Given the urban nature of this project, it was critical to understand its context and to assimilate the local dynamics of usage patterns, circulation, and nighttime activities.
Sustainability was a high priority when designing the new Bushwick Inlet Park in Brooklyn. Aesthetics, however, were not sacrificed for the cause of energy efficiency and budgets. We decided to pursue an unconventional approach to this project, since the genre of such projects is usually driven by light levels first and then everything else. We decided to make light levels our last check and worked on composing the elements of this project into an evocative and exciting nighttime space that engenders and enables the community to link people with each other.
The results have been gratifying. The lighting solution to this environment— combining wayfinding, patterns, and rhythms of lights, while highlighting the architectural massing with strong geometric lighting moves to illuminate this 6.2-acre park— has elicited a very positive response from the community. Integrated LEDs, step lights, and concrete— encased downlights define the site, creating a nighttime display that can be seen across the river from Manhattan.
