The project of the month is Bloomington Central Park in Bloomington, Minnesota featuring Sierra illuminated columns.

The columns are prominently placed along key walkways within the site, providing visual interest and functional illumination. In the main plaza, Sierra’s mirror the iconic feature of canted cedar poles, designed to mimic the natural pattern of tree trunks, an artistic recollection to the site’s agricultural role as an orchard in former times.

Strategically located between the Mall of America and the Minneapolis-St Paul airport, the 1.9 acre park is the centerpiece of the $57 million Central Station mixed use development, providing a “sense of space” and an outdoor gathering space for events, fairs, and concerts.

The illuminating columns were specified by Lisa Chaput of the Minneapolis-based lighting design firm LightSpaces. Special thanks to JTH Lighting for their supporting efforts as the specifying agency!

While always a popular product among designers and specifiers, the Sierra series of columns and bollards has enjoyed renewed interest with the recent introduction of static or color- changing LEDs options for accenting, zonal definition, and branding applications. Wall mounted models are also now available. Click on the link for additional information.

DOWNLOAD | Sierra LED product brief (PDF, 2,4 MB)

Hess has been active in trade show participation this spring, exhibiting at both Light + Building in Frankfurt and LightFair in Las Vegas.

A new booth was developed for Light + Building using an open floor layout. The booth presented an inviting, relaxed atmosphere for attendees to see the latest new product offerings. Booth traffic was heavy, drawing in thirty percent more visitors over the previous show. Terry O’Toole and Ben Cantu were on hand during the show to meet with North American visitors to the booth.

The Night Elements have been well received by specifiers, but the outdoor exhibit of the neon colored Night Elements got a lot of interest. Though they may not be your color choice, they are certainly unique.

LightFair in Las Vegas saw HessAmerica unveiling several new products. Among the more popular were the LED bollards and the Sierra color-changing light columns. Other new products exhibited included the Milano T, Novara OV, Alba, and the Sera CG. Booth traffic was heavy throughout the show, generating hundreds of leads.

HessAmerica also hosted a hospitality suite at the nearby Renaissance Hotel for those who desired a respite from the exhibition. Thank you to all who visited, especially those who brought along their valued specifiers.

Three new LED bollards were introduced at LightFair. We received a lot of interest although they are very understated products.

The bollards – TARO, LINEA, and Novara are LED powered and emit zero light at or above ninety degrees horizontal making them suitable for use in all LEED lighting zones. High powered LEDs in a specialized array are fitted with prismatic lens optics, producing an asymmetric distribution ideal for pathway lighting applications. The bollards may be spaced up to eight mounting heights while achieving an illumination of 0.5 footcandle average. Total power consumption is about ten watts.

For additional product information, click on the links below:

If you took the opportunity to visit the HessAmerica hospitality suite after the LightFair exhibition, you will have noticed the Amalfi, Lido, and Riva wall mount luminaires with colored LEDs on display. Available in straight or tilted bracket models, these fixtures use an MR16 style LED to provide colored accent illumination. Choice of colors includes royal blue, red, green, amber, and white. Total power consumption of the integral LED driver is just under 4 watts. Look to these products when considering hospitality or entertainment venues where ambiance is desired.

HessAmerica hosted two groups of landscape architects this past June. Earlier in the month, Lighting Unlimited brought specifiers from the design firms of NBBJ and MSI Design from Columbus, Ohio. The second group was with Mercer-Zimmerman, who accompanied designers from Kansas City-based offices of HNTB, HOK, and Nearing Staats Prelogar & Jones. We included a side trip to the Biltmore Estate, with the gardens being a big hit among the landscape architects.

To quote one of the designer’s letter of thanks, “…it was so insightful to see how the product is manufactured and to understand the reasoning behind the designs. And the best tool is your gallery. That is a fantastic space… I also appreciate the time at the Biltmore… I knew it was an amazing place, but until one visits, it really can not truly be appreciated to its fullest…”. We second the comments!

With the summer weather in full swing, you need to schedule a visit before time slots are gone. Agencies who have previously taken advantage of bringing specifiers to the Gallery have recorded positive results in sales.

Visits may be tailored to meet the needs of your specifiers with sufficient notice. Contact Terry O’Toole to make arrangements at 864-487-3535 ext 229 or by email at totoole@hessamerica.com.