Canadian-based lighting studio Archilume were brought in by Studios Architecture to create a stunning lighting installation for the Watt Plaza in California. The result is a striking constellation of 350 individually mounted P1M LED luminaires.
Archilume called the P1M its marquee pendant that will set the stage for what is now the brand’s design ethos: “Innovating by combining science with beauty.”
The studio was founded in 2013 as a creator of glare-free decorative luminaires. It was one of the first companies to use energy-efficient LED chip-on-board technology in a luminaire and, with the P1M, helped lead the way with the application of total internal reflection optics in decorative LED lighting.
Lighting design specialists Banks Landl Lighting Design (previously Hiram Banks Lighting Design) were brought on board the project. BLLD designed a template system for the overall 15’x19’ lighting cove area in the ceiling with which the contractor could simply layout the individual mounting points and required wiring. BLLD’s lighting design template was projected from the floor, using a laser to mark each of the installation positions. Each fixture was then mounted at a different cable length.
This was a critical component to the overall design success of the installation as the pattern needed to be exact and simple enough for the installation to be efficient, but random enough for the overall mass to look unified.
“We’re thrilled to have worked with BLLD and Studios Architecture. Not only did this design project truly tap into our core design philosophy, but the Watt Plaza Lobby lighting installation also showcases the breadth of our product capabilities. We expect designers to explore and create limitless site-specific lighting installations for their projects. It’s like LEGO for light!” said Saleem Khattak, Archilume.
Since Watt Plaza was the first LEED Platinum-certified office high-rise building in Century City, California, it was integral to the project to incorporate integrated features to maintain this status. Using Archilume’s P1M low wattage, low output fixtures in a large, focalized quantity, allowed for the surrounding connective spaces to have reduced power consumption, effectively allowing the design to be compliant under the stringent CA Title 24 code, and contributing to the overall LEED goal.
