Lumenpulse Inc., a leading innovator and manufacturer of high performance, architectural LED-based lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, and urban environments, released a customer case study focused on a project for the iconic 1950’s Cermak Shopping Plaza outside of Chicago, IL.  Already a clean-tech energy saver, the Lumenpulse LED fixtures are going further green with the building owner choosing to power them with wind turbines.
 
Built in 1956, the plaza has a rich history including cameo appearances in Hollywood movies (1992’s Wayne’s World, and 2008’s Wanted) and visionary displays of contemporary art sculptures introduced by Cermak founder and passionate art patron David Bermant.
 
The Cermak Plaza -- 300,000 sq. ft in size — has also seen its share of economic booms and lows … but in 2008 with intense local competition, a building that was starting to show its age, and the bankruptcy and loss of an anchor store ... the plaza was operating at an all-time-low occupancy rate of just 40%.
 
To turn the tide back to business growth, the owners began planning a dramatic revitalization of the property. Ethos Workshop, Architects and Planners was commissioned to lead the multi-million dollar effort with the goal of making the building itself a work of art to attract new occupants.
 
The chosen solution uses Lumenpulse Lumenfacade™ RGB fixtures to create a totally programmable, pop-art canopy of light over the stores which also delivers energy savings and lowered maintenance costs.
 
Cermak Plaza has taken the clean tech aspect of Lumenpulse products even further, by powering the fixtures with twelve, 35 ft. wind turbines that cultivate energy from the edge of the plaza’s parking lot. The turbines generate up to 2,500 kilowatt hours of electricity each year and when not powering the LEDs, they direct power back to the grid – actually earning income for Cermak Plaza Associates LLC which also receives a federal credit for installing green technology.

In the case study, Scott Allman, AIA, president of Ethos Workshop had this to say: “It has been a great success. It’s brought the property to life.”

This new life can also be measured in new business with recent leases to Meijer and K&G bringing the property to 98% leased – a far cry from just a couple of years ago.