The lighting concept for this two-story office and research space fosters tranquility while supporting diverse and creative functions. Tunable white LED fixtures mimic north-facing natural light, ensuring seamless transitions from day to night, creating a smooth visual shift between indoor and outdoor environments. Daylight and occupancy sensors help balance light levels and energy usage, ensuring compliance with NYCECC 2020.
In the open office, long bands of shallow barrel vaults, are emphasized through uplighting, serving as a focal point on the lower level. To achieve peak brightness at the top of the barrel vaults, custom, narrow optic linear uplights are designed to fit within a less than 1 inch deep shelf and are fixed at a precise aiming angle. Cylinder downlights integrated into 2.5 inch wide architectural reveals provide extra task lighting at 30fc, reducing the energy load on the uplights.
In enclosed offices, integrated mini track lighting illuminates objects within wood cabinetry, offering low-glare ambient lighting. This lighting is activated and deactivated by vacancy sensors, and cabinet lighting operates with jamb switches to conserve energy further when doors are closed. Between offices, small track heads with snoots minimize harsh reflections while highlighting artwork in transparent volumes, subtly defining boundaries while maintaining a continuous visual flow.
On the upper level, the luminous ceiling provides bright, even illumination for robotic and laboratory areas, with output adjusted to meet LPD requirements. Ultra-high transmission perforated membranes with foam backing are incorporated to meet acoustic goals in the machinery room. The evenly lit walls and floors are used to display prototypes and models.
In enclosed controlled-environment rooms, modified linear lighting is designed to withstand extreme humidity and temperature, and serves as an invisible layer for specialized environments requiring grow lighting.
A few static white fixtures are strategically selected to save cost while enhancing materials and defining the functions of enclosed spaces: 3000K creates warmth and intimacy in private offices, while 4000K fosters an energized, focused atmosphere in those controlled-environment rooms.
In the open area with tunable white fixtures, precise DMX values are programmed into the control system to ensure visual and mathematical harmony between the indirectly lit ceiling below and the direct luminous ceiling above, maintaining consistency across both floors.
