Oxman Studio

Oxman Studio takes a distinctly multidisciplinary approach to innovation, combining biology, engineering, and design for a new generation of ecologically minded architecture and products. Their two-story, 36,000-square-foot Hell’s Kitchen space is a collaborative laboratory, library, and studio, and needed to facilitate agile, evolving needs for a broad spectrum of projects.

Specifically, they wanted lighting that would unify the various locations within the office, as well as the interior with the exterior. The result was a 2025 IALD Special Citation for Human-Centered and Condition Responsive Design, as well as a 2025 Lumen Award of Merit for the careful handling of the light’s color temperature and the overall lighting design’s support of the space’s architecture through its elegant integration.

Because the space faces north, maintaining consistent lighting throughout was a must, especially during the winter months when natural light is limited. To ensure that lighting remained consistent and comfortable for working, the entire space was equipped with tunable white fixtures that follow natural light shifts from morning to afternoon to evening. This creates a more seamless transition between the exterior and interior of the space, and, along with the natural wood tones and large windows, keeps with Oxman Studio’s nature-inspired ethos.

The open-plan office space features barrel vaults on the lower level ceilings on either side of the two-story atrium and gathering space. To optimize the lighting and the shape of the ceiling, NanoLine Graze fixtures with narrow beams and Pixel controlled tunable white LEDs are angled upward into the vaults, creating an effect where the light pools at the apex of the curve. This accentuates the shape while providing a clear but diffuse ambient light for a variety of activities. Downlighting in architectural slots is also available for extra task lighting as well as over display areas.

To ensure the effect was identical along each vault, Nanometer used a Graze fixture with a very narrow, 10-degree beam, angled precisely into the cove. To achieve precise light temperatures, tunable white LEDs equipped with Pixel Controls were used in the Graze fixtures, and a partially frosted optic lens allowed for seamless blending of warm and cool segments.

Because the lighting maintains consistency throughout the shared workspaces, common areas, and private offices, the studio’s concept of transcending barriers is further reinforced. This is crucial as the space is designed to adapt to the needs of various projects and people, and often requires reconfigurations of workstations and desks, all of which are modular in design to facilitate rearranging. A single, unified lighting scheme allows for this flexibility, which in turn allows for freer exploration, collaboration, and discovery.