For the regular deadline of June 30, 2023, the fee is $425 per submission.
Begin your entry today! You can save your
work during the submission process for editing before finalization. Questions about the entry process? Email Julia Campbell at jcampbell@ endeavorb2b.com.•
Read full submission guidelines and start your entry at bit.ly/SSLpias.
Now through June 30, enter the 13th annual Architectural SSL Product Innovation Awards program for the chance to showcase and publicize your architectural lighting solution to 50,000-plus architects, lighting designers, interior designers, owners, and decision-makers. The PIAs welcome submissions from lighting manufacturers and designers that bring innovative concepts, products, components, and systems into the architectural space. Of the thousands of lighting products brought to market each year, the PIA honorees represent the finest.
Lighting fixture designers, manufacturers, and distributors can enter luminaires, component, and controls as stand-alone products to be reviewed on their own merit in the Product category. Those wishing to submit how their products made an incredible impact on the success of a particular project or use case can enter the Project category.
Products must have been launched or significantly updated on or after Jan. 1, 2022, to be considered in the 2023 PIAs. For products entered in the Project category, the project must have been completed on or after Jan. 1, 2022.
Honorees will be determined based on their quality and innovative aspects, which must be conveyed clearly on the PIAs submission form. Include details about the product’s functionality, aesthetics, materiality, versatility, durability, sustainability, and application.
This year’s honorees will be recognized with an editorial mention (product image plus brief write-up) in the Fall/Winter issue of Architectural SSL magazine and on the Architectural SSL website; honorees may appear on websites of other Endeavor Business Media brands. All honorees will also receive, at no additional cost, a personalized statuette to display their product’s achievement proudly.
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MASTER PERFECT VERTICAL ILLUMINATION
By Alyssa Unciano, an Edison, N.J.–based field marketing associate at ERCO Lighting
fifty years ago, ERCO launched the first wall washers on the market, revolutionizing the approach to vertical lighting design. Today, wall washing remains an essential lighting technique. Vertical lighting is a fundamental element in architectural lighting for both design and normative reasons. Under identical levels of illuminance, a vertical surface produces a higher impression of brightness than a horizontal surface because walls are in our natural field of vision. Less lighting, and thus energy, is required in illuminating walls versus the floor for a similar impression of brightness; for example, illuminating walls instead of floors with 100 lux will make a room appear three to five times brighter.
10 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL
to Wall Wash
How
architecturalssl.com
Why Wall Wash
Wall washing can fulfill several design needs. First, it can provide orientation. When we enter a room, we see the brightest surface first. Wall washing makes clear the axes of architecture and helps us to comprehend different functional areas and spatial transitions. Lighting thus creates recognizable entrance zones.
Second, wall washing creates brightness. A room only appears bright when its walls are evenly illuminated. High reflectivity on the wall can significantly increase our impression of brightness.
Next, wall washing can contribute to greater visual comfort in environments like offices. Light on walls helps reduce the contrast between self-illuminated screens and the visual surroundings. A bright background
creates a lighting effect that is pleasant to the eye and prevents fatigue.
Fourth, uniformly illuminated walls can create distance and even visually expand the dimension of a room. Narrow rooms can seem more comfortable, while bright walls can zone and provide structure to large areas. In high spaces such as atriums, if daylight from one side of the room does not reach the opposite wall, wall washing can compensate for the missing light.
Finally, wall washing can help emphasize the texture of finishes, such as stone. Grazing light highlights surface textures through the high-contrast interplay of light and shadow. Wall washers installed either in the floor or ceiling and positioned close to the wall can achieve this effect.
©
/
of ERCO ARCHITECTURAL SSL • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • 11
At The Twist gallery, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and located in the Norwegian museum Kistefos, wall washers provide uniform lighting in the nearly 30-foot-tall exhibition rooms and emphasize the curved architecture.
Tomasz Majewski
courtesy
architecturalssl.com
5 TIPS FOR OPTIMAL WALL WASHING
Wall washing describes an even lighting distribution on vertical surfaces. The color rendering index of light sources will depend on the objects to be illuminated, such as artwork. Likewise, lumen output will depend on the height of the room.
Below are five tips for achieving the appropriate wall wash.
Use track wall washers for flexible solutions. Temporary exhibitions require flexible lighting solutions, such as wall washers from spotlight ranges that can be positioned in a track. Still aim for a horizontal distance to the wall of onethird the room height. For optimal uniformity on the wall, incline track luminaires at a 35-degree angle from the vertical axis.
Identify the ideal luminaire placement and spacing.
Ceiling-recessed wall washers blend into the background, allowing the room to become the focal point. The optimal horizontal distance from the wall to position wall washers is equal to one-third the room height. As a general rule of thumb, the luminaire spacing—the on-center distance between wall washers— should be 1.2 to 1.5 times the distance from the wall. Regardless of how near or far the wall washers are located, ensure that sufficient light reaches the base of the wall.
Use grazing light for special effect. In areas where uniform wall illumination is less important, linear wall grazers for ceiling or floor installation can emphasize materials and textures through the play of light and shadow.
Illuminate corridors evenly with double wall washers.
Wall washing can create a bright spatial impression in narrow environments, such as corridors. A row of double wall washers can uniformly and efficiently illuminate opposite walls from ceiling to floor.
Shorten horizontal wall distances in tall rooms.
For rooms with ceilings exceeding 8 meters (26 feet) in height, positioning wall washers at a horizontal distance of one-third the room height can become challenging. Instead, try placing wall washers at a distance equal to one-fifth the room height. For good horizontal uniformity in light, space wall washers at a distance equal to or less than 1.3 times their horizontal distance to the wall.
Millenia Tower, Singapore
Linear wall grazers installed in the ceiling highlight the textured finish at the Buckford Illumination Group office in Melbourne, Australia.
DIAGRAM: Wall-washing diagram for rooms exceeding 26 feet in height.
BELOW LEFT: In San Antonio, Texas, the Ruby Center art museum, designed by Adjaye Associates, uses wall washing to create uniform ambient lighting for its tall spaces.
BELOW RIGHT: Wall-washing diagram with track lighting.
1/5 h h
© Jackie Chan / courtesy of ERCO © Jackie Chan / courtesy of ERCO
© Kawana Masano / courtesy of ERCO
12 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL
Wall washers at the VicRoads Ringwood office in Melbourne create an evenly illuminated surface that helps brighten the workspace.
35°
courtesy of ERCO
4 5 2 3 How to Wall Wash architecturalssl.com
© Timothy Schenck / courtesy of ERCO
BUTTERFLY, THE WORLD’S FIRST ORGANIC COMMERCIAL FIXTURE
BY WANDA LAU, editorial director
Just two years old, Philadelphia-based manufacturer Lightly has already made history with Butterfly, the world’s first commercial LED luminaire with a fixture housing that is free of metal, plastic, and glass. Instead, the linear, direct-indirect fixture is made primarily of wood, wool, and hemp. It is 95% biodegradable and 3% recyclable. It also qualifies for the Buy American Act and is compliant with the International Living Future Institute’s Red List.
“Lightly is a catalyst to put the pressure on to create change in the industry,” says Benjamin Rapkin, the general manager of Lightly and partner company Lightglass. “I truly hope we are not the only ones thinking like this two years from now.”
Lightly is currently nine months into shipping out product, and the company is planning to grow its workforce to meet demand.
Read the full interview: bit.ly/SSLrapkin
NONTOXIC PAINT internal and external finish
POPLAR WOOD: The fixture rails, bridges, and endcaps are made of lightweight poplar wood sourced from Pennsylvania that is commonly used for architectural trim and molding. The 4"-tall fixture has a minimum length of 2'. An 8' fixture weighs 11 lbs.
The idea for Butterfly, Lightly’s flagship product, arose 2.5 years ago when an architecture firm told Rapkin it would not specify products that fail to meet its sustainability criteria. After a year of research and development, Lightly collaborated with consultant Brad Koerner, who brought “clarity about how to move forward” with a commercial product, Rapkin says.
LEFT: Butterfly’s internal profile creates an 80% indirect/20% direct optical distribution through an open cavity finished in highly reflective matte white paint; the profile also limits glare, eliminating the need for a separate diffuser. The LED engine is hidden from view below the fixture.
Nontoxic, natural wood glue and beech dowels hold the fixture together.
IN DETAIL
BEECH:
HEMP TWINE suspension
NON-PVC power cord
POPLAR tensioner
architecturalssl.com ARCHITECTURAL SSL • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • 13 courtesy of Lightly
WOOL FELT gasket
Winter Park Library & Events Center
Winter Park, Florida
The Challenge:
The architecture of David Adjaye and his international firm Adjaye Associates is at once sculptural, textural, dynamic, and democratic. In Florida, the firm’s recent design for Winter Park Library & Events Center comprises three permanent pavilion structures sited on the northwest corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.
Designed with biophilic principles in mind, the arches and the architecture at large draw inspiration from the local fauna and regional vernacular—think Spanish Revival loggias—while admitting natural light deeply into the building, explains Adjaye on his firm’s website.
The open porte cochère pavilion links the remaining two pavilions, which house a two-story library and an events center; the latter two structures are enclosed. Clad in distinctive rose-pigmented concrete, the pavilions cant outward as they rise, with arched cut-outs at their base. At the library and events pavilions, these openings are glazed and overlook Lake Mendsen to the southeast.
Inside the library pavilion, visitors traverse among stacks, reading areas, makerspaces, youth spaces, and a community room, while the events pavilion houses set-up space, a kitchen, an auditorium, and a rooftop venue. Moody interior finishes—purple and rust colors and textured surfaces—echo the exterior. A blackened steel spiral staircase in both the library and events center provides a dramatic and memorable focal point.
LIGHTING BRILLIANTLY
TAKES A SUPPORTING ROLE AT WINTER PARK
Lighting these unique building forms was more about the architecture and less about the fixtures, according to Erin Dreyfous, partner at Tillotson Design Associates, which led the project’s preliminary lighting design before handing it off to a local team for the construction documents and administration phases. She spoke with Architectural SSL on her team’s nuanced approach to balancing the abundance of daylight inside
the structures with lighting their textured exteriors and the tropical climate.
How did you approach lighting the exteriors of these distinct architectural forms?
For us, it was thinking about the context and how the area is low-level residential. We wanted the center to feel like the heart of the community while providing sensitive nighttime lighting that complements the surroundings,
Project size: 55,800 square feet
Design architect: Adjaye Associates
Architect of record: HuntonBrady Architects
Lighting designer: Tillotson Design Associates
Photography: Dror Baldinger / courtesy of Adjaye Associates
Text: Murrye Bernard
architecturalssl.com 14 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL
versus being something that felt too commercial.
We completed many different studies in terms of composition; where we landed was featuring the main library pavilion while the event pavilion was secondary, establishing a hierarchy. We wanted the exterior to feel safe, with adequate lighting levels, but we kept the fixture types neutral—they don’t become these additional objects. We wanted the experience to be about the façade
and the beautiful materials of these pavilions.
And how about lighting the textured exterior surfaces?
It’s always a conversation we have with the design team or architect early on when we are starting to establish project goals. For this project, we wanted to draw people in and make the center a lantern or beacon for the community, and we wanted to wash these exteriors in some way. There is a lot of
back and forth. We do mock-ups in-house; and, in this case, the exterior has texture that will pick up light in a beautiful way. We came up with a beautiful pairing where [the concrete] is a material that wants to be lit. Then, it was how best to do that considering the optics and the lensing of our fixtures. We laid out the lighting to have a bit more brightness or emphasis at the peaks of pavilion corners and then feathers out from there.
SCULPTURE AND PLACE
The pavilions of Winter Park Library cantilever as they rise; the forms of the library and event pavilions are accented by shielded in-grade uplights so as not to distract from the architecture. By contrast, the porte cochère (foreground) features internal uplighting.
architecturalssl.com ARCHITECTURAL SSL • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • 15
WE WANTED THE CENTER TO FEEL LIKE THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY WHILE PROVIDING SENSITIVE NIGHTTIME LIGHTING THAT COMPLEMENTS THE SURROUNDINGS.
How did Florida’s tropical conditions affect the specs?
The humidity and the weatherproofing were certainly [considerations]. Everything that we specified features IP68 sealed, marine-grade materials suited for that context and environment.
How did your minimal approach translate to the interior?
We pared it down to a utilitarian kit of parts. The library pavilion has a beautiful barrel-vaulted ceiling. We completed several studies to see what felt right there;
we considered uplighting the barrels, but the architect wanted to keep it more austere and solid. We ended up combining linear sources with accent lights, integrated within the structural ceiling modules. The accent lights tend to disappear given the graphic nature of the linears.
That is a consistent field deployed at the uppermost level throughout the whole library. Then it was a technical exercise of figuring out the zoning for controls and the optics needed for the accent lights that could
work well where we had both double- and single-height spaces. We separated control zones by ceiling height and per program type. The optics were narrower for taller spaces and wider for singleheight spaces to provide uniform coverage. This was particularly important in the stack areas.
We made careful sectional studies to confirm adequate light coverage in both conditions, conducted a photometric analysis, and reviewed fixtures samples to confirm suitable light levels and light quality for both space types.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Indirect linear coves integrated along the interior wall of the event pavilion provide a layer of soft, ambient light that accentuates the ceiling plane. On the exterior, façade uplighting highlights the pavilions’ sculptural forms.
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INTERIOR LIGHTING
Clockwise from left: Ample natural light washes the collections area, supplemented by a system of lowbrightness linear fixtures and adjustable point sources integrated within the structural ceiling modules. This allows shelving areas to be lit efficiently without dedicated task lights.
A staggered grid of recessed point sources within the stair volume adds to the sense of mystery while enhancing the skylight, which allows in daylight.
A blackened steel staircase features internal handrail lighting to safely guide visitors.
Those layers of light ended up being our real workhorse for the library itself.
How did you light the stacks?
You typically would want a certain amount of light on your stacks to make sure that the lines of the books are legible. We did different studies to ensure that lighting [the stacks] only from above would be sufficient when daylight is not available. Under the mezzanine, where a lower ceiling occurs, we integrated additional wall-washing fixtures
into the walls. That ceiling takes on its own identity with a field of cylinder-type accent light fixtures. It’s a nice transition because the perimeter is flooded with daylight.
Tell me about lighting the stunning central spiral staircase in the library.
As you get deeper into the space, it transitions into a place that is more moody and dark, contrasting the high-activity perimeter. The spiral staircase is a monumental piece of curving blackened steel. It is such a solid,
heavy piece that we didn’t want to puncture it with light sources. And because it’s so dark, you can’t light it as an object. So we left it alone and incorporated a handrail light. When you’re walking up the stair, you have this beautiful, luminous glow, but when you view it from the outside, it reads as dark and monolithic.•
architecturalssl.com ARCHITECTURAL SSL • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • 17
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Read the full interview: bit.ly/SSLwinterpark.
Lighting emphasizes the connection between people and the marina’s historical waterfront. At Dubai Creek Harbour, indirect uplighting of pavilions recalling the sails of a dhow creates a beacon for gathering and frames views for visitors. Pedestrian walkways are softly illuminated along the marina, providing a welcoming nighttime environment and vistas to monumental art.
Concealed linear LED lighting follows the contours of complex curved planter forms, creating an approachable, human-scaled lighting design along a busy street. Accent lighting highlights new layers of landscape and planter features while complementing the existing urban environment, which is positioned low at the ground plane.
DUBAI CREEK HARBOUR • Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Alessandro Merati/SWA Group
Jonnu Singleton/SWA Group
BUNKER HILL STEPS • Los Angeles
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AN EMERGING DESIGNER DISCOVERS THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF LIGHTING
Spurthy Yogananda entered graduate school to study architecture and sustainability, but an inspiring educator changed her path.
EDITED BY WANDA LAU, editorial director
Like many architecture students, Spurthy Yogananda had no idea lighting design was a field of study, much less a thriving profession. Though lighting designers comprise a small subset in the building sector, their role cannot be overstated.
For Yogananda, the ability to shape the user experience, aesthetic impact, and energy efficiency of a project was appealing. Today, a decade after she left India to pursue a master’s degree in building science at the University of Southern California School of Architecture, Yogananda is a professional lighting designer at the Los Angeles office of HLB Lighting Design.
Here, she shares with Architectural SSL her experience as an emerging lighting designer and her advice for lighting mentors and mentees.
Q+A WITH SPURTHY YOGANANDA
What drew you to architectural lighting?
During my master’s program, I was a teaching assistant for [adjunct assistant professor] Lauren Dandridge. Until then, I had no idea what lighting design was. The way she spoke so passionately about it got me interested, and I realized how lighting is such a beautiful combination of sustainability and design.
I took her lighting design class as one of my [electives], and then I really fell in love with the field. Teachers can make a huge difference in your life.
What surprised you as you began to study lighting formally and then entered the profession?
Where I come from, lighting design is integrated with our architecture studio. It’s not a profession by itself. Seeing how much lighting can vary, and how much planning and involvement with codes is required to get to execution—that was mind-blowing.
One day, we are designing parks; the next, a hospital or a school. Each project is so different, and each has its own requirements and challenges, and I found that to be intriguing. As an emerging lighting designer, I understood that it’s not my job just to light the space, but to make sure the design is sustainable and does justice to the designer’s vision, especially at night.
What would you like to see change in the profession?
We’re always constricted with budget, and that’s a struggle for me. I’m learning to balance design and budget. You can go through the whole design process, send the [documents] to construction for bids, and then [discover] your whole fixture [schedule] is [value-engineered out]. And all your effort is gone.
A lot of thought goes into designing and choosing the fixtures, but sometimes it doesn’t turn out like we originally envisioned, and that can be disappointing. But that’s often the reality, and I am learning ways to help make sure our designs bring the best value possible.
Describe a few of your favorite projects that you have worked on and your role in them.
Dubai Creek Harbor, which we worked on with SWA Architects, is in an iconic place in Dubai. This project is a large, mixed-use complex located on the banks overlooking Burj Khalifa. We were tasked with illuminating a marina, a boulevard, and sikkas— parklike corridors that connect the boulevard and the harbor. We illuminated them in a human-scale manner with a focus on accentuating landscape features. The walkway is broken up by a variety of dynamic, enormous, suspended public artworks, each one beautifully lit to improve the viewer experience.
We knew that the residents of the area were looking for serenity in nature, the verve of innovation and eclectic cultural offerings, so it was important that we worked closely with our client to make sure the lighting conveyed these elements. Walking through our design process ensured that the result considered the end users. It was a fun challenge learning the cultural preferences of the area and considering them during design.
The Bunker Hill Steps is a small project, but iconic to L.A. We worked on the redevelopment of the landscape surrounding the stairs and the addition of lights in monumental planter pots. The light sources are concealed, lending mystery even viewed from a distance below. The lighting leads tourists along but takes care not to block views of the spectacular L.A. skyline. I learned how to delicately incorporate lighting within the given conditions, as well as the importance of details. •
SPURTHY YOGANANDA DESIGNER, HLB LIGHTING DESIGN, LOS ANGELES
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Read the full interview: bit.ly/SSLspurthy. architecturalssl.com ARCHITECTURAL SSL • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • 19 DESIGNER INSIGHTS
LIGHTING DRAWS IN GUESTS TO STAY, RELAX, & RETURN
LIVING ROOM LOUNGE AND BAR, W TORONTO HOTEL
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Brandon Barré Photography
IN HOSPITALITY, lighting can transform a guest’s experience. Designers can paint light throughout the space using an array of product types on hand, including chandeliers, pendants, wall sconces, and cove lights.
BY VILMA BARR
ARCHITECTURAL ILLUMINATION MATTERS
Lighting can help achieve design objectives while imparting a competitive edge to a venue. In multipurpose spaces, lobbies, or open plan areas, controls can quickly turn an intimate retreat into a vibrant hub for work or socializing.
Technologies and app-based platforms for personalizing guest stays are gaining in popularity among hotel brands, according to London-based lighting designer Paul Nulty. Guests can preset their lighting preferences before entering their room, and the apps will recall their preferences for future stays in other hotels by the same owner. Other hospitality design trends include:
Catering to the millennials. This techsavvy generation relishes personalized interactions. If they love what they see, they will snap a photo or video for posting on social media. Dining area lighting should flatter the user and the space, and highlight the tabletop.
Sustainability. Hospitality professionals are promoting their sustainability practices in the materials they use, from nonhazardous cleaning brands to the locally grown produce served in their restaurants, and to the LED fixtures that reduce energy use.
Bold statement lighting. A lighting centerpiece can contribute to the signature impression of a space, like a reception area.
Read further to learn about the design of three recent hospitality projects: The Algonquin Hotel in New York, W Toronto, and Wilmina in Berlin.
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Luminaires add a modern touch to history
Built in 1902 and designated as a historic landmark in 1987, the 181-room Algonquin Hotel is one of the oldest operating hotels in New York. In 2022, Stonehill Taylor oversaw the refresh of the Beaux-Arts style interior design and architecture of the ground floor public spaces, including the Blue Bar and the Oak Room.
The hotel was renowned for its regular gatherings of artists. In the 1920s, the Algonquin Round Table in the Oak Room hosted daily lunch meetings frequented by writers, Broadway playwrights, poets, and
musicians. “The Algonquin’s new interior design references the sophistication of this special period in New York City and the hotel’s history,” says Sara Duffy, a principal of local architecture firm Stonehill Taylor who also co-led the project design with fellow principal Neill Parker. “Our lighting design focus was to allow the new decorative pieces to feel modern, and the architectural lighting to emphasize the existing details of the space.”
Stonehill Parker worked with HB Lighting to design custom decorative fixtures throughout the space. Reveal Design Group oversaw functional and accent lighting in partnership with Jeffrey Nathan Lighting Design.
In the renovated lobby, a sculptural modern reception desk combines a marble top with a golden inverted-step base integrated with concealed lighting. Backlit bookshelves create an intimate seating corner.
I n the lounge, cove lighting highlights the extensive molding, paneling, and Corinthian columns. Custom chandeliers created by HB Lighting use LED strip lights to illuminate the acrylic disks, Duffy says.
ALGONQUIN HOTEL | NEW YORK CITY
Lobby
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“OUR LIGHTING DESIGN FOCUS WAS TO ALLOW THE NEW DECORATIVE PIECES TO FEEL MODERN, AND … TO EMPHASIZE THE EXISTING DETAILS OF THE SPACE.”
All Images: Eric Laignel / courtesy of Stonehill Taylor
The Blue Bar
The Blue Bar was relocated to its original location, in what is now the main lobby. Bar shelves integrated with dimmable LEDs create a focal point, Duffy says. “Theatrical lighting mounted on the ceiling provides the blue glow. The outer halo is a dimmable linear LED tape light.”
A t one end of the room is an interpretation of the Round Table, under a catenary chandelier of dimmable LEDs—Tracer Loop by Luke Lamp Co. Seating areas are flanked by Aura table fixtures, also by Luke Lamp Co. The dining section features NH S3 brass and blackened metal chandeliers with handblown white glass globes, designed by Neri&Hu for Artemide.
LIGHTING PRODUCTS
v The Oak Room
Stonehill Taylor reimagined The Oak Room as an event space. Ceiling fixtures arranged in an interlocking pattern use champagnecolored metal with linear LED lights suspended above.
Luke Lamp Co. Tracer Loop, Aura lukelampco.com
Artemide NH S3
artemide.net
ALGONQUIN HOTEL | NEW YORK CITY
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Lighting nods to a city’s energy and culture
The $40-million makeover of an 11-story, 254-room former Marriott into the W Toronto has created a destination of high-end dining and event spaces that attract both visitors and local patrons. The hotel, located in the Toronto’s Yorkville section, reflects the multicultural city’s diversity, style, and architectural heritage.
Montreal-based Sid Lee Architecture directed the design program for the public spaces and guest rooms. “Connection to the community is an important part of W’s DNA,” says Martin Leblanc, a senior partner at Sid Lee. “The original layout of the building was an integration challenge. Our team’s role was to create an exterior–interior activity connectivity hub.” The local office of the Ombrages Group served as lighting design consultants.
The new identity is communicated by a geometric façade of white rectangular panels, some of which are in relief. At night, cove lighting accentuates the faceted panels and the building elevation. A bright-colored cab zooms through a glowing elevator shaft, which doubles as a beacon for the hotel.
Guests check in on the sixth level, which also houses W Toronto’s Living
Room, a 5,000-square-foot dining space and lounge surrounded by glazed curtain walls. LED strips, CCT 2700K, mount to a semicircular acrylic panel fixture above a 24-seat bar. “Ceiling-hung pin lights
surrounding the curve cast a glow onto the surface of the acrylic structure,” says Cedra Samaha, director of design for Larco Hospitality, a hotel management company that W Toronto commissioned. Above the open fireplace area, concealed 2700K LED strips on the underside of the seating and counter cast ambient light. Overhead, Samaha notes, suspended theatrical-style pendants cast a soft glow.
Guest room corridors are illuminated by 3000K LED strips for walls and covelit ceilings. The W brand’s Wow and Extreme Wow guest suites include a conversation area illuminated by a grid of overhead light fixtures, comparable
to theatrical marquee lights.
W Toronto’s ninth floor hosts the Skylight rooftop bar, a 134-seat restaurant and open-air patio. A rectilinear grid with brisesoleil styled panels creates visual interest above the bar. Individual and clusters of white globe pendants can be adjusted for brightness by an Encelium control system. “LED strips cast a soft glow on the patterned tile bar face,” Samaha says. Wall sconces on angled black supports accent the dining tables below, in the Skylight Den.
Cove lighting helps illuminate hotel corridors.
TOP: Living Room lounge and bar.
ABOVE: Overhead marqueelike lighting creates a theatrical experience in W Toronto’s Extreme Wow suites.
W TORONTO | TORONTO, CANADA
Façade panels in relief glow at night while a colorful elevator cab and luminous shaft act as a hotel beacon.
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All Images Brandon Barr é Photography
“CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF W’S DNA.”
Once a prison, now a boutique hotel
In West Berlin, the historic Charlottenburg women’s prison at Kantstraße 79 has been transformed by Berlin firm Grüntuch
Ernst Architekten into the boutique hotel Wilmina. The adaptive reuse connected the circa-1896 prison with an adjoining courthouse and reconfigured interior spaces and former cells.
The elegant 44-room destination and restaurant is now a lively urban hot spot for locals and travelers. “It has become an oasis in the heart of the city,” says architect Almut Grüntuch-Ernst.
Glowing arrays of glass orbs—Bocci’s 14 series—suspend via cable at varying densities and lengths to provide visual unity throughout public areas. For the 6-inch diameter fixtures, the architects specified 10W xenon lamps, 2800K, with CRI 100. (Bocci’s 14 series is also available with 1.5W LED lamps.)
The main hotel entrance, originally a window opening, was enlarged into a door connecting the garden courtyard with the lobby, a warm, double-height room with arched windows and a cascade of Bocci’s 14 series. The architects made the open atrium the heart of the building. “The former cell wing extends over five levels: four existing floors and a new penthouse floor on top,” Grüntuch-Ernst describes. “Doorways line up along narrow galleries with wrought-iron balustrades.” Soaring lightwells introduce daylight on a striking washed-brick wall.
Guest rooms range in size from a compact 118 square feet to the spacious, 807-squarefoot Garden Loft, formerly the assembly room. “No room is exactly alike,” GrüntuchErnst says, “but all have light colors, soft textures, and generous natural light.”
Sited in the former prison yard, the Lovis restaurant has panoramic windows that look out to lush gardens. Here, Bocci’s 57 series with their organic glass volumes, 1.5W LED, strewn overhead in organized chaos, while Grau’s iconic Salt & Pepper 5W LED luminaires cast a warm glow on patrons’ faces from tabletops.•
LIGHTING PRODUCTS
Bocci
14 series (left)
57 series (right) bocci.com
ARCHITECTURAL ILLUMINATION MATTERS WILMINA HOTEL | WEST BERLIN, GERMANY
Harry Fricker ©Bocci / courtesy of Grüntuch Ernst Architekten
LOVIS RESTAURANT Bocci 57 series overhead combined with Grau’s Salt & Pepper LED luminaires illuminate tables and patrons in the Lovis restaurant.
LOBBY AND GUESTROOM Bocci’s 14 series pendants greet guests in the Wilimina lobby; suspend in the multistory lightwell; and in a guest room.
ART IN LIGHT INSTALLATION Staircase with Bocci light installation, Omer Arbel, at the Wilmina.
Patricia Parinejad ©Bocci / courtesy of Grüntuch Ernst Architekten
/
Architekten Markus Grőt eke ©Bocci / courtesy of Grüntuch Ernst Architekten architecturalssl.com ARCHITECTURAL SSL • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • 25
Grau Salt & Pepper grau.art
Robert Rieger ©Bocci
courtesy of Grüntuch Ernst
Smart lighting control with DALI and D4i
Learn how this communication protocol and platform can lead to advanced and time-saving lighting capabilities.
Even the most basic lighting controls can amplify the advantages of solid-state lighting by reducing energy consumption and enhancing the user experience. Smart, digital lighting control systems add a layer of sophistication, making full use of sensors as well as the data that can be retrieved from LED drivers. DALI—the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface—is a standardized lighting control technology that is built to enable smart, data-rich networks of connected lighting devices such as luminaires and sensors, each with its own address.
What is DALI?
Created more than two decades ago, DALI is a protocol or language that enables two-way digital communication and data exchange between lighting control devices. It provides a more sophisticated alternative to other control technologies such as 0-10V and Digital Signal Interface. Typically, DALI devices are connected by a dedicated pair of wires known as the DALI bus (wireless DALI is currently in an advanced stage of development). The DALI bus carries DALI power and data on the same pair of wires, often standard two-core cable. Each DALI network requires a bus power supply for the DALI communication signals. Some low-power devices, such as sensors, can be powered directly by the DALI bus in lieu of a dedicated power source.
DALI relies on application controllers, which act as the brains of the system and are installed as separate devices in the DALI network. Using information from different sources, these devices make decisions and send commands to LED drivers, as well as other “control gear” for non-LED lamps. In turn, the drivers set the levels for the light sources, such as diodes inside a luminaire.
Sensors are an important source of information for the DALI system, as are other input devices such as switches, push buttons, and sliders. DALI sensors coupled with occupancy-based data analytics can help facility managers tasked with reducing electricity consumption. Photosensors also help save energy through daylight harvesting—telling the system how much natural light is available in a particular location and controlling the electric lighting in response. This technique also considers factors such as the time of day and the sun’s position in the sky. Some DALI systems can control both the lighting network and the window shades.
Sensor-based lighting control can optimize both the brightness and color temperature of electric lighting, creating a more
comfortable environment for building occupants. Color control is one of many optional features enabled by DALI, which supports several standardized approaches, including tunable white.
Evolution and standardization
The DALI protocol has been deployed successfully in thousands of high-profile lighting projects worldwide, such as Beijing Daxing Airport, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, and a network of hundreds of thousands of outdoor lights operated by the utility Georgia Power in the U.S. DALI is based on the open international standard IEC 62386, published by the International Electrotechnical Commission. Early iterations of the standard covered only control gear; no procedure was in place to ensure that manufacturers were conforming to the device specifications.
This issue was addressed in two ways. First, the standard was restructured and expanded to cover specifications for all critical device types, including application controllers and sensors. Second, leading industry players in 2016 formed the DALI Alliance to create
a certification program for interoperable DALI-based devices. Known as DALI-2, this certification program is built on the latest version of the DALI protocol and is continually maintained and extended by the DALI Alliance.
Certification requires rigorous and comprehensive device testing, and the DALI Alliance verifies the test results before certification is granted. This strengthens market confidence in the interoperability of DALI-2 devices from different manufacturers. DALI-2 also includes backward compatibility with older-generation devices.
Intraluminaire networks and D4i
Lighting projects use DALI to connect multiple luminaires in wired networks that contain sensors and other devices. But DALI can also be used for small intraluminaire networks. Here, one or more LED drivers inside the luminaire are connected via a wired DALI bus to a DALI application controller and possibly to a separate sensor mounted outside the fixture.
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SMART, DIGITAL LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEMS ADD A LAYER OF SOPHISTICATION, MAKING FULL USE OF SENSORS AS WELL AS THE DATA THAT CAN BE RETRIEVED FROM LED DRIVERS.
FLEXIBLE LIGHTING: DALI lighting control was used throughout Biân, a wellness, fitness, medical and social space in Chicago. The design by Morlights is flexible and can match the lighting to the requirements of each space. The lighting scheme enhances occupant experience and enables seamless control of luminaires and multiple lighting scenarios.
In 2019, D4i certification was introduced for devices that have a feature set aligned with the requirements of intraluminaire networks. Along with supplying power to controllers or sensors in the intraluminaire network, D4i has a mandatory requirement for data. D4i LED drivers—and some DALI-2 drivers—are able to collect, store, and report a range of data relating to energy and power usage, maintenance and diagnostics, and luminaire information, such as its light output, CCT, and distribution.
For example, in the Georgia Power project, luminaire information is programmed into a D4i LED driver in the factory. Once the D4i luminaire is installed and connected to the citywide network, the data it collects can be extracted into a user-supplied dashboard. This enables automated commissioning, saving thousands of person-hours; and remote asset management, allowing the utility to know the capabilities and status of all luminaires in its network.
Monitoring and reporting can help optimize energy usage and supply the required performance information for code compliance or energy rebates. Meanwhile, the operational and diagnostics data, including run hours, temperature, and under- or over-voltage conditions, can alert managers of faults through the system and allow facilities staff to deploy a predictive-maintenance strategy.
DALI AT SCALE
Submitted by Synapse Wireless, the Uline Store C6 in Ontario, Calif., was the winning project in the Industrial category of the 2022 DALI Lighting Awards. This warehouse uses more than 4,000 Cree luminaires with D4i drivers connected by wireless networked lighting controllers. DALI data allows the system to achieve energy rebates, meet strict energy codes, and send alerts when the lights are malfunctioning. Daylight harvesting sensors make optimal use of the facility’s 76 skylights. DALI control enables smooth dimming that maximizes comfort for employees.
Network compatibility
DALI systems can be built to exchange information with external networks that use other communication protocols via interface devices, such as gateways, hubs, and routers. For example, DALI lighting networks are often incorporated into building management systems (BMS), which use protocols such as BACnet and KNX. These BMS networks control other building functions, such as HVAC.
Recently, the DALI Alliance standardized the interfaces between DALI systems and two wireless ecosystems: Bluetooth mesh and Zigbee. The two distinct specifications for these “wireless-to-DALI gateways” enable the use of existing wired DALI lighting products in non-DALI wireless network. Now a Bluetooth mesh network can control DALI luminaires that each have a gateway device; or the wireless network can control a subnet of DALI luminaires and sensors via a single gateway.
Flexibility and wireless connectivity
DALI lends itself to future-proof designs that can extend the useful life of a lighting control system. Changes to the design and operation of a DALI system can often be dealt with by software reprogramming, rather than by rewiring or replacing luminaires. A building operator, for example, could change the utilization of space for new tenants by grouping devices and luminaires differently.
While wired systems provide network stability and reliable connectivity, interest is growing in wireless lighting control. Depending on the specific location, positioning wireless control devices without the restrictions of having to run network cables is possible (though they would still require a power supply). Going wireless can increase not only flexibility, but also the ability to scale up systems and add new devices. With no new cabling, labor and material costs are reduced, and the risk of damage to the building drops.
However, a wired solution can be preferred in certain scenarios; for example, where architectural features cause attenuation of the wireless signal. In other circumstances, hybrid solutions may be desirable. The DALI Alliance is providing choice and future flexibility by developing solutions that combine DALI with wireless connectivity. Separate from the standardized wireless-to-DALI gateways described earlier, the DALI Alliance is also developing true wireless DALI, which will reach the market as DALI+ later this year. DALI continues to evolve, addressing the connectivity and data requirements of the SSL market.•
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Courtesy of Synapse Wireless
Lambros Photography
PRODUCTS
Milan Design Week, held April 18–23, closed on a high note with the 61st edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano reporting 307,418 attendees, up 15% from last year. This year also saw the 31st iteration of the biennial international lighting exhibition Euroluce, which brought together 321
Stick | Studiopepe for Contardi
In the Stick floor luminaire, the latest iteration in the series, light emanates through a ribbed Plexiglass diffuser constructed with a triangular metal body finished in satin copper or gold nickel. The dimmable fixture uses a 2700K LED with a CRI exceeding 90. The indoor lamp is also available as a pendant or wall-mounted fixture.
contardi-usa.com
1 Cordea | Favaretto&Partners for Masiero
Inspired by the iconic lights of industrial warehouse, Cordea is a collection of outdoor and indoor pendants and wall lamps that have a bell-shaped metal body topped by a radial heat sink and belted by a wide rubber band featuring the Masiero logo.
masierogroup.com
2 Delta | LumoLamp
This modular system can join light tubes with metal pipes in playful, creative arrangements. The smooth LED tube–pipe transition uses an intuitive “star” connector that transfers electricity without additional cables. The tubes and pipes each come in seven shapes and can be suspended or wall mounted.
lumolamp.eu
3 Awa | Fumie Shibata for Brokis
This hand-blown glass fixture takes its name from the Japanese word for a bubble of air trapped within a liquid, according to the manufacturer. Wood and metal components mimic stoppers that keep the fixture’s contents from escaping.
brokis.cz
architecturalssl.com 28 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL
product manufacturers as well as several educational sessions and designer installations. Below are seven luminaires suitable for commercial, residential, or exterior use that caught our eyes from the extensive selection displayed at Euroluce.
Moon | Thomas Bernstrand for Abstracta
This huggable, globe-shaped pendant mitigates acoustic noise with its polyester felt wrap and sound-absorbing core, which comprises recycled PET bottles. A 23cm-diameter cut-out in its 55cmdiameter body provides direct, dimmable task lighting at 2700K, 3000K, or 4000K with a CRI of 90. Moon is designed to be reused and offers a 10-year parts warranty as well as a zero-waste recycling service.
abstracta.se
4 Buso 80 | Lym
Engineered in collaboration with Malara Associati studio, this recessed spotlight snugly fits in a 79mm-diameter ceiling cut-out and installs quickly using a patented magnetic system. An aluminum cone with a COB source snaps to two above-ceiling metal flanges; a rubber gasket and height-adjustment system ensures the light is flush with the ceiling surface. The result is a minimalist, trimless look in white, black, bronze, copper bronze, or natural aluminum that delivers 98 W/lm.
lym.it
5 Metope | L&L Luce&Light
This minimalist and rectilinear sconce is suitable for outdoor use, including the exteriors of residential and hospitality buildings. The wall-mounted fixture comes in three sizes and with a single or double beam. Standard finishes include white, anthracite, and Cor-Ten; the fixture can also be finished with a primer coat for painting in the future to blend with its wall surrounds.
lucelight.it
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PRODUCTS
LightFair is coming upon us quickly. Returning to the New York’s Javits Center May 21-25, the biennial trade show and conference will feature approximately 300 exhibitors and more than 100 educational sessions by nearly 200 speakers, curated by Brienne Musselman, IES director of education and standards, along with team members from IES and IALD. Other show highlights include on-site tours of its
Spektrum+
LED Neon | American Lighting
Express yourself with this smart lighting system for building interiors, exteriors, or landscaping in a diffused glow. The flexible and dimmable Spektrum+ 12V AC RGBW Neon can output more than a million colors, including 3000K white light, controllable through the Spektrum+ App or Smart Switch. IP67 rated with a maximum run of 20 feet.
americanlighting.com
1 Brio | Oxygen Lighting
A mix of contemporary and industrial, the Brio series of linear LED pendants combines a slim rectangular prism, cable wire, and a rectangular mount suitable for damp environments. The fixtures house a single 3000K LED array with a 90 CRI. Available in a black or powdered gold finish and in a 36" or 48" length.
oxygenlighting.com
2 Athena wireless processor | Lutron
New to Lutron’s Athena lighting control system, this ceiling-mounted processor works with wired and wireless devices, including daylight and occupancy/ vacancy sensors. Scene control is available through the Lutron app and Pico wireless controls.
lutron.com
3 SimpleSeal
CleanSlot CRS4 | Kenall
For cleanrooms with ISO 3–9 ratings, this 4"-wide recessed linear slot luminaire has dimmable LEDs with a minimum 82 CRI. The fixture is rated for BioSafety levels 1 and 2 spaces and NSF2 listed for cleanability and durability. A tunable white option can help maintain end users’ circadian rhythms.
kenall.com
architecturalssl.com 30 • SPRING/SUMMER 2023 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL
PRODUCTS
four pavilions: Design, Outdoor, Technology, and The Collective; seven immersive lighting installations on the theme of Circular Economy; and a May 23 keynote by Karen Treviño, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division chief at the National Park Service.
Below are a few products that will be on display at the trade show.
Miniature 1" M1+ Can-less Downlight | Nora Lighting
Rated IC Air-Tight and for wet locations, the M1+ downlights can be installed housing-free. It has a deeply regressed round downlight with a square trim accessory. Available with 2700K or 3000K 90+ CRI LEDs, and a matte black, bronze, or matte powder white finish.
noralighting.com
architecturalssl.com
acclaimlighting.com
FRY REGLET GRIPLOCK SYSTEMS
LANDSCAPE FORMS
LEDS MAGAZINE
fryreglet.com
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Over the top in Las Vegas? Impossible.
BY WANDA LAU, editorial director
Transfix immerses visitors in lights, sound, and technology across a 200,000-square-foot venue at Resorts World Las Vegas.
Lights, glamour, fire! For anyone finding themselves in Las Vegas now through September, Transfix is an extravagant, dynamic, and neon-packed show that seems perfectly fitting for the city that never sleeps. Three years in the making and billed as the world’s largest immersive art experience, Transfix brings together more than 50 luminous, sometimes fiery, installations by artists worldwide on a multilevel, 200,000-squarefoot venue sited across 4 acres at Resorts World Las Vegas.
Visitors should expect to spend upwards of two hours wending their way through the maze of artworks, which includes mindmelting videos, ocular and sonic landscapes, and fire-breathing sculptures, according to the event organizer.
Participating in this illuminated extravaganza are several artists who work regularly with light. In Axion, German artist Christopher
Bauder and composer KiNK (Strahil Velchev) combine a large-scale inverted pyramid of illuminated latticework with moving lights and sound to evoke the sense of a hallucination.
Mexican entrepreneur and Mayan Warrior project founder Pablo González Vargas is presenting Ilumina, a 37-foot-tall light and sound sculpture that invites participates to meditate for three minutes while connected to biometric sensors that use the gathered data to inform the structure’s lighting and soundscapes.
Multinational technology group LedPulse
Collective Mind is displaying its advanced volumetric LED 3D display, DragonO². The modular system uses LedPulse’s patented DragonO Neuronal System to create an interactive and dynamic experience.
And, as promised, American sculptural artist Charles Gadeken introduces light of the most primitive sort: fire. Helix is a 25-foot-tall treelike sculpture with outstretched branches
LEDS IN THEIR GLORY
Clockwise from left: Axion by Christopher Bauder and KiNK; DragonO² by LedPulse; Ilumina by Pablo González
culminating in orbs of fire. (Gadeken is also displaying Entwined, a garden of flowerlike sculptures composed of 2,000 LEDs.)
“Our aim is to elevate and redefine ‘immersive,’” said Tom Stinchfield, Transfix co-founder and chief revenue officer in a press release. “We believe that interacting with art at this large of a scale can change the world by illuminating one mind at a time.”
In the same release, Transfix CEO and co-founder Michael Blatter said the show’s business model centered on supporting artists: “Our goal is to change the way that artists receive recognition and compensation for their work. We founded Transfix to create a platform that funds artists of all backgrounds to develop new large-scale artworks that would have never been realized otherwise, and we’re thrilled to present it with the world.”
Through September 2023. Tickets start at $59 for adults and $25 for kids 15 and under.•
Vargas.
Chelsa Christensen / courtesy of Transfix
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