A virtual city within the city of Kuwait, the 30-acre Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy is comprised of
dormitories, classrooms, administrative spaces, ceremonial areas, and outdoor training grounds. Our comprehensive
lighting design reached from master planning of the 30-acre complex to detailed layouts for its twenty-three buildings.
The academy’s architecture is dominated by pierced concrete screens, providing shade from the intense desert sun. To
balance this language, we chose cool color-temperature metal halides as an energy-efficient primary light source. At night,
their color rendition provides a perceptible sense of relief against the hot climate.
Warm, halogen sources are used only for the mosque, setting this structure apart as a luminous focal point. Within, canyons
of light pierce through angled shafts during the calls to prayer. Carefully aimed downlights create sun-like splays of
streaming light across the sidewalls, imitating the dramatic natural light effects.
A consistent language of minimal lighting ties together common areas on the site. Lighting integrated into the site’s
plentiful benches spill a soft wash of light onto adjacent walkways. Within building lobbies, stairs are highlighted and
doorways glow as twilight-blue portals. This provides for intuitive navigation to one’s destination, while reducing energy
use and maintenance requirements.
Light sources throughout are chosen for their long life, minimizing lamp replacements on the remote site.
