The recent restorations at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, received recognition for their adaptation of the historic estate from the 25th annual New Jersey Historic Preservation Awards on May 14, 2015. The month of May celebrates the National Preservation Month. The Lighting Practice was excited to be part of the design team led by VITETTA that won the sought-after award and were there when the award was presented at a ceremony at Monmouth Battlefield State Park Visitor Center.  Awards were presented to the top ten preservation projects from across New Jersey. 

Duke Farms is the adaptation of a 2,700 acre estate into a center for demonstrations and educational activities related to sustainable environmental practices.  The Lighting Practice, was proud to be part of the transformation of the two part project. The first phase was the adaptive re-reuse of the historic 23,000 SF Farm Barn into a Visitor Orientation Center. The scope included both interior and exterior lighting for the buildings with a daylight harvesting dimming system, including daylight clerestories and light shelves. Another focus was reducing light pollution. The second phase was the renovation and renewal of the grand, 1899 Lord & Burnhan conservatory – the Orchid Range – that houses indoor orchid display gardens and a native plant center.  This commitment to sustainability reflected in energy efficient lighting, and overall energy reduction, have been key contributions in the estate achieving LEED Platinum certification. 

The project team of Duke Farms consisted of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Duke Farms Foundation, VITETTA, Andropogon Associates, Irwin & Leighton, WSP Group, and The Lighting Practice.  The teams were honored to have achieved this award. Together, they helped accomplish the Duke Farms mission “to serve as a model of environmental stewardship and inspire visitors to become informed stewards of the land.”