LPA Irvine Office

Design studio showcases living laboratory for lighting design innovation

When designers have the unique opportunity to create their own office environments, they tend to look at things a little bit differently. Such was the case with the new headquarters for LPA Design Studios in Orange County. Renovation of 2 ½ floors was designed and coordinated by an in-house team.

“We designed the new space as a ‘living laboratory’ for sustainability and wellness in the workplace,” said Rebecca Ceballos, project designer at LPA. “We can walk our clients through and introduce them to real examples of innovation to utilize in their upcoming projects."

One of the more unusual areas of the headquarters is a collaborative area known as “Colab 3". The open-concept room is tucked against a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, bordered by two felt-covered acoustic walls and a waffled acoustic ceiling. It was essential to find lighting that balanced out all the natural daylight, mainly because this space is used for various purposes, including video shoots.

Ceballos selected A-Light’s Apex APX3 ceiling mount luminaires to provide ambient light. The fixture uses an exceptionally small micro cell design to maintain a discrete and minimal presence. Combined with a precise 55° beam angle, Apex seamlessly integrates into the room’s acoustic ceiling, providing high-performance light without the distraction of a visible light source.

A total of six fixtures are mounted across the ceiling. Each Apex is comprised of single cells combined to create a linear system. Like a beehive, each cell is a powerful and precise element that, when joined together, becomes one robust unit. And the compact baffle optic carefully controls and channels the light source.

Ceballos notes that the luminaire surprised a lot of colleagues when it was first installed. Most expected a lens was forthcoming, and when that did not happen, assumed that the multiple point sources would come with significant glare.

“There is absolutely no glare, and it makes the ceiling so quiet,” said Ceballos. “You can’t even tell the light is on until you are directly underneath it. It is exactly what we wanted for this space.”

A-Light’s Accoled ACL5 luminaires are featured in other areas of the office. Recessed into a drop ceiling, a large rectangle of linear light frames the expansive lobby area. Due to its minimal housing shape, the focus is on a dramatic aesthetic. The patented HE Tech™ lens produces excellent light distribution over the space, so the area below is well illuminated for employees and visitors passing through.

Additional ACL5 fixtures are set into the edges of the Colab 3 walls and ceiling. Against a red backdrop, the luminaires offer a stylish presence while illuminating the adjacent corridor.

“We purposely introduced the horizontal and vertical linear fixtures so that we could showcase features such as recessed lighting and mitered corners,” Ceballos said. “And we selected A-Light specifically because we knew it would be done well and with precision.”

Employees and clients have responded favorably to the lighting design and, in particular, the variety of lighting types in the space. All appreciate the opportunity to evaluate the technologies firsthand.

“I was really excited to use Apex,” said Ceballos. “It has been a great opportunity to showcase an innovative luminaire, and we’ve since introduced the fixture into some new conference centers as well as several other projects.”

PROJECT NAME: LPA Design Studios

LOCATION: Irvine, California, USA

PROJECT COMPLETION: 2019

ARCHITECT/INTERIOR DESIGNER: LPA Design Studios

PHOTOGRAPHY:  Costea Photography, Inc.