NATIONAL AWARD OF MERIT
(Citation for Strong Correlation Between Lighting Design and Users of the Space)
Designer: Michelle Eble-Hankins
Company: Alvine Engineering
A public elementary school, focused on providing multi-sensory stimuli, was designed for severely developmentally-challenged students to create an experiential learning environment specific to their unique needs. Many of these students spend all day looking up from an almost flat position in their wheelchairs, making the ceilings and lighting a critical component of the design. Lighting provides significant visual interest and comfort through the use of effects such as color changing, while also limiting the potential for glare. The results are an all-LED building that performs 30% better than the energy code, will significantly reduce maintenance requirements for the owner, and achieves the owner’s goal of providing opportunities for “stimulating connections” within the minds of the students.
