Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

ABC Television Network

Color Kinetics’ LED lighting systems transformed the living space of a Blacksburg, Virginia homeowner on the February 12, 2006 episode of ABC’s Emmy-winning “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The project marked the second use of Color Kinetics’ LED lighting by the nationally televised program.

The new home was designed by Roanoke, Virginia-based Building Specialists and faculty and students of Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture + Design, who chose Color Kinetics’ ColorCast® LED lighting fixture to enable their energy-efficient design for a yoga and meditation studio. The studio’s translucent, polycarbonate walls were designed to be both attractive and functional, based on the team’s research of color and the psychology of space. They were insulated with Cabot Nanogel®, a translucent aerogel material, and illuminated from within by ColorCast to fill the environment with dynamic, saturated color. An intuitive ColorDial controller allows the homeowner to seamlessly change the colors and pre-programmed effects as desired.

“We wanted to create a compelling, dynamic space using sustainable materials and technologies, and Color Kinetics’ LED lighting systems delivered on both fronts,” said Joseph Wheeler, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech. “This technology offers a powerful means for controlling light to improve the way people feel, work and live in spaces – all while addressing the need for reduced energy consumption.”

Wheeler and team similarly applied Color Kinetics’ systems to demonstrate the energy-efficient illumination of a home during the 2005 Solar Decathlon, an international competition sponsored by the US Department of Energy in October.  Learn more...

Additional Photos - click image to view larger
Photo Credit: Richard Boyd Photography	Photo Credit: Richard Boyd Photography	Photo Credit: Richard Boyd Photography