Standing as a luminous, glass structure on a busy traffic circle in our nation’s capital, the Milken Institute School of Public Health provides multifaceted programming spaces for scholars at the vanguard of public and private health policy.
Illuminating a series of levels and balconies, the lighting design for the Milken Institute plays off of wood finishes, concrete, and complicated interior geometry. In the heart of the building, underneath skylights, an M.C. Escher-esque staircase cast in white travertine sends attention spiraling upwards.
Illuminated as the core of the institute, the staircase hides tiny LED luminaires integrated into the handrails to brighten the ascent and accentuate the stairs as a piece of sculpture. High efficiency lighting played a crucial factor in the project achieving a LEED Platinum certification.
