The project: Formerly a convent in the 1920s, the renovated Perelman Jewish Day School is now a bright and modern space for middle school students to learn and collaborate.

The goal: Provide lighting design that helps spaces feel open and bright with continuity and simple controls throughout.

Design approach: The lighting design team researched several options for the spaces to provide adequate lighting at task level and for the building’s high cathedral ceilings.

Challenge: Adequately light the Makers Library, a 40-foot by
70-foot space with a cathedral ceiling peaking at 32 feet. The dark wood beams were painted with designs that the owner wanted to highlight with lighting. Solution: Lighting designers ran calculations and found a luminaire that performed optimally, with special lensing for the up light, the desired light levels needed at task level, and uniformity at the ceiling. This eight-foot ring-style fixture was mounted 22 feet above the floor to enhance all arches and curves.

Challenge: Ensure continuity of lighting throughout the building. Solution: Other spaces connected to the Makers Library were also designed to feature the ring-style fixture, with additional round and globe fixtures used throughout to enhance the high ceilings and painted beams. The design also included simple local controls (on/off and dim) for each space.

The outcome: The lighting design supports the school’s mission to inspire and nurture students while providing simple controls for users.