Photos: USAI
For three recent high-profile projects—global asset manager Lord Abbett’s sleek Jersey City headquarters, the newest location of Canada’s premier handroll bar Hello Nori, and the redesign of the iconic Solow Building at 9 West 57th Street—lighting designers turned to USAI’s small but powerful recessed lighting solutions. Through advanced optical engineering, USAI delivers exceptional beam quality and efficiency, precisely channeling every lumen so that even the smallest aperture produces bold, uncompromising illumination. This breakthrough enables high-quality general lighting across a wide range of applications, from contemporary corporate offices to refined restaurant interiors and celebrated architectural landmarks, all while embracing the growing trend towards the “barely-there” aesthetic today’s designers demand.
Understated and Integrated – Lord Abbett
“Really small downlights are a design choice that a lot of people are moving towards. Using the LittleOnes® Family of 1” and 1.25” aperture fixtures was of particular interest to the client,” says Spark Studio’s Jess Marshall, one of the lighting designers behind the Jersey City headquarters for Lord Abbett, one of the oldest money management firms in the U.S. Boasting more than 40 stories, meditation rooms, collaborative workspaces, and sweeping views of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline, the Lord Abbett headquarters had a myriad of lighting needs. As an office first and foremost, the emphasis was on creating an environment that was both warm and inviting while being illuminated enough for a productive workspace, says Spark Studio Founder Scott Herrick.
A particularly unique design element is the clever use of the LittleOnes 1.25” Micro Doubles in conference rooms in place of the typical decorative fixtures. “We wanted simple, clean solutions that were also decorative and playful – curated quiet moments,” Marshall notes. “They appear more like jewelry instead of a grid of downlights.”
Throughout the rest of the office, Marshall and Herrick maintained a design throughline with more linear Micro Multi-Cells in the boardroom and a wide range of the LittleOnes family – including adjustable LittleOnes Micros 1.25” to illuminate art, the LittleOnes Zeptos® 1” in the elevator lobbies and executive floors reception area, and the LittleOnes Micro Doubles downlights for quiet corner spaces – to create an aesthetic so clean and minimal it can barely be captured on camera!
Integrating Lighting into the Design Narrative – Hello Nori
For the newest location of the Japanese hand roll bar Hello Nori in Toronto, the trend toward miniaturization was driven by the desire to create an imaginative, artistic interior design without compromising illumination. The ceiling is the “wow factor,” says lighting designer Jacqueline Koong of Concrete Cashmere Design, “meant to draw people in.” Executing this impressive design was crucial to the restaurant’s success and the consistency of the Hello Nori brand. In this location, USAI’s LittleOnes Micro 1.25” aperture downlights were integrated into the eye-catching arrangement of undulating wooden beams suspended from the ceiling.
Working closely with Koong, USAI’s engineering team coordinated designs for millwork dimensions tailored to the 1″ aperture fixtures, for a safe UL approved fit and seamless installation.
This dramatic sculptural centerpiece was designed to reflect the surrounding buildings in Toronto’s bustling financial district. With the expansion of options for smaller, recessed lighting, Koong says, “you’re thinking about how light can be integrated into an architectural feature,” rather than obscuring fixtures or changing an intricate design to fit the available lighting capabilities. “The lighting fixtures themselves are able to be part of the show and be part of the special moments throughout.”
Matching Architectural Scale – The Solow Building
There’s another symbiotic dynamic that’s assisted by the movement towards smaller, recessed lighting fixtures – the relationship between architecture and lighting design. For the Solow Building at 9 W 57th St, lighting designer Francis Milloy worked closely with the architects at Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill to undertake a comprehensive interior renovation of the iconic Midtown offices. USAI played an important role in one of the most important spaces. On the 27th floor, an intimate level where employees can enjoy amenities, Milloy used a strategic combination of USAI’s BeveLED Mini® 3” and the LittleOnes Micro 1.25” to match the space’s scale, eliminate glare, and complement the glazing overlooking a stunning view of Central Park.
To prioritize uninterrupted views, the barely visible LittleOnes Micros were cleverly integrated into the portico around the windows to provide nighttime illumination to the space, ensuring clear sightlines and allowing occupants to enjoy the scenery without reflections in the glass.
This strategy included pulling the BeveLED Minis farther into the room and away from the windows to illuminate the interior spaces while inviting Central Park views.
The LittleOnes Micro wall wash fixtures run the length of a feature wall with built-in bookshelves, illuminating the shelves while providing soft general lighting for the adjacent area of the room.
