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The light-filled aquatic center at the Margot Connell Recreation Center.
Photo: Anton Grassi Photography
Bright Ideas
How lighting designer Kate St. Laurent ā02 helped get the new Margot Connell Recreation Center glowing.
Summer 2020
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Kate St. Laurent has a long history with ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°®. The Newton native graduated in 2002 and her father, John Springfield, used to work in information technology at ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°®. Now an associate vice president with the architecture firm CannonDesign, St. Laurent recently found herself back on campus to design the lighting for the Margot Connell Recreation Center. Where the old Rec Plex was ādark and dreary,ā she said, the new building āglows from within.ā
Ģż Photo: Laura Peters
Though St. Laurent considered studying education and math at ĀŅĀ׊”æÉ°®, she wound up majoring in fine arts with a concentration in drawing. āI had no idea lighting design really existed as a profession until my teacher in graduate school exposed me to it,ā she said. āIt really is the perfect meld of science, math, and art. It uses all of the different sides of my brain on a regular basis.ā
If youāve never noticed lighting design before, it probably means youāve been in relatively well-lit environments, St. Laurent said. But if you can think of a place in which you were especially aware of the lighting or felt uncomfortable, youāve experienced poor design.
Here, she shares expert tips for lighting a space.
USE LED WISELY
This powerful, efficient technology provides a lot of brightness, but LEDās maximum output doesnāt work in every situation. Always consider a fixtureās directionality and sightlines when determining whether LED will create a pleasant environment and aesthetic.
LOOK NORTH
As sun-path diagrams demonstrate, in the Northern Hemisphere, north-facing windows are ideal for capturing significant sunlight sans irritating glare because they donāt get direct rays.
FLATTER YOUR SPACE
Lighting can change perceptions of a room. If you want a space to feel taller, provide light that indirectly illuminates the ceiling. You can also light the walls to provide a sense of elongating or widening the room.Ģżā½
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