George Washington's Headquarters museum, Newburgh, NY

George Washington's Headquarters (GWHQ) in Newburgh, New York, situated on the Hudson River facing Beacon, N.Y., was the longest-serving headquarters for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. In the months he lived there, he made some of his most important decisions that helped shape the United States and its government.

The beautiful grounds include two main buildings: the museum, which is currently under renovation, and the fieldstone Hasbrouck House where George and Martha Washington lived from 1782-1783 and where the American Revolution came to an end. Overlooking the Hudson River stands the Tower of Victory, a limestone monument commemorative of the events that took place there during that time. The triad forms an inspiring tribute to the history of New York State and its stature within the United States.

DesignWorks, through a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, will develop a lighting plan the GWHQ can implement in phases as it completes its renovation over the next two to three years. The first phase will include an energy-efficient lighting plan to replace outdated lighting. The second phase will include exterior lighting of the museum and the Hasbrouck House to provide security as well as site appeal, accent lighting for the Tower of Victory, and upgrades to the interior lighting of the Hasbrouck House to reinforce a sense of drama related to the historic events that took place there. The lighting design also provides better visibility of the exhibit objects and documents (current recommended lighting levels are insufficient for many older adults), while respecting the sensitive nature of the displays.

Our objective is to use today's lighting technology while maintaining the historic integrity of the buildings and display objects. The design introduces energy-efficient, sustainable, controllable and tunable lighting solutions while remaining flexible, as exhibits may change.