The Santa Barbara Courthouse is among few National Historic Landmarks using geothermal for energy use.
Ann Kale Making Her Mark on Historic Santa Barbara
For 80 years two chandeliers and the west-facing windows were the only sources of light in the Mural Room. Except in the late afternoon when glare was tremendous, light levels hovered around 1 to 5 fc, according to Kale. She mocked up strategies to light the murals from the existing chandeliers and moldings, but glare and veiling reflections were problematic.
Today, runs of track 6 ft from the walls wash the murals with almost zero direct or reflected glare. The track and petite fixtures, at 20 ft up, are barely visible in the photographs. The track rests on the beams, so there are no penetrations into the plaster ceiling. Wiring comes in through the wall at the top of the beams, and 3000K LED strips along the beams provide uplighting.