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Tec Inc.’s Ardra Zinkon Wins
Coveted GE Edison Award
Columbus, OH, June 1, 2011 – Tec Inc. Engineering & Design—an award-winning Mechanical, Electrical, Lighting and Technology firm—announced that Ardra Zinkon, Director of Lighting Design, received the prestigious 2010 GE Edison Award for Excellence in Environmental Design for her lighting design of the Miami University Farmer School of Business in Oxford, Ohio.
The GE Edison Award competition is open internationally to lighting professionals for a creative lighting design project completed during the previous year.
The Award for Excellence in Environmental Design gives special recognition to those projects that minimize the use of energy, maximize the use of daylighting, control light pollution, ensure system durability and maintainability, and include other sustainability measures and innovative techniques and technologies that minimize impact on the environment.
Zinkon—Director of the firm’s Columbus office which she established in 2005—received the award for her lighting design of the Farmer School of Business at Miami University in Ohio. Previously her work was recognized by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Progress Committee for renovation of the Brecksville Public Library in Ohio, which received an award for Innovative Application of New Technology. She is currently completing Lighting Design services for the interior and exterior of the new $140 million Hilton Columbus in Ohio. Her choice of lighting systems and sources will result in performance of 30% less energy use than required by standards.
She serves nationally on the Illuminating Engineering Society’s (IES) Progress Committee and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) Energy & Sustainability Committee. She has lectured at The Ohio State University, Miami University, the IES Midwest Regional Conference, IALD’s Enlighten Americas Conference, and presented on LED’s at the 2010 Lightfair in Las Vega, NV.
At 218,000 square feet, the new Farmer School of Business at Miami University became the first LEED certified building on campus. The lighting design contributed to the Silver rating with a lighting power density of 20% less than required by the energy code.
With multiple space types, the project required a variety of lighting sources. Zincon’s design incorporated fluorescent, CMH, Halogen low voltage, and LED. She created a luminescent blend of high performance sources and traditional decorative luminaires to enhance the formal architecture.
According to Zinkon, “The decorative luminaires are vital to the design aesthetic. Yes, they add an additional layer of illumination, but more importantly they bring a heighted sense of elegance that augments the architectural style of the structure. It’s like letting the building wear jewelry; it adds the sparkle, the finishing touch.”
From a design perspective, this was the greatest challenge: marrying the concept of traditional decorative with high performance. Custom luminaires were created to take advantage of current source technology and to push the envelope on luminaire types that had traditionally served as building ‘jewelry.’ The spaces required maximum flexibility to keep up with today’s collegiate learning environments, so the DALI control system was selected to meet that performance need.
All spaces with windows contain dimmable daylight harvesting systems and automated shades for glare control and thermal comfort. Due to thoughtful design and application, the designed energy consumption on this building is 20% less than code while producing a visual quality that meets the needs of the students, faculty, administration and visitors. The lighting design solutions are harmonious with the architecture and are easy to maintain for the life of the building.
View photos on Flickr
Founded in 1983 by Terrance Kilbourne, Tec Inc. Engineering & Design is an award-winning Mechanical, Electrical, Lighting and Technology firm. From offices in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, Tec professionals provide expertise to academic, healthcare, community, commercial, residential and government projects throughout the country. Clients include Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic Region, Cleveland Clinic and Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire in Nashville, TN.
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