Category: industry updates

Tamlite Lighting, one of the UK’s biggest independent lighting manufacturers, has welcomed the British Council for Offices (BCO’s) new research agenda for sustainable offices which highlights the importance of efficient lighting.

The BCO has published its new research agenda in a 58-page working document that sets out a vision for the office as a sustainable part of the built environment. This vision is explored across four themed ‘Pillars’ – Economy, Business, Technology and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – to shape a framework for a new research agenda.

Each pillar topic re-evaluates the notion of offices as capital assets, in light of the broader role of offices as a source of community and sustainable place-making in the UK. The document states: “An integral part of the brief for each research pillar was the need to consider change, not only in terms of the detailed issues being faced today but, critically, to take a longer-term perspective in order to anticipate challenges and turn them into opportunities.”

The research agenda calls for a focus on how to incorporate sustainable features, including efficient lighting, and technologies to reduce energy consumption, lower the carbon footprint, and promote environmental sustainability in the office sector.

Lighting is identified as a key feature in the following technology-themed research topics:

• Occupant wellness: The development of buildings that prioritise the well-being of occupants, with features such as circadian / intelligent lighting, biophilic design, and air-quality sensors to promote mental and physical health.
• Smart building systems: The integration of building systems, including lighting, HVAC and security to enable more efficient and coordinated operation, with features such as automated lighting and temperature controls interacting with occupancy sensors and security systems.
• Integrated building solutions. Designs that incorporate different technologies and systems to create a cohesive and efficient environment, including systems for lighting, HVAC, security, location-based services and real-time occupancy.

Commenting on the BCO’s new research agenda, Richard Wharrad, Group Manager & Head of SSV at Tamlite, says: “The direction of travel for the BCO is clear; sustainability and ESG will frame the BCO’s research focus for years to come, influencing the decision-making processes of its members.

“As a leading lighting manufacturer committed to delivering sustainable lighting solutions, it is heartening to see the BCO recognise the contribution of lighting to sustainable offices. Compared to traditional lights, LEDs last five times longer and use 80% less energy*. Less energy use means reduced carbon emissions, as well as cost savings.

“We look forward to seeing the results of the BCO’s research on office space over the next few years and the additional detail it will bring about how lighting is an effective, low cost, and high performance measure for supporting sustainability.” (*According to the Energy Saving Trust).

The ESG Pillar of the research agenda proposes a series of recommendations including the need for the BCO to create a ‘2030 Vision for the Office’, which embrace the principles of ESG.

This Pillar also calls for a focus on the full life cycle of a development and its impact, including design, planning, operation and asset management.

The Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL) is delighted to host, after an incredibly successful event in 2023, the highly anticipated ICEL Emergency Lighting Conference 2024, set to take place on the 12th of September. As the key event for the emergency lighting industry, this gathering will bring together key stakeholders from across the supply chain, providing a platform for industry collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The Emergency Lighting Conference has been carefully curated by ICEL to deliver insights and expertise in emergency lighting. By joining us you will have access to speakers, experts in their respective fields, who will address your questions, what your responsibilities are, any legislative changes, and strategies to drive change in the future. Presentations delivered throughout the day will enhance your knowledge and give you the tools to form a better understanding in the latest advancements.

With networking opportunities to interact and collaborate with industry professionals, emergency lighting manufacturers, and other influential stakeholders so you can forge partnerships, exchange ideas, and explore new business opportunities that will drive success in your endeavours.

Admission to the ICEL Emergency Lighting Conference 2024 is free of charge for all attendees, thanks to the generous sponsorship of emergency lighting manufacturers. However, due to the overwhelming interest and venue constraints, registering does not guarantee immediate attendance. A selection process will be implemented to accommodate as many guests as possible while ensuring a balanced mix of representation across all functions of Emergency Lighting. A separate email will be sent in August to confirm attendance for those who register their interest.

• Lord-Lieutenant presents Warrington-based company with UK’s most prestigious innovation business award

The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Diane Hawkins visited Warrington-based lighting manufacturer Ansell Lighting to present it with its King’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation.

Ansell, based on Stonecross Industrial Park in Warrington, was recognised for its patented Panel Pod product in the first King’s Award for Enterprise honours in 2023.

The award was presented to Ansell’s Managing Director, Mark Abbott, at a ceremony at the company’s headquarters, which was also attended by the MP for Leigh, James Grundy, the Mayor of Wigan, Councillor Kevin Anderson, the Deputy Mayor of Warrington, Councillor Carol Benson, and local Warrington Councillors, alongside key members of staff.

The Panel Pod was created in response to an identified industry need, and converts an LED panel light into an emergency light in less than sixty seconds, without needing a conversion kit or additional ceiling fixture to install.  Emergency lighting is required by British law and workplace health and safety guidance, so if the lights go out in the case of fire or other incident it stays on for up to three hours.

Since its launch in 2014 almost 500,000 Panel Pods have been sold worldwide.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise recognises outstanding UK businesses, with recipients being able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for five years.

Mark Abbott, Managing Director of Ansell Lighting, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant, Deputy Mayor and our local politicians to Ansell. Achieving this award, especially in the first year of the King’s Awards, was testament to the hard work and dedication of our innovation team and everyone involved in the business.

“Ansell is an ambitious and growing business, and the launch of Panel Pod was genuinely transformative for us, and it continues to contribute significantly to our ongoing success. It is fantastic to have been able to celebrate that success with our staff and the business community in the North West.”

Established in Belfast in 1992 before expanding North West England in 2001, Ansell Lighting is a recognised market leader in the design and manufacture of high-quality luminaires for the commercial, domestic, industrial and architectural markets. Headquartered in Warrington, where it has a state-of-the-art showroom, Ansell operates across Europe, with showrooms in Belfast, Dublin and Madrid and employs more than 200 people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Adelphi Building in London has undergone a comprehensive lighting retrofit, bathing the iconic facades with dynamic colour changing scenes, while ensuring efficient energy savings.

The grade II listed commercial space is in an enviable position in the City of Westminster, London, facing the Thames. The project brief – which was delivered by Lighting design studio Silent Design and leading lighting solutions provider, Tridonic – was to improve the exterior lighting to the front and rear of the iconic building, creating a striking design while showcasing the benefits of wireless lighting.

To deliver the project, the existing lighting needed to be replaced on both the front and rear façades of the building, alongside offering time-controlled events of scenes and sequences. Silent Design created a scheme which gives a subtle and compassionate lighting upgrade to the front façade that would not disturb its close neighbours but still give it providence. To the rear, a colourful and dynamic play of light has been introduced, which is visible from the other side of the Thames River.

Silent Design specified smart lighting solutions from Tridonic, including drivers and controls. As the building is listed, this presented challenges around delivering the required level of control without having to put in new cabling infrastructure. Tridonic’s basicDIM Wireless was therefore identified as the ideal control technology to meet the requirements of the project.

John Bowden from Silent Design, explains: “Due to the planning restrictions, the lighting to the front façade on John Adam Street needed to be kept warm white, at 3000K only. The lighting to the rear of the building, which faces the river Thames, had more flexibility, and it was determined that an all RGBW colour change design would be best suited for this application. Tridonic’s Casambi-enabled technology controls the exterior, spot and linear lighting, enabling dimming of white colour to the front of the building and control of the RGBW lighting to the rear.”

As most of the original exterior lighting had become neglected over the years, it was only about 20 per cent functional and the use of high-powered discharge lamps on the original fittings meant they were costly to maintain. Thanks to the new LED upgrade, maintenance will be kept to a minimum. The use of remote LED drivers and controls means the fittings are also easily maintained without having to go out onto the exterior of the building.

James Huntington, controls and solutions manager for Tridonic, said: “Tridonic’s Casambi-enabled wireless controls allow the end-user to easily set up scenes and animations via the app, along with timed activation based on the time and date of the year. Animations have been programmed in for special days like St Patricks Day and Pride month, providing the building with a renewed sense of relevance and a whole new lease of life.

“This captivating lighting design further promotes the Adelphi as a landmark and notable architecture in the UK’s capital city. This building can be seen from across the other side of the Thames River and has made a positive visual impact on the London skyline”.

John Bowden from Silent Design adds: “Tridonic’s innovative basicDIM Wireless was the perfect control technology that we needed to meet the requirements of this project. This control system not only allowed us the ultimate control to set dynamic lighting scenes, but it is user friendly for the client to set their own animations.

“The system also ensures significant energy savings for the building. The solutions from Tridonic have greatly improved both the appearance and function of the renowned Adelphi Building.”

Project credits:
Client – Savills London
Lighting Design and Commissioning – Silent Design
Drivers and Controls Solutions Provider – Tridonic
Installation – Virtus Contracts

Leading manufacturer of performance architectural lighting, Lucent Lighting, has completed yet another successful project in the Middle East with an array of luminaires specified in the outstanding One Za‘abeel development.

The One and Only Hotel located within the ultimate urban resort saw Lucent Lighting involved with dpa lighting consultants who were appointed to the development and specified Lucent Lighting as one of the preferred lighting manufacturers for the project.

Located in the centre of Dubai, at the entrance to the International Financial Districts, One Za‘abeel is a contemporary development offering the ultimate experience in urban living. The site offers residential, commercial and leisure space, with captivating 360° views of the cityscape.

With the facilities split across two skyscrapers, the impressiveness of the development has been made greater through the creation of the world’s longest cantilevered bridge. Sited at 100 metres in the sky and 230 metres long, the bridge is suspended between the two towers. It is another example of how Dubai is pushing the boundaries of modern architecture and engineering.

Lucent Lighting’s ProSpex range has been widely used across the development. This family of attractive downlights offer integrated recessed lighting coupled with architectural design. The range incorporates different sizes, outputs, and control methods, as well as fixed, adjustable and wallwash variants.

ProSpex 100 luminaires are now illuminating levels 25; the guestrooms and corridors of levels 30-44, and levels 46-53. A range of fixed, adjustable and wallwash have been specified, enabling the lighting design to have a harmonious aesthetic but different functionality where required.

Adding to this, the ProSpex 100 has been used in Tower A’s One Mezzanine and Destination, and the Serviced Apartments.

On levels 25 and 46-53, the ProSpex 140 has also been fitted, offering a superior lighting effect alongside a stylish design.

Demonstrating its versatility to fulfil the lighting requirements of different spaces, ProSpex 100 and ProSpex 140 are installed in the ground floor and first-floor podiums. A blend of fixed, adjustable and wallwash variants have been specified. This is alongside Lucent Lighting’s Plus XL with Lucent’s LED71 module.

In Tower A’s spa and gym, as well as the ProSpex 100, Gimbal Mini Twins are providing illumination. These accent downlights feature 2 fully directional gimbal heads, adjustable to 35° in certain directions.

Moving to the dining facilities, in the Specialist Restaurant ProSpex 100 fixed, adjustable and wallwash luminaires have been fitted, alongside the Line Flare Trim. This is an LED trimmed downlight with ultra low-glare, and flare aperture, and is available with a number of different LEDs. The 2, 5 and 10 lamp versions have been chosen for this space.

In the All-Day Dining area, ProSpex 100 and ProSpex 140 luminaires provide light for diners at all times of the day and the nighttime hours.

The range of luminaires from Lucent Lighting works in perfect harmony with the chic and stunning interior design running throughout the entire development. A selected group of designers worked on different elements of the project including WGC International..

James Morris-Jones, International Sales Director at Lucent Lighting said: “The design and architecture of One Za‘abeel is an example of real ingenuity. To be involved in such a ground-breaking project gives us a real sense of achievement.

“It is always a delight to work alongside lighting designers dpa lighting consultants to create beautifully illuminated, prestigious projects.”

Project credits:

Lighting Design :- dpa lighting consultants

Local Lighting Supplier :- Huda Lighting

Lucent MENA Partner :- Monarca

A landmark lighting conversion project in Japan has created a stunning result at the historic Tower of Osaka Castle.  

The tower was originally built in the 1580s, two years after the construction of Osaka Castle, but was destroyed by fire in 1615 and again in 1665. The current castle tower, restored in 1931, has become a must-see attraction for those visiting Osaka, especially as it offers a panoramic view of the city from the observation deck on the eighth floor. 

Major renovations were carried out in the 1990s, to cope with the ageing structure and to improve its earthquake resistance. During this project, a new lighting scheme – respecting the prestige of the historical Osaka Castle Tower – was designed by world-famous lighting designer Motoko Ishii.  

In 2023, the latest project was commissioned to convert the floodlights to LED and offer controllability. Architectural and commercial lighting solutions provider Architainment Inc in Japan, led the installation, specifying Pharos Architectural Controls to supply the control elements of the upgrade, installing a Pharos Designer LPC (Lighting Playback Controller).

The project also aimed to reduce the structure’s electricity consumption and operating costs in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As well as the switch to LED technology, which saves money due to its higher efficiency and less energy intensive requirements, fewer devices have been used to illuminate the stone walls. By cutting the number of devices by around half, energy and costs have been reduced. As well as overhauling the night-time aesthetic of the building, the project has delivered a reduction in annual energy consumption by approximately 85% and reduced annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 41 tonnes. Additionally, the introduction of IoT lighting through cloud computing was incorporated to improve facilities management, predictive maintenance, and energy usage reporting. 

The LED conversion needed to create a lit environment that was appealing to locals and visitors, whilst maintaining the original design principles. This has been achieved through the installation of full-colour LED lighting solutions from Lumenpulse – supplied and commissioned by Architainment Inc and controlled by the Pharos Designer LPC 1. The ability to illuminate the keep and the surrounding environment in an array of colours has enabled the tower to be appreciated even during dark hours and become even more of an attraction as night-time falls. 

The Designer LPC 1 features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes. It offers the freedom of real-time manual overrides, with the versatility of powerful show control and integration features. With a compact form and minimal power requirements, the LPC can be installed anywhere. 

The project also features a Pharos Cloud portal, allowing for full device interoperability and access – anywhere in the world. The system also integrates a backup redundancy controller that will switch over in the unlikely event of a fault. 

Tony Symms, Regional Manager at Pharos Architectural Controls, said: “The Tower of Osaka Castle has such a rich history, and Pharos is proud to now be part of its future. The use of colour LEDs, controlled by our award-winning Designer LPC is a fantastic combination; illuminating the structure, showcasing its architecture, and creating a beautiful atmosphere at night.” 

Kengo Hayashida, CEO of Architainment Inc, added: “Osaka has a proud heritage, and the Castle Tower is an integral part of this. By improving the existing lighting scheme through the use of LED technology and control solutions from Pharos Architectural Controls, we have been able to deliver significant savings, cost reduction and an improved aesthetic that still remains true to the original lighting design.”  

Mr Hayashida from Architainment Inc added: “This is an incredibly impressive result, achieved through the collaborative approach of all partners and stakeholders, alongside the utilisation of the best technology available.” 

Emergency lighting, systems and solutions expert Mackwell recently played a key role in the creation of a bespoke counselling and therapy centre for bereaved young people in Derbyshire.

The project, which was made possible through a special airing of the popular BBC programme DIY SOS for Children in Need, will help hundreds of children and families experiencing traumatic loss. The vital service was made possible thanks to funding through Children in Need.

DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles, a team of volunteer tradespeople, and the suppliers including Mackwell, headed to Treetops Hospice in Risley, Derbyshire, where the new build has expanded the capacity and services of the existing centre.

To add crucial testing systems to the new building, Mackwell’s N-Light EC test and monitoring system was supplied through their Smart Building Partner Scenariio. The N-LIGHT Ecosystem from Mackwell is a fully comprehensive portfolio of fully compatible testing and monitoring components. The N-Light EC system was the first emergency lighting test system to be able to connect in this way. Low voltage DC grids with a structured cabled infrastructure are seen by many as the future of smart buildings and is another example of Mackwell’s forward thinking towards a sustainable built environment.

Mackwell luminaire products were also featured in the build, the XYLUX LRX downlight, XYVEX semi-recessed exit signs and TEMPUS EXB2 signs all played their part in ensuring discrete yet highly effective emergency lighting solutions. All of these solutions had RJ45 connections to interface with Cat 6 structured cabling with the entire lighting installation being connected via a low voltage grid, perfectly illuminating escape routes.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, Mackwell’s solutions are a practical alternative to standard emergency luminaires and offer an unobtrusive powerful emergency lighting solution.

Making the DIY SOS project even more special was the cadre of celebrities on hand to assist. As Radio 2 was in nearby Leicester for the Radio 2 in the Park event, there was no shortage of helpers. Scott Mills, Zoe Ball and even Sam Ryder pitched in to support the construction. Richie Anderson and Owain Wyn Evans met some of the brilliant young people who have sadly lost loved ones and will benefit from the new centre.

For the DIY SOS team, the build was a monumental challenge, creating a brand-new child-friendly counselling centre in what was once just a meadow. The sound-proofed counselling rooms will help children and young adults across a range of ages. It will also be a welcoming multifunctional space for the charity’s group therapy projects, a complementary therapy room and an outdoor seating area. All of the new centre celebrates the natural beauty of the surrounding landscapes.

To officially open the building, Sophie Ellis-Bextor visited the centre for a special kitchen disco.

Rene Joppi from Mackwell said: “The expansion to the existing functions of Treetops Hospice will offer much-needed support to bereaved young children through counselling and therapy. Mackwell is delighted to have played a role in bringing this centre to life, and it was an inspiring project to be part of.”

The Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL) is delighted to host, after an incredibly successful event in 2023, the highly anticipated ICEL Emergency Lighting Conference 2024, set to take place on the 12th of September. As the key event for the emergency lighting industry, this gathering will bring together key stakeholders from across the supply chain, providing a platform for industry collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The Emergency Lighting Conference has been carefully curated by ICEL to deliver insights and expertise in emergency lighting. By joining us you will have access to speakers, experts in their respective fields, who will address your questions, what your responsibilities are, any legislative changes, and strategies to drive change in the future. Presentations delivered throughout the day will enhance your knowledge and give you the tools to form a better understanding in the latest advancements.

With networking opportunities to interact and collaborate with industry professionals, emergency lighting manufacturers, and other influential stakeholders so you can forge partnerships, exchange ideas, and explore new business opportunities that will drive success in your endeavours.

Admission to the ICEL Emergency Lighting Conference 2024 is free of charge for all attendees, thanks to the generous sponsorship of emergency lighting manufacturers. However, due to the overwhelming interest and venue constraints, registering does not guarantee immediate attendance. A selection process will be implemented to accommodate as many guests as possible while ensuring a balanced mix of representation across all functions of Emergency Lighting. A separate email will be sent in August to confirm attendance for those who register their interest.