Prize(s) Winners in Interior Architectural Illumination
Lighting Design/Product Company KPK Lighting Design
Lead Designers Kristin Pickar-Knussmann
Other Designer's names Juanita Fadul
Interior Design Company Gin Design Group
Client James McGhee
Photo Credits Leonid Furmansky
Other Credits Objektfab, Moon Papas
Completion Date 2/13/2025
Project Location Houston, Texas
Entry DescriptionHaii Keii invites guests into a cinematic world where fantasy and reality blur, drawing inspiration from popular movies like Blade Runner and Kill Bill. The lighting design balances dramatic storytelling with warmth and visual comfort, crafting an immersive yet appetizing dining experience. A glowing entry corridor of edge-lit acrylic screens guides diners toward a central dining space anchored by a suspended bonsai tree with RGBW glowing leaf clusters. Intimate booths flank the space, wrapped in crimson rope and bathed in red uplight. Shoji screens span the upper walls, evenly backlit and animated with silhouetted projections to evoke hidden narratives behind. At the bar, reflective red surfaces are precisely spotlighted against black stone and warm backlit mesh. Throughout the space, fixtures are concealed or custom-finished to harmonize with the architecture. A layered lighting control system with DMX, astronomical time clock, and programmable color scenes enables dynamic mood shifts. With every detail, the lighting underscores the restaurant’s theatrical storytelling, driven by deep coordination between local artists, fabricators, and designers.
Sustainability ApproachHaii Keii utilizes a 100% LED lighting system, with a layered control strategy to maximize energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact without sacrificing visual atmosphere. A centralized dimming system, programmed with an astronomical time clock, adjusts light levels throughout the day and ensures all non-essential lighting is powered off outside of business hours. This automation ensures a smooth transition between lighting presets that go unnoticeable by the diner while reducing unnecessary energy usage. The system also uses occupancy sensors to further decrease consumption in transitional and back-of-house zones. Each lighting layer is individually zoned and dimmed based on its functional and aesthetic purpose, ensuring every space receives only the light it needs, when it needs it. Together, these strategies create an elegant balance of sustainability and design performance.
Company DescriptionArchitectural Lighting Design firm based out of Houston. Expertise includes interiors, exteriors and landscapes for projects ranging from residential, to commercial to corporate.
