While the rest of the showroom displays lighting technology decades (literally) ahead of that first dimmer, it also shows that some things have stayed the same.
“While times have changed, Lutron believed then what we believe now, which is that light can transform life,” says Robert Laterza, experience leader at Lutron.
That sentiment is on display at the Lutron Commercial Experience Center, which brings to life the company’s human-centric lighting approach (aka Lutron HXL).
The experience center offers architects, designers, building owners, contractors and developers a chance to see Lutron’s lighting and control capabilities in person.
Lighting Technology on Display
The center’s distinct sections—a lobby area, two meeting rooms, two small open office areas and a guestroom—are fitted with Ketra smart lighting, which is a tunable LED lighting system that can mimic daylight indoors. Other solutions on display at the center include Lutron’s contract roller shades and the Quantum system, a lighting control and energy management system.
Personalization is something all of the products emphasize.
“When setting up in this space, we realized that light is also about what materials it bounces off of,” says Cecilia Ramos, sales director of New York specifications for Lutron. “For this space, the [Ketra system] had to be tweaked a little bit because of the warm woods, the white walls. … You want to have the tools to personalize and adapt as all these things change.”
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A notable aspect of the center is the complete model hotel suite that incorporates Lutron’s myRoom guestroom control system, which combines controls for light, temperature and shading.
The myRoom system can be found at the newly opened Equinox Hotel, located inside New York’s sprawling Hudson Yards development.
(Photo: Hudson Yards; Courtesy Sarah Kloepple)
Lighting As an Amenity
The 5,500-square-foot Lutron Commercial Experience Center was designed to “inspire and encourage clients and customers to expand the ways they think about lighting design,” according to a press release.
It’s no longer just about illuminating a space, but creating a space that’s healthy, productive and comfortable for occupants—and one that will attract more tenants, like a traditional amenity would.
“When you’re in a tight labor market and you’re competing heavily with other companies for top talent, and if you look at the cost of recruiting and the cost of training, there’s a big cost in losing those people,” says Scott Hanna, senior vice president at Lutron. “Looking at environments within a building as an amenity is really a pretty valuable conversation.”
The experience center is also working on securing its WELL Building Standard certification. Visits are available by appointment. The Lutron Commercial Experience Center in New York is located at 3 E. 28th St.
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