Industry News
Playful Lighting Design Sets Recreation Space Apart in Engineering Firm Headquarters
November 30, 2020
A new headquarters for VBFA, consulting engineers in Murray, Utah, meant the opportunity for some new and noteworthy employee perks. The core of the colonial style building was remodeled with a more modern aesthetic and includes a spacious break room with kitchen and dining facilities and a recreation area complete with ping pong, foosball, video gaming, and a pool table.
Much of the renovation project was handled by VBFA's team, including associate Lewis Wong, who coordinated the electrical engineering and lighting design.
The recreation and break room is across the hall from a large training room, which often hosts clients. Guests gather in the break room for meals and are invited to take advantage of the recreation facilities at the same time.
“This is a really fun space,” said Wong. “Beyond employees and clients using the facilities on a weekday, staff and their families are invited to schedule the room for private events on nights and weekends. So, I wanted to add some interesting lighting touches to make it unique.”
Wong selected Mark’s Slot 2 linear fixture, with direct distribution, for the open concept room. The linear luminaires illuminate the break room side, but with a twist. Wong combined black and white fixtures of varying standard lengths to create a playful series of criss-cross pendants across the ceiling.
“Slot 2 is a slick fixture with its clean, minimalistic lines,” Wong said.
He used luminaires with a white finish for the breakroom side to make it feel more open. The zigzag patterned aesthetic then continues on the recreation side, where Slot 2 fixtures in a black finish differentiate the space. Where the spaces transition, the pendants are a blend of black and white.
Because the industrial ceiling featured exposed ductwork, pendant lengths were adjusted to hang just below the existing infrastructure, without compromising performance or illumination requirements. Precision optics in the Slot 2 fixture deliver optimized direct light down to the kitchen workspaces, dining tables, and games tables below.
Wong appreciated the wide variety of options for the color temperature to ensure he could exactly match the new fixtures to the existing. All pendants have dimming capability, and digital lighting control is managed by nLight®.
Additional Mark lighting can be found in a refresh bar area located on each new headquarters' floor. An SPR LED recessed wall wash is installed over the bar counter and 2” Gotham square downlights illuminate the sink area. The high-performance SPR luminaire provides uniform, even illumination down to the counter below while effectively accentuating the new rebranded company logo mounted on the textured wall behind.
"I think the lighting turned out great," said Wong. "Slot 2 gives the aesthetic we want in the recreation and break room. It creates a playful atmosphere that is intriguing yet sophisticated."
PROJECT NAME: VBFA Headquarters
LOCATION: Murray, Utah, USA
PROJECT COMPLETION: July 2019
LIGHTING DESIGN: VBFA
PHOTOGRAPHY: Lewis Wong Photography
