Kiewit Engineering, Lenexa, Kan.
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: HOK
ENGINEER: Lankford | Fendler + associates
LIGHTING REPRESENTATIVE: Premier Lighting & Controls
MATERIALS
Embarking on a significant transformation of its regional headquarters, Kiewit renovated two existing towers connected by a vast atrium space. The glass-walled atrium is 4-stories high with indoor balconies from the adjoining towers looking down onto the space. It serves as a common area for dining, team meetings and building-wide functions. It often
is referred to as the work café. Maintaining the height and grandeur
of the multistory space while creating a sense of intimacy was a key design objective. To that end, the team looked for creative ways to visually “lower” the ceiling.
Levi Dermyer, intern electrical engineer at Lankford | Fendler + associates, selected Luminis’ Aramis AR168 luminaires to help achieve the desired effect. The catenary-mounted black pendant fixtures are strategically placed along cables suspended 16-feet above the floor. “By bringing down the lighting plane to this height, it allowed us to create a more comfortable and inviting environment,” Dermyer notes.
Installation of the luminaires in this unusual space posed a challenge. There were sufficient vertical structural elements and strength to support the cabling and catenary nodes but these were not always in the ideal location. “The cabling layout required a coordinated effort and compromise between all team members,” Dermyer recalls. “There was also a challenge to keep sight lines clear to the stage area of the café. In the end, I think that everyone felt their design goals were met.”
The 32 AR168 pendants each deliver 3,000 lumens. With a 3500K color temperature, the high-efficiency downlight reflector in each fixture directs a bright yet comfortable illumination down to meeting tables, workspaces and open-floor areas below. With a lifetime beyond 125,000 hours, the luminaires will contribute to the organization’s daily energy-savings goals. The project was completed in July 2019.
LUMINAIRES MANUFACTURER: Luminis
PHOTO: Michael Robinson Photography