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735 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, California
735 Montgomery Street
Architect
Rakhee Shah and Grant Koniski for Costa Brown Architecture
Lighting specifier
Rakhee Shah and Grant Koniski
Client
735 Montgomery Street
Location
San Francisco, California
Date of completion
December 15, 2022
Who is the lighting designer and/or specifier for this project? In other words, who chose the lighting?
Architects Rakhee Shah and Grant Koniski at Costa Brown Architecture designed the project and are responsible for selecting and specifying the lighting.
What was the lighting design goal for this project?
To create a warm, bright interior office building lobby space, making the main entrance lobby look and feel welcoming, giving it a contemporary design style. The intent was to draw the vision of people on the sidewalk toward the far end of the lobby, making the lobby feel visually connected and secure for anyone entering the building—and vice versa, making the exit visible from the inside. By using lighting fixtures ranging from wall-mounted up/down lights, decorative pendants, and indirect lighting at stair treads, to ceiling surface-mounted cylinders and linear lights that fit between the featured wood slat ceiling, the intent was to create a play of light on surfaces, highlighting material textures that draw the eye throughout the lobby.
2-Inch Trimless Linear LED Recessed Light for Wood Ceilings
Aluminum, architectural-grade IC-rated linear LED recessed downlighting is the most versatile of its class. Modifiable for pendant, wall-mount, ceiling surface, recessed, drywall, trimless, t-bar and wood cladding applications.
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What was the lighting challenge?
The lobby is narrow and deep, fronting a street—located in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Jackson Square neighborhood with tall, canopied trees and tall, adjacent buildings—which made it challenging to draw natural light into the innermost spaces. By creating a glass storefront and adding lights, Costa Brown architects were able to achieve the client’s desired brightness to the lobby interior.
How do the products and/or Alcon Lighting achieve the desired outcome?
The client was looking to enhance the property‘s curbside appeal in a historic downtown neighborhood. The main entry was inset from the sidewalk, making it dark and unwelcoming with dated finishes. Costa Brown architects achieved their goal by creating a bright, welcoming entrance lobby, adding square footage to the interior, making the lobby bigger, brighter and better by visually and spatially connecting the space to the streetfront, increasing curb appeal.
4-Inch Linear Recessed Linear LED Light
This trimless, linear recessed downlighting in architectural-grade construction for interior soffit application comes with a variety of options with this strip lighting product.
View DetailsAlcon 12100-40-W LED Linear 4-inch Wall Light
The specification grade Continuum 40 Architectural Direct and Indirect Wall Mount LED Linear Lighting delivers continuous clean lines and clear wall light to commercial, hospitality and residential interior wall lighting applications.
View DetailsAlcon 11235-DIR LED Cylinder Ceiling Light
Our direct architectural ceiling downlight provides versatile, low-glare, cylindrical lighting. This product is for either indoor or outdoor commercial or retail use.
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“The lobby is narrow and deep, fronting a street—located in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Jackson Square neighborhood with tall, canopied trees and tall, adjacent buildings—which made it challenging to draw natural light into the innermost spaces.”
What are some unique considerations when designing for a commercial lobby?
The intent was to create a bright, contemporary entrance lobby by capturing the dark, recessed, exterior space, extending the lobby to the sidewalk. The space is visible from all access points, maintaining visual connection with the streetfront outside, making it feel safe, warm and welcoming. The design palette is minimal. Textures add visual contrast. The lighting accentuates the space.
Good lighting design accounts for the nature and needs of those inhabiting any space. As a concept, human-centric lighting addresses the physiological impact of artificial and natural lighting on the individual. The human-centric lighting design goal is to integrate lighting technology and design principles for better harmony with the natural daily cycle of daylight and darkness. The result? Reduced stress, a lighter mood and better performance.
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