Fry Building School of Mathematics, Bristol
The University of Bristol has transformed the Grade II listed Fry Building (which is a complex series of listed buildings and structures) to become the new home for the School of Mathematics. The site lies within one designated conservation area and adjoining another. RIDI Group were proud to supply the entire lighting scheme with sustainable lighting products that we deemed appropriate for such a project. The new building designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects has lecture theatres and many smaller teaching rooms, and a wide variety of spaces for student quiet study, areas for groups and individuals as well as social areas and interaction space. While the historic character of the Grade II listed building have been preserved, new additions include an atrium linking to a new 140-seat lecture theatre underneath a roof garden. Working together with CMB Engineering of Bristol, RIDI Group were able to draw on their extensive range of brands to deliver the complete DALI controllable lighting solution. Spectral provided the main lighting product with nearly 700 x Stora-P suspended luminaires supplied throughout the classrooms, admin and general spaces. These all utilised a special prismatic opal lens to provide controlled glare but with a gentle wide distribution. Engineered with a quality extruded aluminium frame featuring rounded corners, these luminaires integrated nicely into the space and worked well at a combination of heights. The also featured a mild amount of refracted indirect light to lift atmosphere of the space. The newly created atrium building, which was a standout architectural feature of the development utilises Spectral Iris suspended luminaires. These transparent pendant circular luminaires were supplied in 400 and 600mm sizes depending on their suspension heights and are a feature of this new space. Throughout the other breakout spaces and main lecture theatres, around 550m of RIDI’s extruded linear aluminium VENICE system was used in recessed and suspended guise. Mainly using opal lenses with some microprism versions, these were used as a lighting toolbox in various sizes to fit into the building. RIDI Karo track and spots used at the front of certain teaching spaces.
Kresen Kernow (‘Cornwall Centre’) is home to the world’s largest collection of documents, books, maps and photographs related to Cornwall’s history. The state-of-the-art new archive centre was built in the shell of the former Redruth Brewery (a world heritage site). As well as storage for Cornwall’s treasured archives, the centre has exhibition spaces, learning rooms and a digitisation suite. Purcell Architects were employed to undertake the restoration and extension of this historic site. Requiring appropriate quality of fixtures for such a project, Spectral Lighting supplied Stora-LK suspended ring luminaires as the main feature lighting for the reception building. These architectural rings were perceived make a big contribution to the design and feel of the space. Stora-LK was chosen for it’s solid engineering construction and for its high level of performance. The rings range in sizes from 950 – 1900mm and deliver anything between 5,000 to 20,000 lumens. This makes them highly suitable for lighting anything from standard sized rooms to large open atrium space. The products are also built to be sustainable and can be refurbished for many years to come. Appropriate for a historic building.
The Ludwig Erhard Zentrum in Fürth is intended to serve as a museum of the memory of the Federal Chancellor Ludwig Erhard, who was born in Fürth. It shows testimonies of his life and work as a politician. The building was designed by Reinhard Bauer architects from Munich. The clean design of the new building next to the Fürth City Hall is continued in the linear lighting systems from the newly developed S36 profile series. The 8.40 m long profiles are connected via hidden internal linear connectors and, despite their extremely compact dimensions of only 36x72 mm, are extremely stable. Despite the very compact design the integration of signal amplifiers allows the entire system to be easily controlled via DALI. The suspension is carried out via special trapezoidal cable system, which spread out to the tapered prefabricated ceiling elements made of exposed concrete. The indirect component runs continuously along the entire length in the same way as the direct light component. An opal diffuser with internal linear prismatic structure creates a seamless even light distribution.
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen
Aberdeen Art Gallery has recently reopened to the public after a four-year refurbishment which cost £34.6m. It has one of the finest art collections in the UK - including works by Joan Eardley, Barbara Hepworth, Samuel Peploe and Tracey Emin. Awarded Planning Permission in 2014, Hoskins Architects had won a national competition for the redevelopment and expansion of the category A listed Aberdeen Art Gallery. Renowned lighting design practice, Speirs and major, were appointed as the lighting consultant. For the War Memorial complex the design team came up with a visually stunning yet entirely cohesive pendant light that combined visual brightness with adjustable ‘beamers’ to highlight specific areas; in addition the pendant was to house two high output high definition projection systems. The 500kg, five and a half metre diameter pendant is raised and lowered on a winching system from ETS. Finite lighting control was achieved using special LED drivers which allows stepless smooth control of the light levels down from 100% to 0%. Speirs and Major specified eight discreet low glare adjustable downlights which are capable of rotating through 360’ and tilt up to 30 degrees for maximum flexibility for future exhibitions. To allow access into the building the pendant was delivered on 8no. bespoke pallets and Spectral supplied centering tools to allow the contractor to accurately align and assemble each section - a pre wired plug and socket connection system was also provided to aid installation time.
Claremont Fan Court School, London
Spectral and RIDI Group products have been used extensively on the inspirational new building at Claremont Fan Court School which boasts 13 new teaching spaces including 8 purpose-built science class rooms, a design and technology studio and workshop, a state of the art food and nutrition classroom together with an inspirational textiles space. The building was designed by Fletcher Crane Architects who produced the initial concepts and ideas for the lighting scheme. M&E consultants, Michael Jones Assoc produced the lighting design for the project using products mainly from Spectral but also from the portfolio of RIDI Group used throughout most of the teaching spaces. RIDI Group also supplied and commissioned the entire Lighting Control scheme for the new facility. The lighting design started with a display of H-140 suspended rings hovering over the atrium. Here one large version and three smaller orbiting ones were used in a staggered and overlapping layout. Further back, the smaller IRIS rings were suspended. Circulation areas were lit in differing ways. The main ground floor corridors featured a combination of wall mounted NOREA’s and a linear run of recessed H80 on the opposing side. This worked in combination with small light-wells of natural light. On the corridor above this was lit with our Acoustic Blade system which provided the main artificial light but also acted as a natural baffle for the skylights and additionally provided the necessary acoustics for such an area. The main science classrooms were lit using bespoke lengths of H80 luminaires with microprism diffusers either side of a solid integrated panel that housed the main light sensors. The lighting ran alongside large acoustic rafts. All classrooms feature scene setting controls for user comfort. Finally two individual workshop spaces were lit in entirely different ways. In the home economics lab, the ceiling services were exposed so square arrangements H80-Profil were suspended with solid acoustic in-fills which also incorporated the sensors and emergency lighting. The woodwork shop however was done in very different way with noise suppression being a key priority. Here the Blade system was used throughout with a high density of acoustic baffles.
The Big Data Institute (BDI) is a 7,500 m2 medical research building, dedicated to analytical research of the causes, consequences, prevention and treatment of disease. The building, designed by Make Architects for the University of Oxford, has space for over 550 people. The researchers process enormous amounts of data and aim to provide insights into a wide variety of illnesses and treatments worldwide. The large server room currently provides enough computing power for 600 trillion operations a second. Despite the heat generated by all this activity, the building uses an assisted natural ventilation strategy including a concrete ‘labyrinth’ beneath the building through which exterior air is drawn in, cooling or heating it using the thermal mass of the ground. Make architects designed the building to sit above the 600m underground concrete labyrinth. The air running through it is drawn from outside and will either be cooled or warmed by the concrete – which is a relatively constant 12oC – to regulate temperatures in both winter and summer. It is the first time this strategy has been used for a research building in the UK. Additionally, the thermal mass of the building itself is used as a sink to provide cooling throughout the day. Spectral’s Blade, combined acoustic and lighting system, was chosen as it is specifically designed with thermal mass systems in mind. “The idea to use Spectral lights and baffles came out of the early design decision to have exposed unpainted concrete soffits to benefit from the thermal mass. This meant we needed to explore design solutions which suspended luminaries and acoustic baffles to work with the concrete soffit – preferably vertically, rather than horizontally, to keep the aesthetic. The acoustic consultant suggested that we look at the Spectral light and baffle solution. Working together with Long and Partners and RES, our preference was to have both lights fittings and baffles as continuous elements that align with the datum of the suspended ceiling to the circulation areas. The setting out was thus based upon a grid of 750mm to allow future flexibility in layouts, should the client wish to subtract or add perimeter cellular offices. When Spectral was appointed, we worked together as a team to develop a solution of connecting the fittings together, including issues of alignment, cable management and integration of PIR. The final installation is a testament to the collaboration of the team and our shared desire to achieve a neat, integrated design solution.” Pete Matcham – Make Architects Thermal mass systems only work with large surfaces of exposed concrete which can absorb excess heat during the day and then release it at night. Conventional ceiling systems and luminaires cover the concrete surfaces and reduce the thermal efficiency. Blade’s vertical baffle arrangement allows warm air to rise between the units and make contact with the concrete surfaces. The acoustic baffles reduce reverberation times within the space, which otherwise would be overwhelming for staff with so many exposed hard surfaces. While thermal management of the building was one priority, the efficiency of every system was considered. Blades highly efficient LED light engines mean lower electrical load and heat. For this project, the Blade light baffles were specified with DALI dimming and were integrated into a sophisticated control system. At Spectral, we worked closely with the electrical engineers, Long and Partners over a number of years in preparation for the project. We made a number of modifications to the standard Blade product to fulfill the design brief and especially to make the installation trouble free. In order to make installation simpler and to ensure that wiring faults did not slow down progress the Blade lighting baffles were supplied with plug and socket modular wiring connectors from the factory. In addition the movement and daylight sensors for the lighting control system were also integrated into the luminaire – ensuring the ideal placement of the sensors and ruling out any problems due to incorrect wiring on site. Finally the emergency lighting was part of the Blade system, with EM-Pro addressable emergency unit being used, allowing centralised testing and reporting. Blade is suspended on easily adjustable wires – the clutches are hidden in the cable tray at the rear of the luminaire -and now uses a magnetic coupling feature for joins and end caps. Big Data Institute, Oxford University, Atrium While very much a functional building, the interior architecture is still striking. The project is one of the first to use Blade II which allows for a visually continuous ribbon of light. While, when the lights are off, the light baffles replicate the pattern of the acoustic baffles. Read more about the project on the Make website Project Details Client: University of Oxford Architect: Make Architects M&E: Long & Partners Acoustics engineers: Hoare Lea Main Contractor: Mace Luminaires: ~1,400 x DALI, LED, Blade II Completion: January 2017
McEwan Hall University, Edinburgh
McEwan Hall is the graduation hall of the University of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was presented to the University in 1897 by the famous brewer and politician, William McEwan. In 2015 it underwent a comprehensive refurbishment to restore this historic landmark as a functional university building with the flexibility to meet modern needs. its BuroHappold Engineering were invited to work alongside LDN Architects and was completed in late 2017. One of the challenges was to inject sustainable principles for the Grade A listed building and to meet BREEAM certification. “We wanted to create a lighting strategy across the property that served a dual purpose of being both practical in its application, yet able to illustrate the beauty of McEwan Hall to dramatic effect.” Buro Happold Engineering Due to its historic listed status, many of the ceilings could not be used to anchor or cable lighting; illuminating fixtures had to be as discrete as possible. Central mounting the circular H80 Profil pendants was the only option. Careful consideration was given to weights and a self stabilising suspension wire system was integrated into the H80 Profil 1.2 metre rings. Each fitting was delivered to site in a wooden crate, pre wired with its wiring loom, suspension wires and light components fitted to minimise the contractor assembly times. The architect chose a RAL 7024 (supplied with a structured textural finish to prevent finger prints showing for the finish to integrate into the architecture. Four Warm white 3000 kelvin Indirect light modules (Indirekteinheit Punkt*) 1700 lumen separately controlled by Dali with broad beam were modelled by Happold Lighting using the photometric data supplied by Spectral. Six Aluzylinder**LED 2000 lumen downlight modules with precise and low glare optics were used, again on a separate circuit with Dali control.
Royal Veterinary College, London
Spectral have recently supplied Stora-LK pendant rings to The Royal Veterinary College in London. The project was designed by Rivington Street Studio Architects with M&E by Scotch Partners. The project was completed using H-Line pendant direct indirect luminaires from RIDI, part of the RIDI-Group family. The project was also supplied with a RIDI Group DALI control system allowing adjustment of lighting levels within the different working zones and preset lighting scenes in the teaching spaces to work with the presentation systems.
Residing on one of the floors of the iconic London Shard building, Warwick Business School (part of Warwick University) needed a presence in London to attract senior students within the business community. One of the key aims of the design was to make the learning spaces attractive and different. The IT Learning Suite was a case in point where they were looking for a less conventional solution to light the space. The use of the Spectral Stora-LK rings was an innovative and fun idea to make the space look more interesting. Above all they also delivered a good level of working light. The result is quite spectacular. Photos: Newbery Smith Photography
RIDI has a long relationship with Bristol University and has supplied lighting for many areas of its estate. Of particular note are the many classical Victorian buildings in central Bristol. These buildings require special attention and special solutions and Spectral lighting has supplied many custom made solutions to work with the varying architecture. The results are a spectacular combination of modern and classical design. Photos: Newbery Smith Photography
The Drysdale Building at City University has a network of subterranean basement lecture theatres that have no natural light. The breakout zones were formed into imaginative double height spaces but with no natural light needed something special to bring out the volume of space. The Aoca from Spectral was a perfect product to add drama and good all round illumination for such a deep space. Photos: Newbery Smith Photography
The „LebensPhasenHaus“ constructed in Tübingen‘s Rosenau district is a building designed to serve the purposes of research and demonstration: It allows the use of both technical assistance systems and associated services to be tested, validated and demonstrated as well as experienced hands-on. The aim of the project is to examine how technical and social innovations can enable the elderly and those in need of care to live for longer in their own homes. Given responsibility for providing energy-efficient LED lighting the house, RIDI mounted light fittings with lighting control systems (with facility for regulation from cold to warm white) in the living room, bathroom and kitchen. These can be controlled for optimum adjustment to the living patterns of the occupants with colour temperatures of between 3000 and 6500 Kelvin.
When the library building dating back to 1906 was due for renovation and rewiring, a decision was made to also modernize the lighting system in the reading room. With a view to improving illumination, cutting down on energy consumption and increasing maintenance intervals, the challenge here was to provide contemporary lighting technology which would blend in with the traditional interior architecture and not compromise the listed status of this period building. The minimized design of the H-Profile-based LED solution used emphasizes the high arched ceiling and maximizes the incidence of natural light. This project is a highly successful combination of efficient modern lighting technology with period architecture. Photos: Newbery Smith Photography
Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Köpenick
The ‘An der Alten Försterei’ stadium is located in the neighbourhood of Köpenick to the south-east of Berlin, and has been home to 1. FC Union Berlin since its inauguration in 1920. With a current capacity of 22,012 spectators (as of 2019), it is the largest purpose-built football stadium in the capital. 1. FC Union Berlin made it to the first tier of the Bundesliga for the first time in its history in the 2018/2019 season. After the entire grandstand was fitted with conventional RIDI luminaires, the stadium built on its good cooperative relationship with the company in 2019 and decided to equip the ‘Schlosserei’ event area with modern LED lighting. The premises offer space for up to 1,000 guests across an area of 1,300 m² and provide direct access to the VIP stand. An efficient lighting concept that allowed for the premises to be set to different lighting moods was requested. The sleek RIDI LINIA-FLAT continuous lighting system in combination with spotlights from the TANGO series was the solution supplied to this end. The spotlights are integrated in the lighting track modules of the continuous lighting system and set eye-catching accents. The system is dimmable and features RGB colour control alongside white channels, which facilitates an impressive lighting set-up. The buffet areas are illuminated using the LUPO LED spotlight. Square recessed luminaires from the EBRE series, whose opal acrylic panels were decorated with the club’s logo on request, are used in the press area.
Ev. Markuskirche-Gemeindezentrum, Köln-Porz
The new community centre building at St. Mark’s Evangelical Church in Porz am Rhein is a sculpturally shaped structure that is especially suitable for music performances and choir rehearsals. For their project, architects Maier + Hollenbeck wanted a lighting solution with two separate light chambers that followed the sloping ceilings and homogeneously illuminated the space between the wooden beams. The variable H-LINE luminaire system immediately impressed with its high degree of flexibility and timeless, classic design. The two separate light chambers for direct and indirect light, flexible lengths and different optical controls offer a vast amount of freedom when it comes to designing the illumination setup in the space. The luminaires are DALI dimmable in the light colour 3000 Kelvin. The compact DLE recessed downlighter makes sure the reception area and corridors are bathed in a pleasant level of illumination.
Cumnor House School, Haywards Heath
Cumnor house school is an independant school near Haywards Heath near the South Downs National Park in England. The project involved two new buildings. The nursery/pre-school block was a single storey building made into one large open plan space. Here they used a suspended ceiling grid where we used ARKTIK-LED PS luminaires to provide an efficient yet broad spread of light. EDLR's were also provided for circulation spaces. The room was controlled via a DALI scene setting plate to enable 4 different moods which ranged from rest mode to high energy mode. Light sensors also ensured energy was not wasted. The second building was a modern 2 storey building for the main prep school which featured interesting ceiling details. This was the new science block. Here the main teaching spaces were lit with suspended louvred F-LINE LED luminaires with additional indirect light. In some bulkhead areas, EBRME-R luminaires with matching louvres were used. EDLR's were also used over circulation and core areas as well as WL-R luminaires which were suspended. All luminaires were supplied as DALI and controlled by scene set controllers in each classroom to enable special teaching modes such as projector mode. The light planning was done by PJR Design of Brighton and the architects were George Baxter Associates of Haywards Heath.
Kindertagesstätte Schatzkiste, Illingen
The single storey, angular kindergarten in a timber frame constructed building offers over 700 square metres for two kindergartens and two infant groups, and is partially equipped with flexible room dividers to permit as many different uses as possible. The colour scheme of the facade in gold/brown tones conjures up associations with a treasure trove, and the colour concept continues in the interior in the shade luminaires. The Maxi shade luminaires (li:fy brand) in various shapes and colours, as both pendant and ceiling-mounted solutions, lend the group rooms, corridors and cloakrooms a cosy character. Despite the differences, they create a very uniform effect due to the similar upholstery fabric. Functional and plain, the semi-circular RK-LED damp-proof luminaire is used in the gym and sports room and in the corridor. In the kitchen area, LFN-T16-R LED damp-proof luminaire is used. Both luminaire types are fitted with opal diffusors for a homogeneous light free of glare and shadows. The sanitary areas have been equipped with recessed downlights.
LRC, Salford City College, Eccles Campus
LINIA LED system was used throughout the new Library Resource Centre at Salford College. The designers were after a clean efficient look coupled with latest technology and within certain cost constraints. The feature of the LINIA-FLAT FS luminaires is the microprism optic which gives an intriguing look while providing very good glare control for the VDT screens. The LINIA-FLAT FS LED modules are also incredibly energy efficient due to the premium grade LED’s used and the efficient optical design of the product. The modules snap fix into the LINIA pre-wired trunking system enabling a very fast and easy installation. The system can be easily adapted and reconfigured in the future due to the plug and play nature of it.
Stadtteilbibliothek, Stuttgart-Vaihingen
Thanks to its central location, the Stuttgart-Vaihingen City Library is a meeting place for people of all ages. It works together with other city libraries and the Stuttgart Central Library to provide all its visitors with access to education, culture and a wide range of leisure activities. Spread across three floors, visitors can find a large selection of literature, music and films, as well as computer workstations with Internet access. Even illumination and ambient lighting is provided by a special version of the EBRE9, with a concealing frame designed to cover the existing cut-outs in the ceiling. The lights are fitted with the RIDI-TUBE, an LED lamp designed by RIDI with an innovative fitting/bracket system that can be changed as easily as a conventional fluorescent lamp. All EBRE9 units are dimmable so that their lights can be adjusted to the individual’s needs. For targeted lighting of its countless shelves, the library uses KARO-S LED spotlights. In the children’s library on the ground floor, additional recessed downlighters (EDLR) with plate glass mounts provide suitable lighting. The individual lights and the high-tech LED technology have combined to create a highly effective lighting solution that is tailored perfectly to the requirements of this project.
Bedford Modern School, Bedford
A new science block at Bedford Modern school to replace the existing building that had been largely unchanged since it was built in 1974. The building consists of a central atrium area for flexible teaching and 17 labs and associated prep rooms. We supplied EBRME DPS fittings, rated IP54 wth twin R-Tube to light the laboratory areas and ELDR and EDLQ downlights to the surrounding circulation areas. Square LF-LEDs and Venice were used surface, recessed and wall mounted in stairwells and in the atrium area.