On May 30, the Illuminating Engineering Society of British Columbia (IESBC) awarded its 2019 ‘Vision Award’ recipients, which honours outstanding BC lighting designers for their work. The gala event held at CBC Studio One served up canapés and cocktails followed by the awards ceremony celebrating the best in BC’s lighting community. 

“The lighting projects received this year showcased a variety of organizations utilizing new lighting technology to create new spaces and upgrade existing ones,” says Marty Geusebroek, IESBC’s chair member and account manager at CDM2. “From universities to public outdoor areas, it’s remarkable to see how subtle lighting additions can enhance texture, emphasize colour, and support the structure of the built environment.”

This year’s IESBC’s Vision Award and Award of Merit recipient is:

•  šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square Pavilion (EOS Lightmedia), formerly The Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza, for Outdoor Lighting Design in Vancouver, BC. For the pronunciation of the plaza's name and additional information, visit the City of Vancouver. 
  
  

Additional Award of Merit recipients include:

•  Richmond Olympic Oval event hall lighting upgrade (Prism Engineering Limited) for Energy and Environmental Design (Richmond, BC). 
  
  
• UBC Aquatic Centre (AES Engineering) for Interior Lighting Design (Vancouver, BC).
  
  
• Whistler Gateway Loop (AES Engineering) for Outdoor Lighting Design (Whistler, BC). 

• St. Michaels University School (SMUS) Sun Centre Dining Hall and Student Commons(AES Engineering) for Interior Lighting Design (Victoria, BC).
  
  
• Robson Court Renovation 840 Howe Street (AES Engineering) for Interior Lighting Design (Vancouver, BC).
  
  

The 2019 BC Hydro Power Smart Lighting Redesign Award recipient is:

• The Vancouver Convention Centre exhibition areas lighting upgrade (Prism Engineering) located in Vancouver, BC. 
  
  

This year’s honourable mention is:

• The Origo Club (Joy Chao & Michelle Tse) for Interior Lighting Design located in Richmond, BC.
  
  

Submissions for the IES ‘Vision Awards’ open yearly in January and projects are judged based on how well the lighting design meets the program criteria. It is not a competition, and it is stage one leading up to IES’s national ‘Illumination Awards,’ which will be presented on August 8 at the IES Conference in Louisville, KY. For more information on IESBC, seminars and membership, visit www.iesbc.org

About IESBC - Operating for over 60 years, IES British Columbia, a section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit technical society dedicated to promoting the art and science of lighting. Known as the go-to community for the newest lighting codes and by-laws, IESBC provides an environment for sharing knowledge and ideas to advance the career paths of all its members. IESBC seeks to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and translating knowledge into actions to benefit the public and provide support for emerging lighting professionals. IESBC offers monthly seminars to educate trade and residential designers or anyone interested in learning more about the lighting industry. 

ABOUT THE AWARD CATEGORIES

The Control Innovation Award
Advanced lighting control solutions can provide significant energy savings, flexibility and other benefits in buildings. This prestigious award recognizes good lighting projects that exemplify the effective use of lighting controls in nonresidential applications. Guidelines suggestive of what to include in your submission are available. 

Illumination Award for Interior Lighting Design
In 1902 Edwin F. Guth founded the St. Louis Brass Company and later renamed it the Edwin F. Guth Company. Mr. Guth's profound creativity, entrepreneurialism and focus to improve interior lighting are partially represented through 147 patents awarded to him prior to his passing in 1962. This award recognizes exceptional interior lighting projects that balance the functional illumination of space with the artistic application of light to enhance the occupant's experience.

Illumination Award for Outdoor Lighting Design
The Outdoor Lighting Design Award recognizes excellence in lighting design and application in all aspects of exterior lighting. The program celebrates achievements in aesthetics, applied technical acumen, creative solutions to demanding site conditions and advancements to the industry in outdoor lighting applications. The goal of the program is to further the understanding, knowledge and function of outdoor lighting as a critical aspect of the built environment. 

Energy and Environmental Lighting Design
The Energy and Environmental Design Award recognizes quality lighting installations in commercial and industrial buildings that incorporate advanced energy-saving strategies and environmentally responsible solutions into the overall design.

BC HYDRO Power Smart Lighting Redesign Award (BC only) BC Hydro Power Smart presents the Lighting Redesign Award to recognize local talents that bring innovation and energy efficiency in lighting design. The Lighting Redesign Award recognizes quality lighting redesign or major retrofit installations in existing commercial and industrial buildings, that incorporate advanced energy-saving strategies and environmentally responsible solutions into the overall design, without sacrificing visual interest.