2020 IES Illumination Awards: CLT Concourse D

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has recognized three Hartranft Lighting Design projects with National Awards of Merit as part of the 47th IES Illumination Awards program. The award for Charlotte International Airport Concourse D Terminal features the work of HLD design team of Sarah Boyer, Diane McNabb Rodriguez and Katy Moser.

(Above) ​Exterior. Blue perimeter uplights provide a feature at apron exterior, highlighting the airport’s key color. Ring pendant lights further reflect the architecture.

​HLD also received IES 2020 National Award of Merit for the BPHA Pro Shop at TD Garden Arena in Boston and the Greater Rochester International Airport Entrance Canopy. 

Project Summary
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is the USA’s 11th busiest airport (2019) ranked by passenger traffic and is undergoing rapid expansion and renovation. CLT had specific requirements for Concourse D lighting renovation:

• Lighting Design team was asked to complete the design process in ‘lightning round’ fashion
• Re-use existing general lighting’s 40’ on center power / mounting locations to meet structural restraints
• Enhance lighting quality with an appealing aesthetic
• Triple lighting levels
• Coordinate mounts to conform to rounded columns / walls
• Specify luminaires to meet aggressive installation schedule

Lighting concept: Improve the sense of space by replacing downlit general lighting scheme and puny perimeter uplighting. New luminous 7’ diameter ring pendants provide general illumination in up and down lighting. Uplighting reveals 30’ ceiling height and intricacy. Downlighting significantly increases light levels at the floor, a particular priority for the airport. Pendant shape re-enforces half-rotunda silhouette at terminus of concourse, the only of its kind at the airport. Indirect uplighting at perimeter in ‘CLT blue’ scheme or alternate white scheme adds cheery ambiance and unique identity.

CLT required tie-back to existing controls and daylight harvesting. Perimeter up lights have custom, separate boards (white / blue). This allows the option for color, but avoids a complex, expensive DMX system.
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Specifying running-line luminaires, and modified luminaires with negotiated ‘fast-track’ production met tight time-line requirements. Illumination levels went from existing 8fc average to 30fc average.

Previously a very dreary and dark concourse, the lighting renovation lifted the space, both visually and
photometrically. Lighting levels now balance daylight contribution and feel well-lit and glare-free in the evening.

Legacy light sources were replaced with all-LED luminaires resulting in 42% better than code energy consumption.

Project Images

(Below)  Exterior. Blue perimeter uplights provide a feature at apron exterior, highlighting the airport’s key color. Ring pendant lights further reflect the architecture.​

(Below) Left: Before. Right: After. Brighter, more comfortable and even illumination achieved in spite of utilizing existing power locations, fulfilling the airport’s main requirement.​

(Below) ​Looking towards concourse entrance. An 18’ ring pendant accentuates ceiling structure, architecture and floor compass detail.

(Below) ​​Left: Photometric rendering. Right: Towards gate entrances. Ring pendants provide additional uplighting to a freshly painted ceiling, highlighting the architecture and brightening up the space.

(Below) Concourse entrance. Existing legacy source perimeter uplights provided minimal ceiling illumination. New blue LED perimeter uplighting creates a special moment.

About the IES Illumination Awards
The IES Illumination Awards program recognizes individuals for professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design based on the individual merit of each entry. Judges are selected from a broad professional spectrum, representing knowledge of lighting and design excellence. The judging system is entirely based on how well the lighting design meets the program criteria. The Illumination Awards program is not a competition.