Prize(s) Winners in Landscape Lighting Design
Lighting Design/Product Company Tillotson Design Associates
Lead Designers Suzan Tillotson
Other Designer's names Gabriela Grullon, Zoe Grosshandler, Trinetra Manickavsagam
Architecture Company Weiss Manfredi, Reed Hildebrand
Client Longwood Gardens
Photo Credits Sahar Coston-Hardy/Esto, Albert Vecerka/Esto, Ale Nelson/Esto, Hank Davis, Stephen Limauro
Completion Date 11/01/2024
Project Location Kennett Square, PA
Entry DescriptionThe focal point of this 17-acre expansion is the West Conservatory, a transparent building with an asymmetrical, crystalline silhouette sitting atop a large reflecting pool. Large pools and canals within the interior reflect the delicate white structure, serving as backdrop for the Mediterranean plant collection.
The Conservatory undergoes several transformations in a year, as pockets of seasonal specimens sprinkled throughout the permanent collection are rotated. To support this transformation, individually addressable track mounted fixtures with capabilities of changing CCT, vibrancy and intensity, allows the curatorial team to highlight pops of color and tune the white light to each specimen.
Sustainability ApproachAll fixtures, including track lights in the conservatory, were low wattage LED’s and in all instances, whether paths, gardens or conservatories the concept was to use the least amount of wattage as possible for a sense of safety and to create the ambience required for such a special nighttime environment. Glare control was a huge concern, and excessive up lighting was avoided. For example, all column uplights in the conservatory were carefully shielded to minimize reflections as well as spill through the glass roof structure.
Company DescriptionTillotson Design Associates, founded in 2004, is a WBE lighting design consultancy based in New York City. A diverse staff with backgrounds in architecture, interior design, and theater, including several LEED accredited professionals, combine talents to create exemplary work. Together, our principals provide over 80 years of lighting expertise. The launch of Tillotson Design Associates came just after Ms. Tillotson completed lighting designs for the Seattle Central Public Library and Prada Beverly Hills with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture.
