Prize(s) Winners in Energy Saving Lighting Systems
Lighting Design/Product Company HLB Lighting Design
Lead Designers Michael Lindsey
Other Designer's names E. Teal Brogden, Samuel Hewett
Architecture Company LMN Architects
Interior Design Company LMN Architects
Client Seattle Convention Center
Photo Credits © Lauren K. Davis / feinknopf
Completion Date January 2023
Project Location Seattle, WA
Entry DescriptionIn Seattle, the Summit Building redefines convention center design as a vertical, sustainable beacon entwined with Pacific Northwest culture. Rising boldly on an urban footprint, its architectural essence transforms civic scale into unforgettable human connection.
Inside the 58,000 ft2 ballroom, a sculptural wormwood ceiling evokes a native forest canopy. Light becomes storytelling—layered illumination is hidden within architecture, including glowing pendants casting a warm, intimate glow across the canopy. Embedded motorized fixtures—with framing, gobo, and color control—are networked via DMX for full theatrical flexibility allowing the space to adapt to each client’s vision.
Public area like the Mixing Zone blend art, architecture, and light to foster community engagement. Precisely aimed framing projectors highlight art panels while avoiding spill onto surroundings, creating dynamic moments of discovery.
Overcoming the logistical challenge of a “railroad” construction—building from one end upward across the site—the global pandemic tested the team’s resilience. Persistence delivered a final result that is both technically inventive and socially meaningful.
Today, the Summit Building stands as a luminous landmark where sustainable design, cultural narrative and transformative lighting converge to elevate public experience and set new benchmarks in architectural lighting.
Sustainability ApproachAchieving LEED Platinum certification, the Summit Building embodies a holistic approach to sustainability—where performance, user experience, and aesthetics are seamlessly integrated. The lighting design exceeds Seattle’s rigorous energy codes, achieving a 34% reduction in energy use. High-efficiency, fully integrated LED systems are paired with daylight and occupancy sensors, scheduling, and zoned dimming to minimize consumption without sacrificing visual comfort. Warm color temperatures and careful layering maintain a sense of intimacy and connection. Materials were thoughtfully sourced to reduce embodied carbon, and lighting controls interface with the broader building management system for ongoing optimization. Even at scale, Summit proves that sustainability can elevate design, not limit it.
