When BlackRock needed to build out 15 stories in one of New York’s largest commercial office towers, the architects at NBBJ likened each floorplate to its own miniature city. They approached the design like a scaled-down urban plan that balances group-work space and focus areas, mirroring the places of community and respite in Manhattan. Each “cityscape” had to work independently and within the comprehensive plan.
To make the most of the building’s floor-to-ceiling windows and abundant natural light, the integrated lighting and shading solution would need to draw natural light deep into the space while mitigating heat gain and glare. Glare was especially challenging since, in addition to standard sun glare, the proximity of other glass-façaded buildings causes sunlight to reflect back into the space at unusual angles throughout the day.
Investing in innovative wireless technology was crucial to delivering the right solution for BlackRock. The teams at One Lux Studio and J.T. Magen chose Lutron’s Athena system with the newly released Athena wireless node to ensure performance, flexibility, and efficiency throughout the space. Athena wireless node is an ultra small luminaire-level-lighting-control (LLLC) installed directly into the LED fixture, enabling lighting to be easily rezoned and reprogrammed – no rewiring required.
The system also needs to easily accommodate changes to layout and programming over time-continuing to deliver cutting-edge performance for years to come.
