IESBC Announces Its 2016 Vision Award Winners

July 12 2016

The Illuminating Engineering Society of British Columbia (IESBC) has announced the winners of its 2016 Vision Awards. Awarded projects include UBC’s Student Union Building (AES Engineering Ltd.), Simon Fraser University’s Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard (Integral Group Consulting (BC) LLP), and L’Occitane en Provence’s Vancouver flagship store (Render Light & Planning).

IESBC celebrates outstanding BC lighting engineers and designers for their local and international projects, and aids in the application of international award opportunities and IES’s Illumination Award. The IESBC Vision Awards are stage one leading up to IES’s National Illumination Awards. Submissions for the Illumination Awards open January 1, 2017.

More on this year’s Vision Award winners, all located in Vancouver, appear below.

Edwin F. Guth Memorial Award for Interior Lighting Design

• Project: UBC Student Union Building

• Lighting design firm: AES Engineering Ltd.

The new Student Union Building, a five-storey, 23,000 square meter facility, forms the central piece for a new public square at the entry of UBC (shown above). The concept was to highlight each feature and allow the illuminance and luminance from those features light the space. This also allowed the architect’s concept of clean ceilings, in the atrium to be actualized. Photo credit: PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc.

In 1902 Edwin F. Guth founded the St. Louis Brass Company, later renaming it the Edwin F. Guth Company. Mr. Guth’s profound creativity, entrepreneurialism and focus to improve interior lighting are partially represented through 147 patents awarded to him prior to his passing in 1962. This award recognizes exceptional interior lighting projects that balance the functional illumination of space with the artistic application of light to enhance the occupant’s experience.

Award: The Outdoor Lighting Design Award, sponsored by Eaton

• Project: SFU’s Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard

• Lighting design firm: Integral Group Consulting (BC) LLP

The observatory and courtyard, resulting from a $2.7 M contribution by the Trottier family and SFU, are designed for use by astronomy students, the general public and the Starry Nights@SFU program. The observatory features a six-meter-diameter dome housing a 0.7-metre diameter reflector telescope that is capable of tracking distant galaxies billions of years old. The viewing plaza offers a sundial, space for people to set up their own telescopes next to the dome, and an outdoor gallery featuring illuminated seasonal star charts.

The Outdoor Lighting Design Award recognizes excellence in lighting design and application in all aspects of exterior lighting. The program celebrates achievements in aesthetics, applied technical acumen, creative solutions to demanding site conditions and advancements to the industry in outdoor lighting applications. The goal of the program is to further the understanding, knowledge and function of outdoor lighting as a critical aspect of the built environment. 

Photo credit: Ema Peter

Award: BC Hydro Lighting Redesign Award

• Project: L’Occitane en Provence Vancouver Flagship

• Lighting design firm: Render Light & Planning 

Located on the southwest corner of Robson and Burrard Street, one of Vancouver’s most prominent retail locations, the 1700-square foot, LED-illuminated retail outlet evokes the creative and intimate environment inspired by Paul Cezanne’s atelier. 

BC Hydro Power Smart presents the Lighting Redesign Award to recognize local talents that bring innovation and energy efficiency in lighting design. The Lighting Redesign Award recognizes quality lighting redesign, or major retrofit installations in existing commercial and industrial buildings, that incorporate advanced energy-saving strategies and environmentally responsible solutions into the overall design, without sacrificing visual interest.  

Photo credit: Johnny Milkovich, Double Vision Photography

Submissions were judged locally based on how well the lighting design met the program criteria. This year’s IESBC judges included Shail Mahanti, Douglas Welch, Matt Davis and Carol Kelley.

IESBC aims to bring together the best of B.C.’s lighting professionals, including lighting designers, engineers, architects, interior designers, manufacturers, representatives and distributors. The organization offers monthly seminars to educate trade and residential designers as well as any one interested in learning more about the lighting industry.