The Shefa School

This project required converting a 1920s-era office building into a school for special needs K-8 students. It was a total makeover for the building, which had stood unoccupied for about 40 years. Offices and meeting rooms were reimagined into flexible classrooms with removable dividers for large- and small-group learning, and into gathering spaces for students, faculty, and families. These included a rooftop play space, cafeteria, gym, and Beit Midrash, or prayer and study space.

The Beit Midrash was designed to be tranquil and inviting, with natural wood tones and organic carved motifs that evoked both clean modernity and ancient tradition. Being an interior space on one of the lower floors, however, adequate light was a must.

To achieve this, Nanometer installed a 14-foot diameter NanoTex Round recessed fixture that resembled a skylight in the double-height ceiling, and whose circular shape suggested themes of nature, harmony, and unity.

Static white LEDs, shown above prior to the installation of the textile lens, were chosen for their consistency and clarity of light. They ensure that the space, which is used for everything from prayer and Torah study to celebrations, presentations, and special events, always feels open, airy, and accessible. Combined with the height of the ceiling, it helps make this enclosed area seem more spacious.

The textile diffuser layer featured a no-sew keder on Nanometer’s Sustainable Efficient fabric, which is made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic (rPET). The no-sew keder was a challenge to install, but the team was able to create a taut, smooth surface that gently diffused the LEDs for seamless and dot-free lighting.