Illuminart, a Division of Peter Basso Associates, Inc., is pleased to announce that its project, The Gallery | The Fresco (Detroit Athletic Club), has received a 2020 IES Award of Merit. Illuminart provided architectural lighting design solutions to its architectural partner, McIntosh Poris Associates on the project.
Illuminart was tasked with updating the architectural lighting design for the 4,800 sf of historic restaurant space located on the ground floor of the high profile, 105 year-old Detroit Athletic Club building (Detroit, MI).
Lighting design for The Gallery & The Fresco required sensitivity to the historic Oak millwork, Pewabic tile flooring and hand-painted, vaulted plaster ceiling finishes, which were carefully restored to their original glory. Design considerations were made, while navigating equipment installation within aging infrastructure under a demanding construction schedule.
According to the design team at Illuminart, with two distinct dining areas - The Gallery and The Fresco, 'the lighting approach sought to honor the architecture of the spaces and highlight the unique elements of the rooms. The project's design goals included, 'increased visibility for customers, celebration of the well-appointed finishes and collected artworks, simplified lighting controls, decreased energy usage and demands upon maintenance staff.
Collaborative meetings with the design team and installing contractor were critical to working through installation details that took into consideration millwork modifications as well was ceiling accessibility issues and wiring paths that minimized disruption to the historic decorative plaster.
Energy consumption was decreased by nearly 70% and the exclusive use of LED sources greatly reduced the maintenance requirements. The lighting control system was set up to allow for easy day-to-day usage while still giving the client the ability to modify scenes when desired.
The updated lighting offers a more visually interesting yet comfortable environment that brings attention to many of the existing architectural details that previously had been overlooked.'
(Karl Geil, LC, IES, Lighting Designer, Illuminart, contributed to this article.)
47th Annual IES Illumination Awards
The IES Illumination Awards program recognizes individuals for professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design based on the individual merit of each entry. Judges are selected from a broad professional spectrum, representing knowledge of lighting and design excellence. The judging system is entirely based on how well the lighting design meets the program criteria. The Illumination Awards program is not a competition.
More about Illuminart
Illuminart is a Michigan-based firm offering cost-effective lighting design solutions to the architectural community nationally and internationally for more than 30 years. The award-winning team has designed several million square feet of retail space, offices, automotive design showrooms, and trade show events.
Recently, new "Best Practice" design standards were published by the IES (Illuminating Engineering Society). It is important for architects to reference these standards when planning lighting for interior and exterior designs. Illuminart provides the new standards as part of our services.
Illuminart's creativity and diversity have led to more than 52 international design awards that highlight an unyielding commitment to the quality and detail of their work.
