HLB Lighting Design's Collaboration on the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse Honored As Project Is Named One of Top Ten Sustainable Designs of the Year

Award winning architectural lighting designers, Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, are honored by the AIA for their contributions to the Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, one of the top ten sustainable designs of the year.

(PRWEB) May 10, 2007 -- Recently chosen by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as one of their top ten sustainable design projects of the year, The Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon, represents a shining example of Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design's (www.hlblighting.com) commitment to sustainability and reducing impact on the environment through smarter energy choices and innovative design methods.

Chosen by Pritzker Prize winning architect Thom Mayne as a key collaborator on Morphosis's $92 million renovation of the Courthouse, HLB Lighting spearheaded a number of unique sustainable lighting solutions for this 270,000 square foot courthouse.

Challenged with honoring Mayne's vision that the building's architecture express its transparency and availability to all, as well as US District Court Judge Michael Hogan's desire to recognize the building's status as an iconic bedrock of the country's justice system, HLB set out to design a lighting solution that celebrates both the courthouse's traditional and progressive vibrancy with a number of creative gestures.

Washes of light follow the sculptural curves and backlight artwork with simple rhythms throughout the building's circulation spaces. Stepping into the courtroom, the design is more unexpected and complements the innovative architecture by lighting the elegant curved wood walls and ceiling with fluorescent luminaires cased within fin-like architectural forms. Special attention was paid to the supplemental illumination strategically added at the bench and juror areas.

"Though we never lost sight of our creative design challenges, sustainability was a key focus throughout the course of this project," said Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design's Senior Principal Teal Brogden. "As more and more of our projects take on the challenge of becoming LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, we will continue to make use of inventive and sustainable lighting solutions such as these."

While the courthouse required creative lighting design solutions throughout, HLB Lighting took care to ensure that each lighting element was also readily accessible for maintenance.

In total, HLB Lighting Design collaborated with Morphosis on six federal courtrooms with judges' chambers, support offices, circulation, lobby, jury assembly areas and a cafeteria.

In addition to the sustainable lighting solutions, the design of the courthouse features a wide array of other environmentally forward-thinking elements such as: extensive glazing, which allows for an abundance of natural light and connectivity; a sophisticated water-saving system and fixtures; as well as various underlying security elements required to operate the building with maximum effectiveness.

The Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse has received the U.S. Green Building Council's Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and is also the recipient of the GSA Design Award for outstanding public architecture.

ABOUT HORTON LEES BROGDEN LIGHTING DESIGN
Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design is an internationally recognized design firm with five principals and a staff of over 35 designers that serve clients from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The firm specializes in architectural lighting for all project types, including interior and exterior venues such as airports, museums, performing arts centers, hospitality/resorts, healthcare facilities, bridges, building exteriors, libraries, offices, shopping centers, specialty retail, universities, public transportation, public plazas, sports facilities, parks and entertainment facilities.

The firm models its services on a few basic tenets: design innovation and excellence, responsiveness to clients' needs, advanced technical skills, maintainable and pragmatic solutions, creativity and sensitivity to image, function, budget and a far-reaching commitment to energy-efficient lighting design and sustainable solutions.

HLB Lighting Design is a WBE/DBE firm certified with several government agencies and authorities.

For more information, please visit www.hlblighting.com

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