Civic Building at One Veterans Plaza

Civic Building at One Veterans Plaza

Location

Silver Spring, MD


Completed

2010


Size

52,000 SF


Owners

Montgomery County


Architect

Machado and Silvetti Associates, Inc.


Awards

2011 IES Illumination Award of Merit


Photographer

© Anton Grassl / Esto, © Lam Partners


Design Team

Jennifer Pieszak

A monumental frame creates the backdrop for this urban plaza. The proscenium-like frame comes to life through expansive washes of light, while civic pride glows from within.

High-performance asymmetric floodlights, concealed at the civic building’s roof and base, boldly animate the wood-lined arch to announce the great hall entry. Recessed wallwashers highlight orange interior walls and opal fluorescent pendants adorn the prefunction space.

Community involvement and civic pride forged the project. A beloved swath of Astroturf was transformed into the county civic building, landscaped plaza space, and a multifunction pavilion sheltering a seasonal ice rink, arranged as a sequence of active outdoor rooms within the vibrant retail district.
The pavilion itself grabs center stage when a timeclock starts DMX-controlled evening shows. Color-changing floodlights mounted to catwalks on the roof illuminate diffuse glass panels, and are easily accessed for maintenance.

Steplights integrated into concrete benches form a procession, connecting with recessed rectangular downlights indoors. Glowing uplit trees contrast softly with building geometries.

All plaza walkways are illuminated without any pole-mounted hardware – fluorescent handrails even light plaza stairs. Integrated lighting that reinforces the plaza’s main axis allows strolling and socializing without clutter.


Related Projects