Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company HDR
Lead Designers Eric Rushenberg
Other Designer's names Gregory Ramseth, Scott Elofson, Isaac Bros
Architecture Company HDR
Interior Design Company HDR
Client Mayo Clinic
Photo Credits Dan Schwalm, HDR
Completion Date February 2024
Project Location Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Entry DescriptionThis world-class medical research laboratory pioneers modern cancer research and reimagines what a “lab of the future” can be. An adaptable, collaborative space where lighting plays a central role in shaping user experience, architecture, and performance. The lighting design solves a fourfold challenge: enhance human comfort, express interior and exterior architectural form, integrate daylight, and support the building’s mission. Inside, a balance of technical precision and architectural intent results in a motivating, high-performance research environment. Graze, cove, indirect, and decorative lighting emphasize form and materiality, while magnetically mounted, movable task luminaires offer personalized flexibility. On the exterior, a perforated metal scrim becomes a symbolic dermis, opaque by day and translucent by night, revealing internal activity through illuminated oculi. Warm accents and landscape glows reinforce the facility’s presence in the community. Throughout, digital controls enable precise lighting balance across all spaces, day and night.
Sustainability ApproachSustainability is integral to this 24-hour research facility. Interior daylight harvesting controls minimize energy use while supporting circadian rhythms. Floor-to-ceiling glazing provides daylight and views, aided by a custom scrim that reduces glare without blocking visibility. Lighting materials feature recycled content and zero-VOC finishes. The exterior lighting design minimized material use through custom mounts and louvers, eliminating bulky housing and conduit while reducing glare. Digital controls maintain coordinated energy performance across interior and exterior zones. These strategies combine to reduce environmental impact, improve occupant wellness, and support the lab’s mission to advance human health.
