Primera is thrilled to announce that our project, the Hospital Welcome Atrium at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health), has been honored with the prestigious Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Chicago Section’s Illumination Award in the Interior Lighting category. This recognition highlights Primera’s lighting designers and their commitment to innovative and sustainable lighting design. In-house lighting designer, Renata Pajerska, was honored for her work on the new Welcome Atrium at the 2024 Illumination Awards celebration that took place on September 26^th. Renata collaborated closely with UI Health partners and staff to implement state-of-the-art, energy-efficient systems that blended with the architectural elements of the Atrium. Primera’s buildings team also provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, IT, fire protection, and fire alarm design services for the project.

The IES Illumination Awards program is known for recognizing excellence in lighting design and lighting controls for their ingenuity and originality. The new UI Health Welcome Atrium, a two-story, 17,000-square-foot lobby, was designed to bring a transparent and light-infused space that serves as a calming welcome for hospital guests. The addition also includes a new conference center and restroom facilities, as well as a second-floor mezzanine with a sculptural meditation area that serves as a main point of focus for the lobby.

Primera’s lighting designers worked closely with the hospital staff to ensure minimal disruption to daily activities, successfully installing modern, energy-saving systems that seamlessly integrate with the Atrium’s architectural features. A key challenge of the project was designing the lighting around the unique two-story oval-shaped reflection room, which ‘floats’ in the space. This required meticulous planning and varying fixture lengths to achieve even illumination along the curves, creating a smooth transition of light that enhances both the lounge area below it and the meditation space above. Our designers also selected user-friendly lighting control stations to ensure that the environment remains welcoming and compliant with energy codes, exceeding standards by an impressive 29%.

Primera would like to thank IES for celebrating our design excellence and for recognizing our commitment to crafting spaces that also enhance user well-being.

Images © Connor Steinkamp