on view
Blue Surf Bay Waterpark, Blue Springs, MO
Working in partnership with the design team, Mercer Zimmerman provided lighting consultation and project management for Blue Springs’ new state-of-the-art aquatic center, which features a 14,000 square-foot natatorium that houses a 25-yard lap pool with overhead obstacle course, and indoor rock wall for climbing and cliff diving, as well as outdoor features including a 600-foot lazy river, double surf simulator, wave pool, kids pool and large-scale water slides.
Lighting and controls products from nearly two dozen of our manufacturers made this massive complex both incredibly inviting and functional: Assurance, Cooper, Elliptipar, Finelite, Focal Point, H.E. Williams, Hunter Fans, ILC, Kelvix, KW, Landscape Forms, Lumenpulse, Lumenwerx, Meteor, Myers, Nulite, Spectrum, Startek, Sternberg, Visual Comfort, VLT, Wattstopper, and WE-EF.
“Overall, this was a very challenging lighting design,” said Terry Maskil, senior engineer with PKMR Engineers. “The amount of water surface and equipment in the large natatorium left few locations to place fixtures at the ceiling that were accessible from the deck, that were indirect to limit glare on the water, and that could produce enough light to meet pool code requirements. We also had to work with architectural elements, including a large circular registration desk that required a larger than normal circular suspended light.” It took a lot of coordination and meetings with the team at Mercer Zimmerman to select fixtures and revise calculations and layouts. Their assistance was invaluable.”
The Players:
General Contractors: McCownGordon
Architect: SFS Architecture
Engineer: PKMR Engineers
Electrical: Empowered Electric
insights to light
Light + Sound Q&A with Dan Kohnen:
Director of Architectural Systems and Healthcare Business, Focal Point
What is acoustic lighting?
In today’s design of commercial spaces, the architectural market is more mindful of considerations related to human health and well-being, driven in large part by the changing needs of a new generation of workers and increased demand for human-centric environments. That includes acoustic comfort.
Designers also are increasingly moving away from ceiling tiles and “opening up” to the building’s structure to expose metal beams, woodwork, etc. While aesthetically pleasing, these open spaces create echoing and more overall noise.
Acoustic lighting is designed and built for the purpose of reducing noise. Fixtures are housed in or surrounded by fuzzy material, such as felt, that absorbs sound, which minimizes material such as glass, metal and sheetrock that reflects and amplifies sound.
Examples include sound-absorbing baffles suspended from the ceiling with light fixtures integrated into the design or light pendants above workspaces that are housed in felt. Both improve the acoustical environment while adding a beautiful design feature.
How does integrating light and acoustics benefit building owners and users?
For the people who occupy spaces where acoustical lighting has been implemented, the benefits are clear and have been proven through research. Seventy percent of office workers say they’d be more productive in a less noisy environment, while a survey of 10,000 students revealed that those in classrooms with superior acoustics had a 15 percent increase in learning outcomes.
For the design community and building owners, acoustic lighting provides a more cohesive, coordinated and seamless design solution; an efficient and less costly installation, since fewer contractors are working in the ceiling; and more holistic sound management, resulting in better outcomes.
What are the most important questions to ask when integrating acoustic and lighting system?
There are a number of considerations that will help designers plan for and mitigate reverberation time, which is how long it takes for sound in a room to decay. For example, workspaces and classrooms have different acoustic needs than, say, lobbies or fitness centers. Considering the overall design aesthetic and lighting needs are important factors as well. Among the questions to ask:
- How is the space being used?
- What materials are on the ceiling, floor and walls? Are there other absorptive elements in the space?
- What are the lighting requirements?
- What is the desired aesthetic—do you want acoustical lighting to fade into the background or become a design feature?
Answering these questions will allow Mercer Zimmerman and our manufacturers to provide you with an acoustic study and light calculations with product options to meet your criteria.
Interested in getting some continuing education on this subject?
Check out the online course, “Strategies for Designing with Integrated Lighting and Acoustic Solutions,” offered by Focal Point for 1 LU/HSW, 1 IDCEC CEU.
fact-ology
The A: 8 years, 2,920 days, 35,040 hours, 2,102,400 minutes
The Q: How long have the LEDs across the Burns & McDonnell headquarters campus in Kansas City, MO been burning? (Based on 12 hours/day.)
In 2016, employees of the global general contractor and engineering firm Burns & McDonnell moved into their new 310,000 square-foot corporate headquarters in Kansas City, MO. Mercer Zimmerman worked with the design team to equip the 17.5 acre campus and facility with millions of LED diodes spanning over three miles. As MZ’s first all-LED project, we are proud of the quality and longevity of these lights!
lighten up
Light+ Brightened Our Year!
Our Light+ event on Sept. 26 was THE bright spot of the year for all of us at Mercer Zimmerman! And that’s because of so many great partners and friends who made it possible. We thank our manufacturers, and speakers for sharing their products and insights. And to everyone in the design community and others who attended: thank you for showing up, being curious and for hanging out with us for awhile.
Curious about what Inside Lighting had to say about the event? Here’s why it was such a success: 5 Things to Know: Sept 28
Missed the event? Or were you there and want to see a recap… click play to check out the Light+ video!
