A view of the United States Institute of Peace at night. The bui…
A view of the United States Institute of Peace at night. The building glows from within, doubling as exterior as well as interior illumination.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
Clerestories bring daylight into the corridors so that they only…
Clerestories bring daylight into the corridors so that they only use electric light when necessary. T5 strips, which indirectly light both the offices and corridors, are integrated continuously into the base of the curving clerestories to keep the surface area of the ceiling uncluttered.
Bill Fitz-Patrick/United States Institute of Peace
A view from the main building atrium looking up at the offices…
A view from the main building atrium looking up at the offices.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
In the amphitheater, the ceiling is the luminaire. Dimmable T5…
In the amphitheater, the ceiling is the luminaire. Dimmable T5HO fluorescent strips are concealed above and MR16 HIR adjustable accents provide targeted illumination of the speaker at the front of the room.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
The auditorium features a xenon backlit wood-slatted wall and …
The auditorium features a xenon backlit wood-slatted wall and a tiered ceiling of undulating forms. T5HOs provide general lighting and recessed PAR38 HIR adjustable accent downlights wash the stage.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
One of the internal connecting stairs in the building illuminate…
One of the internal connecting stairs in the building illuminated by compact fluorescents hidden in plaster niches that line the stair walls.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
From inside the main atrium looking up at the sail-like roof s…
From inside the main atrium looking up at the sail-like roof structure. T5HO forward-throw cove luminaires are located in the tops of the perimeter walls to light the space. Digital addressable ballasts allow light output to be tuned along the roof perimeter to accent the curvature of the forms.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
Carefully aimed in-grade ceramic metal halide adjustable accents…
Carefully aimed in-grade ceramic metal halide adjustable accents illuminate the pronounced form of the exterior roof overhang.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
The building relies on its interior lighting to achieve its fa…
The building relies on its interior lighting to achieve its façade lighting. Site lighting elements are kept at a minimum; a few bollards, an LED striplight in the curving bench, and a wash on the inscription wall.
Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
An exterior view of the building. A central lighting control s…
An exterior view of the building. A central lighting control system coordinates a occupancy sensing, daylight sensing, and local preset scene control for maximum energy savings.
Sited adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial, the United States Institute of Peace boldly makes its mark on the Washington, D.C., skyline with a white luminescent roof, whose curving, steel-framed form evokes a dove in flight. The roofs shelter the building’s three wings—which encompass 150,000 square feet—as well as two soaring atria. Lam Partners delivered a subtle lighting design that focuses attention on the structure’s clean, minimalist architecture with nary a hint of a fixture in view.
The roof sections are composed of a whitefritted outer-glass shell and an inner-white fabric membrane that sandwiches the steel framing elements. During the day, sunlight transforms the roofs into brilliant umbrellas. To create a similar effect at night, the designers placed T5HO forward-throw cove fixtures at the tops of the atria walls. Digitally controllable ballasts allow light output to be tuned along the roof’s perimeter and dimmed overall, subtly accentuating the roof’s curvature. This single source simultaneously creates interior ambient lighting and the beacon-like glow of the exterior.
The designers made ample use of daylight in the office wings as well. Perimeter offi ces are fully daylit, and the natural light is supplemented with T5 linear pendant downlights. In the corridors, clerestories bring in daylight and T5 strips integrated into the bases keep the passageways’ ceilings pristine.
Jury Comments: Beautifully done. • The lighting of the roof structure is a technical feat.
Details
Architect: Safdie Architects, Somerville, Mass. Lighting Designer: Lam Partners, Cambridge, Mass. Photographer: Bill Fitz-Patrick/USIP (bottom left), Glenn Heinmiller (all others) Project Size: 150,000 square feet Project Cost: $110 million Watts per Square Foot: Not subject to local building jurisdictions or energy codes due to project’s foreign nation status. Manufacturers:
Bartco Lighting, Bega, B-K Lighting, Celestial, Corelite, Con-Tech
Lighting, Cooper Lighting, Edison Price, Engineered Lighting Products,
Eureka, Kramer Lighting, Lam Lighting, Linear Lighting, Lithonia (Acuity
Brands), LSI Industries, Lutron, Focal Point, Philips Day-Brite,
Philips Lightolier, Shaper (Cooper Lighting), Selux, Spring City,
WattStopper, Wila Lighting, We-ef
