18 YORK STREET

A bold presence for the façade lighting was a key part of the Owner’s agenda. The inspiration for the lighting theme was that of a “torch” against the backdrop of the night skyline; an ambitious goal given the LEED® light spill limitations (SSc8).

The torch concept translated to a glass box, or beacon, that terminates the chimney like array of lighting that travels up the building at the corner of York Street and Bremner.   Being a LEED Gold building with the light trespass limitations, MBII cleverly rendered the ‘chimney’ through interior linear white LEDs concealed under mullions and focused downward.

Meeting LEED® light spill limits, strict budgets and energy efficiency targets was key. Every lighting element is accomplished with LED lamps. Thorough calculations and mockups were performed to determine the quantity of fixtures to meet the Light Spill/Dark Sky ordinance.   Overall, the energy consumption is incredibly low at 1100W for the entire roof top lantern and 6000W for the down lights.

The lobby lighting theme was drawn from a very classic modern lobby lighting scheme à la Richard Kelly/ Mies Van der Rohe:  a transparent building that ‘floats’ around a core of light.

Much planning went into applying a precise amount of light to the lobby core to create a ‘floating’ effect.  Using only 70W MH wall washers and 39W in-ground fixtures, both aesthetic and energy consumption goals were met.   The amount of down lighting in the lobby was drastically reduced as a result of the core lighting contribution.