Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Company HLB Lighting Design
Lead Designers Robyn Goldstein, Haley Darst, Stefano Amabile, Stella Murray, Ethan Neslund
Other Designer's names Microsoft
Client Microsoft
Photo Credits Connie Zhou
Other Credits Sasaki
Completion Date 2022
Project Location Reston, VA, USA
Entry DescriptionDesigned and built during the COVID pandemic, Microsoft desired that their new, 18-floor, 400,000SF office building serve as a magnet, drawing employees back to the workplace by focusing on incorporating more collaborative spaces with a major emphasis on creating a residential feel. Drawing inspiration from Reston, Virginia’s urban planning design, influenced by the Garden City movement, the overall concept evolves from ground cover at base levels of the building up towards the sky on the top floors. Lower floors utilize darker, textural finishes, where lighting is shielded, playing up shadows and depth. Moving upwards, finishes become lighter and in turn, lighting becomes more transparent, incorporating sparkle and luster.
The Garden City theme is most apparent along the central framework wall on each office floor. Rectangles of light emanate from core walls, encapsulating social zones with floating frames of light, reminiscent of the city’s greenbelts, while open offices, coined as neighborhoods, are organized along each floor’s perimeter, like communities in a Garden City, providing ample natural light to the work area.
No matter where you turn in this 18-story office, the strong, seamlessly integrated nature-inspired and extremely energy efficient all LED design concept, combined with unexpected fun lighting moments, make this office space feel anything but office-like.
