Transforming the Oceanside Library

In the check-out area and elevator bank, loops of light differentiate separate areas and USAI fixtures compliment for allover ambient illumination.
USAI Lighting Products: BeveLED 2.2 4.5”

Transforming the Oceanside Library

USAI Lights Up a Reimagined Community Hub

A recent renovation transformed the Oceanside Library in Long Island from a dated 1960s-era library into a modern, state-of-the-art facility for learning and gathering with the help of MDA Designgroup Architects and Planners. The striking community hub now offers over 258,000 items and serves the needs of over 25,000 registered cardholders in the Oceanside community.

We believe the lighting design of a space can make or break a project’s success, says Elisabeth Martin, FAIA, Principal at MDA Designgroup, who was tasked with designing the vibrant Oceanside Library in Oceanside, New York. She developed the lighting scheme for a wide variety of program spaces throughout the building. Libraries depend on the quality of light distribution to showcase their resources, enhance what we call ‘people space,’ and support staff work needs.

—ELISABETH MARTIN, FAIA, PRINCIPAL AT MDA DESIGNGROUP

By specifying USAI Lighting, the firm was able to meet three critical goals for the project:

1

Beautiful +

Budget Friendly

Create a design that is beautiful, functional, and memorable in a cost-conscious way.

2

Sustainability

Requirements

Meet sustainability goals for efficient energy use.

3

Biophilic Design

Integrate lighting that supports user comfort and wellness.

As a new building, the project represented a clean slate for innovation in all aspects of the design—and, in particular, lighting. Working with USAI’s expansive product offering and tiered pricing structure, the principal architect devised a lighting plan that not only met but surpassed expectations while staying within budget.

A library of this size requires a significant quantity of lighting. We chose the USAI fixtures because they provided the architectural elegance we sought at an economical cost. The different options we used in Tier 2’s BeveLED Basic line also brought economy to the overall lighting budget.

—ELISABETH MARTIN

The result is a modern, light-filled space that meets this Long Island community’s diverse needs – and patrons of all age groups.

Challenges And Solutions

Balance Ambient Lighting with Decorative Accent Lighting

Welcome Desk Area
This large area, one of the first visitors see, needed to have a variety of fixtures—not too many or too few. They also needed to balance one another. A curvy fixture stands out with its whimsical shape, but BeveLED^® 2.2 4.5” fixtures provided a quieter role in the ceiling—yet vital—in balancing the overall lighting with high-performance general illumination.

The Living Edge
In library planning terms, the “living edge” is table or lounge seating around the perimeter, near the windows. People gravitate to these areas the moment the doors are open. While pendant lights over tables and lounge seating provide accent illumination, BeveLED 2.2 4.5” fixtures provide elegant and minimal trims with high-performance general lighting.

Even Lighting for Reading
Browsing Area
In the stacks, collection browsing requires even lighting with excellent photometrics that efficiently bring the foot candles needed to the spines of the books. BeveLED 2.2 Basic 4.5” recessed downlights and Micro Multi-Cell 1.25” linear recessed fixtures helped to achieve this goal – illuminating the books as well as the far reaching corners of the library. 3000K, 80+CRI balanced natural light with daylight-like ambient coverage.

Main Level Spine and Reading Room
Pathway spaces also require evenly lit general lighting. In this main flow corridor, there are low-back seating areas and lower-height bookshelves to browse. By incorporating both BeveLED 2.2 4.5” and Micro Multi-Cell linear 1.25” recessed fixtures, the MDA Designgroup team created ambient light for socializing and reading.

Flexible Lighting
The Theater
In a theater, you don’t want to over-light. You’re not reading books. But you need enough light for people to move in and out safely, says Martin. By having a range of dimmable options, USAI fixtures were able to help satisfy entry and exit safety needs as well as minimal ambient illumination with 0.1% dimming during presentations.

Balancing Natural Lighting with Artificial Lighting
Teen Spaces
Teen areas in libraries often get short shrift, but the goal was to create a dramatic and exceptional space. The space contains an abundance of glass in the form of bay windows, sliding glass doors, and glass walls. Illumination must balance natural light and fill in on cloudy days and in the evening. Ceiling and over-window fixtures from USAI achieved this. Each of the three bay windows features USAI LittleOnes^® Micro 1.25” with a minuscule aperture. These balance the natural light while disappearing into the bespoke wall and ceiling covering.

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