UMAYA took home yet another award; this time for their work at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. The Light Middle East Awards take place annually, and recognizes the finest lighting design projects and practices in the region, across several different categories. The gala ceremony took place last October 19th. at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The Khalifa University Extension consists of 169,630 m² organized into four buildings, interconnected by a unique ‘spine’ that extends from the first building to the last on all floors. These buildings house Abu Dhabi’s first medical school, an engineering department, sports complex and R+D facilities.

The project was developed in partnership with RSP Architects, Planners & Engineers as Lead Consultants and Designers, and Elite Design and Engineering Consultancy as Client Representatives.

The exterior lighting scheme considered the ambient lighting as the sum of individual lighting strategies, as a way of creating a balanced atmosphere while generating intimate subspaces to be enjoyed by students. Concealed light sources provide a unified language and a subtle gradient of light.

Triangular Led tiles, developed specifically for this project, match the pavement pattern and were utilized both for general illumination and way-finding. They were placed in a gradient fashion; more condensed the closer they are to the building’s entrances. This allowed for architecture and lighting to come together as a homogeneous entity.

Not only is the overall lighting design functional and aesthetically pleasing but is also energy efficient, since the overall scheme had to be compliant with Estidama requirements.