Originally commissioned in 1864 as a Civil War hospital, the Old Naval Hospital in the heart of Washington, D.C. was slowly deteriorating as age and neglect took its toll. In 2000, a group of concerned neighbors set out to restore the historic site. Now, after a major renovation of the site, the building's exterior and fence have been restored to their original 19th century appearance, and the result is magnificent!

 

This stunning makeover includes beautifully landscaped grounds designed by the noted landscape architecture firm Oehme Van Sweden, and enhanced with lighting by Outdoor Illumination.  

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital was re-developed with many green features, including 32 geothermal wells, and it was established early on that LEDs would be used as the "greenest" lighting source. The lighting consists of pathlights for access to all areas of the property; lights to feature the flag, trees and wisteria; and under wall cap lighting to make the main entrance more inviting. One of the chief requirements was that the lighting had to be flexible with dimming and programming capabilities. The facility has many night events and while there are commercial properties and a park on three of its sides, there was concern that the residential neighbors on the fourth side might find the lights disturbing at night. The Luxor System by FX Luminaire was the perfect solution as it allows dimming and programming at the level of individual lights so, for example, tree lights can be turned off and pathlights dimmed while leaving the flag lights on.

The transformation to a vibrant community center has been a huge success as Hill Center is programmed day and night with classes, concerts, exhibits and other events year-round, while the grounds of the property are used extensively during warm weather months.