About the project

What we did.

To help meet the strict environmental standards required we assisted in the development of the automatic lighting control system to the offices and cores, which employed daylight sensing and presence detectors. LED lighting, including some discreet linear LED, was installed in the seriously sleek reception and public areas, and all luminaires were 300 lux - compatible with the requirements of CIBSE lighting guide (LG7) 2005.

The impressive double height atrium in the reception area required an equally impressive lighting installation piece. We designed a bespoke feature chandelier, constructed from individual acrylic rods which were lit from above by a recessed LED light source. Each vertical tube of light complemented the clean contemporary lines of the glass building façade and cleverly reflected in them - a great effect. To match the striking office colour palette, a red filter was also added to a select few of the chandelier cluster. All was smooth sailing in our gallant Norse longship until an unforeseen Health and Safety-shaped beastie arose; it transpired that the chandelier would require a re-design to meet stringent maintenance standards. We met this challenge by incorporating a winch onto each individual luminaire so that they could be safely and easily winched down and maintained. Visit our blog for all the juicy technical details. 

The verdict…

The hard work put in by Darklight and the rest of the project team ensured that Greyfriars exceeded all expectations. It’s not only brilliantly sustainable (resulting in reduced costs for its tenants, no less) but its lighting also shows the building off to its full potential. Check out these quotes:
“The only BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating ever awarded outside London”
“The first office building in Reading to achieve an EPC rating of A”
“The most sustainable office building available in the South East market”
Finally, we arrived at our Valhalla.

Source: Mackay Securities’ press release

What the client said

“The most sustainable office building available in the South East market”