Leuterio Thomas was commissioned to develop the renovation documents for the US Court of Appeals basement in the historic Courthouse in Washington DC. The significant challenge for this project related to the low ceiling heights in the basement and the extensive utilities running in the main corridors. LT performed a detailed survey of all of the ceiling utilities and built a REVIT/BIM model to determine the maximum heights feasible, locating lights within a grid that avoided major ductwork. LT recommended a snap in ceiling system as there was no room for a traditional lay in grid. A key objective of the new ceiling was to bring the basement up to code allowing the sprinkler system perform as designed. As this was a design build contract, LT worked closely with the GC’s subs to control cost. LT came up with an innovative system to allow for the installation of the ceiling and wainscot encapsulating the paint prior to installation. LT provided various design options to the client using the 3D visualization capabilities of the project that included the lighting analysis by including the BIM light fixtures that accurately displayed the light distribution patterns.
