The Lighting Practice Projects Recognized in 2025 IES Awards

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The Lighting Practice is proud to announce that five of the firm’s projects have been recognized internationally by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and locally by the IES Philadelphia Section for lighting design excellence.

Philadelphia City Hall

IES Illumination Award of Merit, 2025

IES Philadelphia: Section Award for Exterior Lighting, 2025

Philadelphia’s iconic City Hall received a $6.8M glow-up, enhancing its nighttime appeal with 222 energy-efficient LED fixtures that offer vibrant color options for holidays and local sports events. Building on over 20 years of lighting City Hall, The Lighting Practice reimagined City Hall’s design utilizing up-to-date technology… continue reading

Project Team: Jonathan Hoyle, Chris Hallenbeck, Brian Wiley, Lily Meaker, Kevin Smolkis Photography: Jeffrey Totaro

Hygge at The Astrid

IES Illumination Award of Merit, 2025

IES Philadelphia: Section Award for Interior Lighting Design, 2025

IES Philadelphia Section: Raymond Grenald Award, 2025

Hygge at The Astrid, inspired by Scandinavian design, offers a serene retreat that harmonizes nature, comfort, and simplicity just outside the city. Hygge, a concept defined by a sense of well-being derived from a warm and cozy atmosphere, is embodied throughout these apartments. With thoughtful lighting design, lush greenery, and warm natural finishes, the space creates a unique ambiance… continue reading

Architect: Sitio Project Team: Tara Dilenge, Jonathan Hoyle, Lily Meaker Photography: Halkin Mason Photography

Inova Health Center – Oakville

IES Illumination Award of Merit, 2025

Inova Health Center – Oakville is a 100,000 square-foot medical facility, part of a multi-campus initiative of Inova Health System, includes a comprehensive emergency room, imaging services, a primary care center with ambulatory surgery, and medical offices. The lighting concept reinforces the architectural vision by enhancing wood elements and softening the building’s mass. The integration of wood elements, a key design feature, required the designers to perform studies to understand how these materials would interact with natural and electric light… continue reading

Architect: Ballinger, Ennead Project Team: David Seok, Xingying Peng Photography: Albert Vecerka Esto

Virginia Commonwealth University STEM Building

IES Philadelphia: Section Award for Interior Lighting Design, 2025

Located in the former Franklin Street Gym, the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Humanities and Sciences’ STEM Building is a 169,000 SF state-of-the-art science and engineering building. The building is designed to support 10,000 students through traditional classroom learning paired with hands-on research. The design team’s goal was to inspire curiosity and encourage collaboration between academic disciplines while adhering to the university’s building standards… continue reading

Architect: Ballinger Project Team: Ryan Conover, Angela Banner, Lily Meaker, Leo Mcllvain Photography: Ansel Olson

Boathouse Row

IES Philadelphia: Certificate of Merit for Exterior Lighting Design, 2025

The Lighting Practice partnered with Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to replace and upgrade the previous lighting system of Philadelphia’s iconic Boathouse Row. The $2.1 million project completely replaced the failing system, which struggled with significant connectivity challenges, regular power outages, and mounting issues… continue reading

Project Team: Jonathan Hoyle, Matthew Fracassini Photography: Albert Yee for Fairmount Park Conservancy