Overview
Striking sports figurines backlit with our BL Neonview Mini create a bright and inspiring mood at DeVaul Henderson Park, activating the exterior of the gymnasium with smoothly illuminated silhouettes.
Products Used
A FRESH, SPORTY FACADE
As part of a brand new $7.4 million sports facility addition in DeVaul Henderson Park, a 19,000 square foot double gym was built to serve the community. The original intent was to have unlit figurines on the north wall of the gym, and later an addendum was issued to put the final touches on the unlit figures by using a backlighting effect. The six flat sheet figurines, each standing over 12 ft tall, were custom fabricated from cast aluminum and placed on standoffs a mere 2″ from the outer north wall of the brand-new building.
To achieve the desired impactful and even backlit glow, the chosen luminaires needed to be small enough to fit tidily behind the panels, yet flexible enough to follow the custom curves and contours of the figures, and additionally be extremely durable for exterior, all weather, year-round use.
COVERING ALL THE BASES
It was determined that BL Neonview Mini would be the absolute best option, as when mounted in a sideways orientation behind the panels, a uniform glow could be accomplished. Working out the exact custom lighting lengths to fit such tight dimensions and intricate shapes was going to be a challenge, so the BL Team worked from CAD plans of the figures, referring to the defined cutting increments and bending radius of our light, to map out exactly how best to integrate the lighting behind each panel. To help illustrate the design, we created custom layout drawings showing just how strategic placement of the LED would achieve a perfect fit, and deliver the desired light output.
Given the minimal available space behind the panel, installing drivers in a remote location was critical factor for achieving success. Since BL Neonview Mini is so efficient, with a power draw of just 1.37w/ft, BL Lighting could manufacture the termination lead wires with custom extra long 30 ft lengths to help solve this dilemma. Furthermore, the compact physical dimensions of the BL Power LED Driver J5 010V and multi-output options made it easy to determine a suitable installation location on site.
Slim dimensions of just 3/8″x3/8″ and a tight bend radius of just 3.9″, IP68 wet location rated and ability to withstand temperature extremes of -40°F to 131°F, BL Neonview Mini shone as the ideal solution to illuminate the artistic display of silhouettes of people engaged in sport.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
Enhancing the spectator and player experience, and standing out amongst the crowd, BL Neonview Mini brought an innovative lighting solution to the project with an energy efficient 90 lm/w, while silicone encapsulation helps to ensure a long lifespan and near zero maintenance for years to come. The Bryan County Gym was a highly prominent component of the overall DeVaul Henderson Park project, designed to inspire community, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Construction began in 2021 and the expansion was completed under budget in 2023.
VICTORY LAP!
We continue to open up more possibilities to beautifully transform architecture into luminous surfaces. Our ever-evolving innovative lighting technologies ensure we remain on the forefront of LED lighting, as we increase efficiency and LED power to provide better lighting solutions in smaller packages than ever before.
To successfully complete the Bryan County Gym project, the BL Lighting team partnered with Jason Pittman of Next Generation Lighting South, an Alesco Company, the Specifier, Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, Inc of Atlanta, the General Contractor, Pope Construction in Statesboro, and the Electrical Contractor, Rountree Electric in Sylvania.
