The world’s first centre dedicated solely to sustainable urban development has opened in the Royal Victoria Docks, London.
The Crystal, which hosts lectures, conferences and an interactive exhibition showcasing the latest cutting edge technologies, uses innovative and energy efficient lighting throughout the complex, with luminaires provided by Luxonic.
The Crystal, a Sustainable Cities Initiative by Siemens, is a modern echo of the Crystal Palace of 1851, which stunned visitors to the Great Exhibition. The £30m landmark building, its design governed by the concept of a multi-faceted urban world, takes a crystalline form, reflecting the many facets of sustainability. The centre is designed to educate us in sustainable building techniques, technologies and solutions.
Widely expected to achieve BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ status, the Crystal also exceeds Building Regulations energy-efficiency targets. In accordance with the underlying aims of the Crystal, lighting is a major contributor to the sustainability of the building. A key partner of Osram, which steered the lighting specification at the Crystal, Luxonic Lighting has provided all the chilled beam luminaires throughout the office areas of the complex, where their sleek, unobtrusive form adds to the modern quality of the interior spaces.
The slim beams, suspended from the ceiling, combined with upward lighting, emphasise the spaciousness of the double-height offices. The Flat FPO Lens luminaires provide controlled downlight and have a highly efficient diffuser optic that enhances the visual comfort of the office spaces and contributes to the aesthetic of the interior.
Rune Marki, Managing Director of Osram, said: “The Crystal represents the future of what is possible for the built environment, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. Using the wide range of technologies on offer from the companies in the Osram family and from our key partners such as Luxonic Lighting, we were able to light the Crystal in a flexible, innovative and most of all, energy-efficient manner.”
Chilled beam technology provides an integrated and effective solution to cooling and ventilation, lighting and controls. Luxonic has developed an innovative range of specialised lighting products for use in Integrated Service Modules (ISM), systems which are becoming increasingly popular as economical and sustainable choices for contemporary buildings.
Claire Lloyd, electrical engineer at Arup Engineering, explains: “For the main open plan office lighting in the Crystal we used a product specifically designed by Luxonic for integration into the multi-service chilled beam system. I selected this product informed by the ease at which Luxonic integrated the fitting with the main chilled beam manufacturer. I also valued the fact that the product was in keeping with the philosophy of the building’s sustainable design.”
At the Crystal, Luxonic’s high performance chilled beam luminaires with DALI dimmable control gear contribute significantly to the energy savings in the building, and help to further its claim as one of the world’s greenest buildings. Claire Lloyd continued, “The low energy fluorescent fitting alongside a diffuser with an efficient light output ratio meant I was able to design an area of good quality lighting with a very low energy usage of 7W/m2. The fitting’s DALI lighting control is able to integrate into the building’s KNX lighting control system, allowing energy consumption to be reduced further with daylight linking and switching via presence detection.”
Designed to suit a variety of flat and angled chilled beams, Luxonic’s flat lens luminaires are an innovative solution to combining heating with lighting. Luxonic Lighting is at the forefront of lighting design and manufactures products carefully devised to have minimal environmental and social impact. Each luminaire is assessed from its conception through to the end of its life and it is this sustainable and energy efficient approach which has confirmed Luxonic’s specification for the lighting of the Crystal.
Luxonic’s sustainable approach ‘Eco-Design’ is an effective environmental management system. ‘Eco-Design’ maintains performance and energy efficiency whilst ensuring productivity, orientation and safety for the user.
