Commercial Exterior Building Lighting at the MLK Office Plaza FL.

Commercial Exterior Building Lighting at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Office Plaza

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Office Plaza in Miami, FL, stands as a prominent example of how commercial exterior building lighting can be used to accentuate architectural features. This project focused on retrofitting and replacing outdated fixtures to modernize the building’s facade lighting, delivering optimal brightness, enhanced energy efficiency, and improved aesthetic appeal.

Key Takeaways

- Energy-Efficient Upgrades: Transition from Metal Halide to LED lighting for reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs.
- Customized Retrofit Solutions: Retrofitted fixtures to preserve the building’s aesthetic integrity while achieving desired light levels.
- Optimized Design: Implemented a tailored lighting design that aligns with Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recommendations for facade illumination.

Project Overview

The MLK Office Plaza is a multi-use building in Miami that required a lighting overhaul to replace its aging Metal Halide fixtures, which were originally chosen for their brightness but had become inefficient and costly to maintain over time. With 17 fixtures rated at 1000W and 12 fixtures rated at 400W, the lighting setup illuminated the building’s decorative brick facade. The objective was to modernize the lighting system without compromising the visual appeal of the structure.

Initial Consultation

During the initial consultation, Kevin Marshall, Senior Building Engineer for the MLK Office Plaza, outlined the key requirements:

Preserve the burgundy-themed aesthetic of the current fixtures.
Maintain appropriate light levels for facade accentuation.
Retrofit or replace the existing 277V Metal Halide fixtures.

Images and specifications of the existing fixtures were provided to facilitate planning.

Photometric Analysis

Access Fixtures conducted a comprehensive photometric analysis using industry-standard tools to evaluate light distribution, brightness levels, and energy efficiency, ensuring the design would meet both functional and aesthetic goals. Key insights from the analysis included:

Lighting Zones: The facade lighting was classified under IES’s medium activity level for urban environments.
Uniformity and Brightness: Calculations ensured compliance with a 3:1 average-to-minimum uniformity ratio, maintaining a visually balanced appearance.

Design and Customization

The project’s design phase emphasized energy efficiency and aesthetic consistency:

Retrofitting Solutions: Fixtures were retrofitted with LED components, carefully integrated into existing housings to minimize installation costs, reduce waste, and enhance overall brightness and efficiency.
Fixture Positioning: Adjustments were made to ensure the decorative brick highlights were properly illuminated.
Customized Finishes: Color-matched finishes were implemented to retain the “burgundy” theme.

Implementation and Results

The new LED lighting system significantly improved the building’s visual appeal, operational efficiency, and sustainability efforts:

Energy Savings: Reduced energy consumption by over 60% compared to the original Metal Halide setup.
Enhanced Aesthetics: The decorative brick facade is now evenly and vividly illuminated, achieving the client’s design goals.
Durability: The selected LED fixtures offer a rated lifespan of over 50,000 hours, minimizing future maintenance.

Customer Feedback

Marilyn Day, a representative for the MLK Office Plaza, shared her experience: “Thank you so much for your assistance, patience, and excellent solution with this project. It was greatly appreciated. I wanted to share the ‘after’ pictures with you. The community feedback has been very positive. Even our security services said the new lighting makes their job easier!”

Conclusion

The MLK Office Plaza exterior lighting project demonstrates how customized LED retrofitting can achieve energy efficiency, enhanced aesthetics, and cost savings. This tailored solution not only preserves the building’s visual identity but also sets a benchmark for sustainable facade lighting.

FAQs

What fixtures were replaced in this project?

The project replaced 17 Metal Halide fixtures rated at 1000W and 12 rated at 400W with energy-efficient LED solutions.

What were the primary challenges?

Preserving the building’s aesthetic integrity while achieving modern lighting standards and minimizing costs.

What energy savings were achieved?

The LED retrofit reduced energy consumption by over 60%, translating into substantial cost savings on utility bills and aligning with sustainability objectives.