The Brown Institute at Columbia University (New york, NY)

The Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Columbia university School of Journalism provides a unique academic experience devoted to the co-evolution of technology and storytelling. The award-winning design features a unique use of space and innovative lighting that effortlessly transforms to support the institute's varied program needs.

The Brown Institute for Media Innovation, located on the ground floor of the historic Columbia university School of Journalism building, acts as an incubator for new platforms that engage the technological transformation of journalistic practices. The institute combines faculty offices, meeting rooms and a large open work environment configured to maximize th spatial qualities, daylighting and visual openness of the existing double height volume.

The new media hub on the main floor seeks to address the dramatic shifts in the journalism profession to include the expansion of digital-centric, state-of-the-art newsroom. The main space utilizes mobile work tables that can be reconfigured by the Institute fellows or 'dock' into the perimeter of the sapce to access integrated flat-screens. The architecture of the incubator is defined by a continuous internal facade that resurfaces the original room, split horizontally into a millwork base and a translucent scrim. While the walnut base provides for physical engagement through built-in seating, storage and a large bleacher stair, the scrim acts to mediate light, conceal new technical systems, provide acoustical treatment and act as a screen for large-scale projection.

The versatile use of the space includes: conferences, media classroom, guest lectures, workshops, panel discussions, cocktail receptions, in addition to serving as an open workspace between programmed events. The lighting effortlessly transforms to support these varied programmatic needs.

To embrace the interconnected concept of the space, the lighting design team of Gabe Guilliams and Pei-Chun Yang of Buro Happold selected a series of intertwining luminous elements to build a network of ambient light for the room.

"We worked closely with the architects on the initial design in the ceiling," remarked Gabe Guilliams. "The idea started with a networking grid of light at the ceiling. We wanted to provide both direct and ambient lighting so the room would not feel flat with just the effect of indirect light."

The final design resulted in a network of steel piping that transforms the room with a grid like series of indirect / direct lighting. Each element in the network provides indirect lighting along its length with a direct punctuation at its end.

The lighting design team selected Feelux Lighting's versatile and compact linear FLX STIX LED fixture to make their design vision a reality. The compactness, high output and ease of installation of this product really allowed the design team to successfully employ it in a number of different ways.

Indirect lighting is provided by cutting the top half of the pipe away and embedding Feelux Lighting's FLX STIX low voltage linear LED fixtures inside. The dramatic result is an uplight effect with a glowing architectural element.

At the end of each tube on the ceiling grid is a glowing light. The FLX STIX fixture was mounted to a tongue on the pipe and covered with a 1 1/2" diffuser cylinder that slid over the tongue and fixture. This acrylic tube creates an extension of the steel tube and enhances the architectural element with a soft glow.

Carefully designed wall panels expose or shield the windows, depending on the needed function for the room. Closed panels provide a blank canvas for a variety of media content to be viewed throughout the room.

The panels are backlit from the perimeter scrim with sections of the FLX STIX. The panels add depth and richness to the space and backlighting allows the room to be illuminated in multiple ways. Eliminating the overhead lighting and dimming the perimeter maximizes perceptibility of projected imagery, while reducing peripheral contrast and resulting eye strain.

"We knew they were planning to have multiple events types relative to a traditional classroom setting, so we provided flexibility to meet all of these needs." -- Gabe Guilliams.

All zones are created with the FLX STIX luminaire at 3000K. The ambient layers of light from the wall panels, direct and indirect lighting are all managed with a state-of-the-art controls system and dim in response to daylighting.

"We needed to address reflection of backlight fixtures on the scrim that came from the windows at night", commented designer Gabe Guilliams. "The FLX STIX magnetic mount provided an easy means to adjust the placement of each fixture to avoid reflection. This was done simply and efficiently by our design team on-site without having to involve the contractors.

The layers of light throughout the Brown Institute for Media Innovation are brightly lit with Feelux Lighting FLX STIX HDV Series (HO) LED fixtures in 3000K. The compact, yet powerful luminaire provided the ideal solutions to illuminate the ceiling grid and wall panels. The versatile fixture allowed for easy installation with internal magnets or mounting brackets and a variety of fixture lengths from 2' to 4' to accomodate the various lengths required throughout the project the single fixture type used through out the space makes maintenance easy.

The ultra slim fiture is powered with a constant voltage DC 24V transformer and features a quick connection system. The variety of accessories for connecting cables, side feeds, power feeds and magnetic mounting provided a versatile and cost effective tool set for installation.

FLX HDV Series (HO) Product Features:

1.) Seamless illumination

2.) Ultra slim profile with high output light

3.) Full range of dimming

4.) Efficiency: 75lm/W @6.3 W/ft.

5.) Available in 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4000K, 6000K

6.) Voltage: DC 24V

7.) Color rendering: Ra>80

8.) ETL, CE, UL, and CUL listed

9.) Snap together feature for easy installation and mounting with internal mounting magnets (Standard feature)

10.) Nominal: 6", 1', 2', 3' and 4' standard lengths

11.) Quick ship program