Architectural Installation in the Carrebeian by HES Lighting

Pro-Light-News

Permanent Architectural Installation in the Carribean by HES

The Capitol Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is ablaze with 36 High End Systems EC-1 architectural wash luminaires, with another 36 soon to be installed in phase two of the project. Not only is this the first permanent architectural installation in the Caribbean, it's also the largest installation of EC-1s since High End entered the architectural market. Willie Cortes of Switch Lighting Performance of Levittown, Puerto Rico, was in charge of the project.

Architect Pablo Quinones, engineer/contractor Jose Kercado and the governmental decision-makers got their first look at the capabilities of the High End Systems products in a special Christmas light show this past December. Produced by Switch Lighting and High End Systems, the event featured the brilliant color washes of the EC-1s with Cyberlight automated luminaires projecting holiday patterns onto the Capitol building. The spectacle drew in 1,000 attendees and received front-page coverage in the news media. Quinones and Kercado were happy with what they saw. But for a continuously-running architectural look, however, Quinones and Kercado wanted a soft-edge look to highlight the historic marble structure, so EC-1s were considered.
'The EC-1s have a superior IP-66 rating, the highest in any waterproof architectural luminaire', Cortes explains. 'They also liked the fact that they could get the fixtures painted in a custom white color to blend in better with the environment. EC-1 also has a superior corrosion finish, which was important because of its location. They also thought the beam shaping capabilities and variable lense options were added bonuses. They changed out lenses for the medium flood lenses on the lower portion of the building.' The 17-minute programmed architectural show of subtle color washes and blends runs continuously on a 12-hour time period from sunset to sunrise. An astronomical clock in Status Cue tighting console adjusts the variable start and stop times by adjusting to the latitude and longitude. High End Systems' Brad Schiller designed the lighting and programmed the project. Schiller also created an easy way to control the lighting by developing High End's Architectural Control Environment (ACE) System used with the Status Cue. 'The software runs the system without entering into the controller's cue list or hardware. For non-technical employees in a retail or architectural environment, it's as simple as pushing a button to run the show, which is a real benefit, says Schiller. The system 5 installed in the building's basement.
Switch Lighting Performance is a family-owned business operated by Victor Allende and Edgardo Allende. Since 1990, the company has focused on servicing the production needs in the Caribbean.