Jewel Zones

Staff -- Interior Design, 10/31/2008 12:00:00 AM

firm: john robert wiltgen design
site: chicago

As the quest for environmental friendliness continues, more eco projects are sprouting up across the U.S., particularly in the residential market. Stepping onto the path, Senco Properties tapped John Robert Wiltgen Design to inject green elements into the common spaces of its aptly named Chicago condominium project, Emerald. The complex comprises a pair of 12-story towers, connected by a two-story lobby and additional public spaces that include a fitness center and a resident lounge known as the Green Room. While the zones are differentiated by their functions and furniture, they are linked visually by the organically shaped lighting fixtures of Aqua Creations founder Ayala Serfaty.

“We created a lighting system as the most important element of our lobby, one that complements its environmentally-friendly furnishings and finishes,” says Wiltgen. Serfaty's lamps use fluorescent lighting—more energy-efficient than incandescent—and are complemented by a series of hidden LEDs that are computer controlled to dim during times when there is less foot traffic.

Visitors first encounter Serfaty's work in the lobby, where her Sunsa chandelier sprouts 18 crushed-silk shades from the arms of a brushed metal column. The wedge-like Liana S lamps, hanging in Club Emerald, span 72 inches in length, and are suspended using two metal cables. Their cousin, Liana D, is a wall-mounted piece of similar shape. Morning Glory floor lamps stand 83 inches tall in Club Emerald and the Green Room; their crowns measure 41 inches in diameter. And the onion-shaped Suuria pendants, which hang in the lobby galleries, board room, and Club Emerald, feature 21-inch-diameter, crushed-silk shades hanging via black metal stems. For this project, Serfaty customized all her fixtures with silk shades in, of course, green hues. 800-670-8836; aquagallery.com. circle 656

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