Peter Basso Associates recently provided mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering design and lighting design services for the renovation of the historic Bamlet Building in Detroit to be converted into the Detroit Institute of Music Education.
An historic building that over the past several years had sadly fallen into disrepair was hand selected by the founders and developers of the new Detroit Institute of Music Education (D.I.M.E.), as its future home. The six-story structure, encompassing 36,000 square feet of space, required all new electrical, plumbing and mechanical design systems after having sat vacant for several years and subsequently failing to meet city codes.
As an immersive learning environment of study and live performance, some of the unique electrical features of the project included adding wireless and smart boards to every classroom, along with data to all of the office spaces; adding digital video recording and playback projection to the live performance venues; state-of-the-art sound systems incorporated throughout; and security features including video security and intrusion detection, along with a student security card access system.
In order to successfully create the desired “underground music scene” atmosphere, lighting also needed to play an integral factor in the design transformation.
School house pendant fixtures in the classrooms, help create an inspirational aesthetic appeal, similar to what the pioneers of rock-and-roll were schooled under as the movement of rock was formulating. For performance gatherings, the use of jelly-jar globes mimic the environment that new music acts are accustomed to during live performances.
With the “Lighting Detroit” initiative, the glowing globes visible through the windows identify the building as uniquely Detroit: a reflection of the creativity that is brewing inside the newly renovated D.I.M.E. Building.
For more information on upcoming events at the D.I.M.E. building, check out their website at.http://www.dime-detroit.com/
