This article appeared in the May issue of Athletic Business. Athletic Business is a free magazine for professionals in the athletic, fitness and recreation industry. Click here to subscribe.
Laylights have long been used to diffuse natural or artificial light through artistic lenses mounted relatively flush to ceilings. The laylight above the large, tiered spectator area of the Middlebury College squash center combines daylight and LED light for consistent illumination at any hour. LED lighting controls were designed by Boston-based ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge to mimic the color temperature of natural light through etched glass panels in one cohesive lighting element, while ensuring no direct sunlight permeates any of the facility's nine squash courts. The lighting design has contributed to the three-year-old building's 56 percent energy reduction and LEED Platinum certification. "Conceptually, we set out to design a feature in the space that would delineate the spectator area from the squash courts, utilize daylighting to minimize energy loads on the facility and create a unique viewing environment that took advantage of the quality of light that natural daylight provides," says ARC architect Leslie DelleFave. "We challenged ourselves to remove all other lighting and use this single skylight element to provide all the spectator lighting. The results are both effective and aesthetically pleasing."
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This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of Athletic Business with the title "Design Details"