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Freeze Frame

A closer take on the hottest solutions from February

Staff -- Interior Design, 2/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

1. Let There Be Light

While daylight may be the most ecological form of ambient lighting, the sun stubbornly sets every evening. Undeterred, Dublin-based Bucholz McEvoy Architects designed a smart alternative for both Fingal County Hall and software giant SAP's service and support center. These custom-designed luminaires, manufactured by Evolution Lighting and equipped with dimmable digital ballasts, reflect fluorescent light off ceilings at intensities determined by photocells. Thus, the lux level is maintained at around 800, and computer screens stay glare-free. "User-Friendly," page 130; "Hall of Fame," page 136.

2. Out of the Box

"I try to include artwork in all my projects," says Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque, who moonlights as a curator when he is not designing funky-fresh interiors. At 40 feet long by 4 feet high, the light box he conceived for the interior of his new Mynt Ultralounge in South Beach will feature a seasonally rotating exhibit of photography. The designer collaborated with New York graphics firm Subtitle to select and tweak the images, culled from stock sources. "Freshen Up," page 192.

3. Shadow Play

Because the HEAR Center in Pasadena, California, provides therapy that involves lipreading, eliminating shadows is essential. "The building used to have one fixture for every 5 square feet—and those 1950s lamps were energy hogs," explains architect Aleks Istanbullu. The corridor's 8-foot JDA Series luminaire from National is one of several tricks Istanbullu employed to provide ample diffused lighting while drastically cutting energy costs. The clerestory window just above the up-light provides sufficient ambient illumination for the audiologist's office on the other side of the corridor wall. "Loud and Clear," page 102.