The Otis Autograph Collection

Based in Austin Texas, this is a high-end boutique hotel near the University of Texas campus. The exterior lighting portion of this project was treated as an extension of the interior lighting, which revolves around the same design principals of balancing and layering direct and indirect light sources for adequate illumination. The exterior lighting is completely tailored to the architecture of the building and is fully dimmable through a control system utilizing astronomical time-clock settings. Some of the challenges presented with this project included budgetary restrictions, energy compliance, client programming requirements, and guest visual comfort. Budget was a major concern for all exterior components in general. At one point within the design process, the elimination of the entire ceiling of the amenity deck was proposed. It was important for us to articulate the severity of the decision to get rid of one of the most memorable areas, which would minimize the draw to the hotel. An enormous value engineering effort was introduced and roughly 50% of light fixtures were omitted and 50% of the lighting was re-specified for cost savings. IECC 2015 compliance was achieved with a combination of halogen and LED sources per the client’s requirement. One of the most distinguished, yet challenging features of the façade lighting is the extensive vertical cove that runs upwards along the west-facing side of the hotel. The lighting detail was troublesome because it is located directly outside guest room windows and required concealment from sight while still being an eye-catching component to the façade. Visual comfort was addressed by integrating and concealing lighting into the architecture and specifying accessories such as baffles and hexcell louvers. Although night sky preservation was not a requirement, through the efforts of designing towards visual comfort, the lighting design complies.