Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company The Lighting Practice
Lead Designers Jon Hoyle
Other Designer's names Eve Quellman, Mia Rosensaft
Architecture Company DIGSAU
Client Post Brothers
Photo Credits Halkin Mason Photography
Completion Date August 18, 2023
Project Location Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Entry DescriptionAn amenity pool deck at a luxury living community serves as a lit architectural beacon, evoking a moment of serenity nestled in the bustle of city life. The lighting design team embarked on a mission to create a luminous environment that combines inspiration from classical architectural antiquities and the surrealist art movement.
The design team focused on establishing visual hierarchy, illuminating entry points, and highlighting the soft curves of the space. Arched leisure cabanas, reminiscent of ancient ruins, are brought to life with in-grade up-lighting, casting soft glows that accentuate their curves and provide visual comfort. Intimate seating areas and landscape features are bathed in warm illumination, creating pockets of tranquility amid the hardscape environment.
Strategic placement of landscape accent lights fosters serenity and provides functional pathway lighting. The designers chose to uplight the trees to add more vertical illumination, contributing to the purposeful layering of light. The lily pad walkway leading to the in-pool fire pit seating area is illuminated by encapsulated tape light and pool submersible fixtures.
Unique factors, such as the need for wet-listed fixtures and pool submersible lighting, posed fixture sourcing challenges. The design team was able find fixtures to handle the demanding environment, ensuring both safety and aesthetic appeal.
Sustainability ApproachThe sustainability approach for this amenity pool deck within a luxury living community includes several key initiatives. Whenever possible, lighting fixtures were sourced within the United States and Canada to minimize the carbon footprint. The designers specified luminaires primarily made of aluminum, a highly recyclable material that offers a significant advantage over other commonly used materials like steel. Unlike steel, aluminum can be recycled almost indefinitely.
Lighting fixtures in and surrounding the pool are energy-efficient LEDs. Additionally, the lighting features advanced controls with timers, ensuring that lights are only on when necessary, such as the nighttime, effectively illuminating pathways and the pool area at night while conserving energy during the day.
