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 | | LUXEON LEDS CREATE A CALL CENTRE 'SKY' | | | Lumileds | | 15/11/2006 | | |
Stevenage Borough Council's new Customer Service Centre has been lit with LUXEON LEDs in a project that turns the entire ceiling into a bespoke luminaire that simulates the sky.
The new central Customer Service Centre replaces a range of smaller council buildings that had been scattered throughout Stevenage town. These were perceived by the public as dark and unwelcoming, underlining the need for a single centre that created a welcoming environment for both the local community and the Service Centre staff.
To achieve this Stevenage Borough Council appointed Future Group Lighting Design and Light Projects, a certified member of the LUXEON Lighting Network
The first project of its kind in the UK, the architect Brian Martin designed a feature ceiling, consisting of a series of coffered arcs that conceal a specially developed light solution. Using white and blue LUXEON LEDs a colour changing effect that runs over the course of the day has been created, simulating the sky and creating a feeling of light and space.
Key to the lighting solution are the luminaires, specially developed by the Future Group using 2,500 Light Projects' KIipLEDs. Utilising LUXEON I blue and white LEDs, the KlipLEDs were individually mounted on metal strips and press studded together to form a flexible mechanical coupling, capable of running in a channel around the curved ceiling arcs.
The aspect ratio of the coffers in the ceiling design was vital to the overall effect of the project, with the correct ratio only possible through the small size of the LUXEON LEDs. The small size and high brightness of LUXEON ensured the lip detail needed to conceal them was kept to a minimum, allowing the architect to achieve the desired effect.
Without the use of LUXEON LEDs in this project the arc design and final effect would not have been possible. Only a year or so ago cold cathode would have been used resulting in a larger lip detail and altering the aspect ratio.
Crucial to the success of the project is the fact that there are no LED drivers, tungsten halogen transformers or any serviceable components above the feature ceiling, avoiding the need for any trap doors that would impact on the overall design. The drivers are all housed in a 19-inch rack in a plant room, with the ELV cabling from there to the LEDs cut to length so there are no joints. The cables are each terminated with a tiny socket passing through specially positioned holes concealed behind the lip detail. This enables each driver to run three circuits each with between four and twelve LEDs in a balanced load.
The long life of LUXEON LEDs also ensures that maintenance of the lighting solution is kept to a minimum. In terms of energy savings, LUXEON LEDs have very low power requirements, resulting in low operating costs and on-going energy savings for the council.
The Customer Service Centre now provides a one-stop shop for the people of Stevenage to discuss council issues either face to face with advisors, or by telephone with the main call centre. Both services are housed within the new Customer Service Centre building, with a glass wall separating the two departments and the simulated sky enhancing the environment of both sections.
The lighting solution has proved very popular with both the Service Centre staff and the members of the public visiting the centre, with very positive feedback on the overall lighting design and the welcoming atmosphere it now creates.
, to help create a new light and friendly internal environment through the creative use of light. | |
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