LICHT, Germany’s premier lighting magazine, recently highlighted the Cooperman Family Pavilion at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. The magazine noted The Lighting Practice’s energy-efficient lighting solution that is not just friendly and welcoming, but also innovative in terms of patient health.

The 241,000-square-foot Cooperman Family Pavilion includes 114 private rooms, an expanded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), centralized registration area, outpatient diagnostic services, same-day surgery suite, and a 400-vehicle parking garage. As part of the design team led by Francis Cauffman, TLP designed the lighting concept and control system for the addition. LICHT notes the programmable lighting fixtures that create cascading light effects and “an atmosphere of calm and clarity” in the hospital’s lobby and public spaces. In the NICU, tunable white LEDs supplement natural daylight and vary from cool to warm with the intention of supporting the newborns’ circadian rhythm. “The balanced lighting concept of The Lighting Practice creates a friendly room atmosphere for patients, visitors, and employees in all areas, while at the same time taking into account the ways and processes in daily hospital operations,” the article explains (translated below). “The complex lighting solution is tailored to the needs of the patients and also positively supports the healing process with its non-visual effect.”

TLP thanks the writers and editors at LICHT for featuring this innovative healthcare project in their recent issue.

Healthy light for the new Cooperman Family Pavilion

Modern extension for Saint Barnabas Medical Center, New Jersey

LICHT | June 2018

The Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey, has been expanded by a generous extension to address the ever-increasing numbers of patients and their associated footprint. Covering an area of 22,400 square meters, state-of-the-art medical technology ensures the first-class medical care of all patients in the new Cooper Family Pavilion. The new extension offers 114 private rooms, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), outpatient diagnostics, emergency room and a parking garage with 400 parking spaces. The Lighting Practice from Philadelphia was responsible for the entire lighting concept, both indoors and outdoors.

In view of constantly rising energy costs, every modern hospital operation faces the challenge of working efficiently in order to keep effort and costs as low as possible. At the same time, the patient should be offered state-of-the-art medical technology as well as maximum comfort. The lighting plays a special role here. It is designed to increase the well-being of patients and positively influence the healing process. At the same time, the power consumption for lighting has a not inconsiderable share of the energy costs in the clinic, almost a quarter of the power consumption goes to light.

Against this background, The Lighting Practice in Philadelphia equipped the new Cooperman Family Pavilion at Saint Barnabas Medical Center with an energy-efficient lighting solution that significantly reduces energy consumption while creating an ambiance that is positive and does not cause any stress. The result is a perfect combination of natural daylight and artificial light, which simulates the natural rhythm of the day indoors and better adjusts the light conditions to the needs of the patients.

As soon as you enter the lobby, the visitor is greeted by a friendly welcome atmosphere. A dynamic LED wall behind the central recording creates a waterfall effect with a successful play of light, which flows over the stone wall. The RGBW panels with a color temperature of 3500K are controlled via a DMX512 protocol and also appear in variable color presentations depending on the days of the festival. Gotham’s Linear Evo Downlights stage the first point of contact for visitors and patients like an island, simplifying orientation.

The relationship to water and its calming effect is taken up and continued in the public areas. The use of warm blues and blues, as well as the wavy design of the main corridors and living areas, create an atmosphere of calm and clarity.

In the premature and neonatal ward, TLP used a continuously variable LED white light system that perfectly complements the natural daylighting. Depending on the daylight-dependent characteristics, the light control with highly efficient warm white and cold white LEDs enables the change of the color temperature from 2700 K to 6500 K and thus positively supports the circadian rhythm of the small patients. Depending on the time of day and the presence of daylight, the light color varies from cool blue to warm amber.

In the public areas, the successful combination of warm color design together with the lighting elements creates a friendly feel-good atmosphere. TLP opted for a uniform lighting concept that was used throughout. Evo downlights by Gotham and linear lighting by Mark Lighting in the ceiling area not only take over the basic lighting but also serve to guide the way through the various stations. The wavy walls in the corridors are subtly backlit and staged by a combination of Moda Light LED tapes. Continuous lines of light in the ceiling lead to the reception in every department. Even in the patient rooms, the use of artificial light is daylight-dependent and time of day. Pre-programmed light scenarios help with the structuring of the day and, depending on need, stimulate or gently support the phases of rest.

On the basis of mock-ups, the exact positioning of the luminaires and their interplay were tested and finalized in the planning phase. The result is a subtle lighting that stays as close to daylight as possible

The new Cooperman Family Pavilion was completed in one and a half years and was officially opened in September 2017. The result is a modern clinic in which the interior design, geometry, color design and lighting has been perfectly coordinated. The balanced lighting concept of The Lighting Practice creates a friendly room atmosphere for patients, visitors, and employees in all areas, while at the same time taking into account the ways and processes in daily hospital operations. The complex lighting solution is tailored to the needs of the patients and also positively supports the healing process with its non-visual effect.

Client
RWJBarnabas Health

Design Team
Lighting Design: The Lighting Practice
Architect: Francis Cauffman

Lighting Manufacturers
Evo-Lite
Gotham Lighting Supply
Intense Lighting
Lumenpulse
Mark Lighting
Modalight
Tech Lighting
Traxon Technologies