Boston, MA According to Margulies Perruzzi (MP), one of New England’s most innovative architectural and interior design firms, and Sladen Feinstein Integrated Lighting (SFIL), one of the city’s premier architectural lighting design firms, they have received a Section Award of Merit from the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) for the Illumination Awards program. The award recognizes the firms’ lighting design for the 250,000 s/f global headquarters for PTC Inc., a global provider of technology that transforms how companies design, manufacture, operate, and service things in a smart connected world. In 2019, PTC relocated its headquarters from Needham, Mass., to 121 Seaport Blvd., a 17-story, 400,000 s/f office building in the Seaport District.

Margulies Perruzzi’s design for PTC’s new headquarters was strongly influenced by the unique, elliptical-shaped glass tower of 121 Seaport. To maximize views of Boston Harbor and downtown, the open office design places conference rooms and meeting spaces around the building core on each floor and arranges bench seating with ergonomic sit-to-stand desks in a radial fashion that aligns with the oval shape.

As a leader in digital transformation, it was critical that technology be woven into every aspect of design. The cutting-edge oval building shape presented lighting layout challenges, solved with a completely customized solution of two rows of curvilinear direct/indirect LED pendants, representing forward motion and embracing the architectural form.

Touchdown spaces anchor the north and south ends of the open offices and are where the curvilinear fixtures meet decorative pendant lights, creating a visual destination for collaboration. The top floor is home to a world-class Corporate Experience Center (CXC), where the customer and employee can experience augmented/virtual reality technologies (AR/VR). A DMX-based digital networked control system is the engine for the CXC’s interactive lighting experience. When individuals arrive, a programmed lighting sequence creates a rippling-effect drawing visitors into the CXC hall. The recessed curvilinear lights on the soffit establish way- finding and guide visitors through the entire floor. Upon arrival, each exhibit is highlighted with track heads like artwork under the soft illumination of the company’s personalized brand color.

When a nearby iPad is in use, augmented reality mode is enabled, and the track lights dim while white diffused light turns on to support AR use. This dynamic lighting scene change is the gateway into their AR/VR experience. The CXC also features six meeting rooms, each with programmable curved LED lighting that can be adjusted to match each customer’s brand color. Varying diameter round disks floating in the exposed black ceiling and custom curvilinear recessed lights wrapping the entire floorplan create a cutting- edge, high- energy space with breathtaking city views as the backdrop. The efficient light sources and intensive controls contributed to this project receiving LEED Gold certification.