‘City
Lights’
Thomas Phifer ’75, M ’77
Summer 2005
Architect Tom Phifer has created
many award-winning designs throughout his 30-year career. The latest will help
light the streets of New York City. He created the winning design for the City
Lights competition, sponsored by the NYC Department of Transportation.
Phifer
earned Clemson bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
architecture in the 1970s. A former senior associate at Gwathmey Siegel
and Associates and design partner at Richard Meier & Partners,
he’s had his own firm, Thomas Phifer and Partners, since 1996.
His firm has received major public and private commissions from New
York to Michigan to North Carolina to Texas.
Last year, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest award given
to an individual or firm, from the New York chapter of the American
Institute of Architects. A frequent juror and critic, he has lectured
at major universities including Harvard, Cornell, Pennsylvania, Columbia,
Florida, Miami and Clemson.
Phifer’s design uses LED modules as the light source, off-center
poles that create a slimmer base profile to house the LED drivers,
cast aluminum luminaire arms and other innovative features. Adding
to its sustainable design is the streetlight’s photovoltaic component
with potential to gather energy throughout the day and store it using
the New York City grid.
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