Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company Lam Partners
Lead Designers Glenn Heinmiller
Other Designer's names Eda Muco, Jennifer Sanborn
Architecture Company Jacobs
Client Bristol Myers Squibb
Photo Credits Anton Grassl
Completion Date March 2024
Project Location Cambridge, MA, USA
Entry DescriptionThis 480,000-square-foot R&D facility brings together over 600 scientists and researchers in a vibrant biomedical hub. The lighting design balances visual excitement with rigorous lab and office performance, all while significantly reducing lighting power density.
Guided by the concept “Connections Through Color,” color-changing RGBW lighting animates ceilings, stairs, and the building’s conference tower, linking spaces visually through a DMX-controlled network. Murals and graphics throughout the labs are evenly illuminated with fixtures carefully integrated into shallow plenums.
Lab lighting achieves even, glare-free illumination with modular LED panels, while wallwashing brightens colorful murals and balances daylight. Despite added visual features, lab LPD is just 0.88 W/ft²—32% below code—and overall project LPD is 0.72 W/ft², 27% below code.
With high-CRI sources, customizable fixtures, and digital addressable controls for maximum flexibility, the lighting system delivers performance, comfort, and energy efficiency—contributing to the facility’s LEED Gold certification.
Sustainability ApproachSustainability is embedded in the project’s lighting design through energy efficiency, longevity, and adaptability. Fixture wattages and layouts were optimized to reduce lighting power density, achieving 32% below code in labs and 27% overall. High-efficacy, long-life LED sources minimize maintenance and waste, while high-CRI performance ensures visual comfort and color accuracy. Modular, reconfigurable fixtures allow flexible lab layouts without system replacement, extending lifecycle value. A networked, digital control system provides addressable dimming, occupancy sensing, and scene presets to maximize energy savings. Together, these strategies support LEED Gold certification—delivering a lighting system that balances human comfort, energy performance, and long-term sustainability.
