Fiserv, Inc.

Lighting Designer: Gabler - Youngston
Architect: TVS Design
Photograph: Chris Little Photography

Unlocking the Potential of Personalized Lighting

The Client
In 2014, Fiserve was celebrating 30 years of leadership as a financial services technology company and named among Fortune Magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies®”. The company earned industry accolades and enlisted architectural and interior design firm, tvsdesign and lighting design firm, Gabler - Youngston Architectural Lighting Design to build a new 375,000-square-foot headquarters in Atlanta that would truly embody the brand and its high-tech expertise.

The Challenge
The objective was to showcase and support their business with clients, guests, and associates. USAI Lighting played a key role in meeting the challenge from a branding and technological perspective.

First impressions are powerful and so the atrium entrance became a prominent part of the project. The intent was to have a space that encapsulated the brand and could shift with time to impress its clients and guests as a premier, innovative leader in financial technology. It is a space that not only welcomes guests as they arrive but also serves as a place for large meetings during the day and cocktail parties and receptions in the evening. A branded grand entrance with flexibility in design and LED lighting with multiple solutions were required to meet the various functions of the atrium.   

The Solution
Upon entering, the atrium provides an awe-inspiring experience in a voluminous space with 50’ ceilings and a symphony of details that repeat the geometry of the square shape from the period, or “proof point” at the end of Fiserv’s brand logo – symbolizing its progressive, state-of-the-art environment. This repetitive “proof point” square design is reflected in the architecture from the glass window panes to the wall tiles and then punctuated in the 3-dimensional ceiling panels with USAI Lighting’s BeveLED 2.1 Color Select square, recessed downlights. To meet aesthetic needs of the sculptural ceiling panels and practical needs of the space, principal lighting designer, Jim Youngston desired fixtures powerful enough to adequately light the atrium from a high point, without requiring placement in every panel – allowing shadows to enhance its multi-dimensional texture.  Additionally, the project called for human-centric lighting to match the diverse experiences intended for the room and align with natural light outdoors. “USAI Lighting was the only company offering the lumen package with the small [square] aperture and color tuning required to light the space,” explains Youngston. 

Color Select’s proprietary, tunable white LED technology unlocks the potential of Personalized Lighting®. LED lighting color temperatures and intensities are programmed to match outdoor natural light from sunrise to sunset, providing balance to the body’s circadian rhythms. Exposure to crisp, blue-white light awakens and enhances the ability to focus while soft, warmer light relaxes – promoting health and wellness benefits.  Fiserv optimizes this technology by programming the USAI recessed LED downlights to the natural, 24-hour, light-dark cycle daily. The technology provides the additional flexibility for Fiserv to personalize lighting based on the needs of the environments being created. Recessed LED downlights are amped up to cooler color temperatures at the beginning of an event to enliven attendees and then dialed down with softer, warmer color temperatures to encourage relaxation when it’s time to leave.

The challenge to create an immersive branded, technologically progressive experience was possible with the creative placement and usage of USAI Lighting’s patented technology coupled with the layers of architectural details within the atrium lobby – providing an illuminating first impression.