The new lighting scheme by award winning company Peter Deer and Associates for the library and learning resources centre at Highgate School, London, features four bespoke chandeliers created with Precision Lighting’s Oculus spotlights and Basis Track. The chandeliers can be raised and lowered to accommodate different uses of the space.
London architect Clague, created the new Sir Martin Gilbert Library at Highgate, retaining the Victorian shell of the Grade II-listed School built in 1866 by Fredrick Pepys Cockerell. Clague’s architecturally sympathetic conversion includes a new mezzanine floor for a perimeter gallery and adapts the space for a library and learning resources centre.
Following the successful completion of a new teaching block for Highgate School, Peter Deer and Associates were asked to provide Building Services and lighting design for the existing School Hall & Chapel. Peter Deer and Associates were asked to design a low energy and low maintenance scheme for this Grade II listed building. The refurbishment was to preserve the original Victorian Gothic architecture and house all existing books from the previous library, whilst containing all the new modern technology required for a futuristic e-library.
New, efficient LED lighting was specified for the library by Peter Deer and Associates. Due to previous collaborations on projects such as the Royal Academy of Art, Peter Deer and Associates looked to Precision Lighting for the discrete, efficient and reliable fittings they are renowned for. The scheme was designed to provide functional lighting for everyday usage whilst accentuating the details in the surrounding architecture with a play of light and shadow. The new LED chandeliers were designed in conjunction with Precision Lighting to resemble the existing gothic, iron chandeliers. The brushed aluminium finish of the Precision Lighting chandeliers and spotlights highlights the new stainless steel floating mezzanine, stairs and handrails. Oculus LED spotlights were chosen for their small size and bespoke finish meaning that they would blend in perfectly with the surrounding beams and trusses.
Peter Deer and Associates considered the various events the library environment is used for and so, opted for a flexible lighting scheme which would work for the multiple purposes. For normal library use, Peter Deer and Associates set the chandeliers at an optimum height for lighting efficiency. For alternative purposes, the chandeliers could be raised and lowered as required through the use of high-level winches. This also enables the use of a projector, and aids any future maintenance required. The chandelier design “followed complex parameters,” says Precision Lighting Design Director Peter McClelland. “Each chandelier is suspended from just two points so that it can be moved up and down using synchronised winches. We ensured that the track was rigid and would not flex; stabilised with a custom-built seamlessly welded brushed aluminium ring that goes on top of the matching, circular Basis Track”. There are 10 Oculus 16 spotlights on each chandelier.
The winches are mounted and concealed behind a bespoke metal disk. The winch mounts also incorporate de-stratification fans which release warm air through the centre of the suspended metal disk and chandelier. “The other reason that we could only use two cables was to avoid disrupting the airflow from the library’s new ventilation system,” McClelland adds. “It is all very well thought out and required engineering to a very high specification. Precision Lighting has research and development facilities in London where we are able to test out custom solutions as awell as working on new or improved designs”. The fans can also be lowered through the centre of the chandelier for low-level maintenance.
In the chapel, the existing Victorian wall lights were taken down and restored to their original brass and green painted iron. Original incandescent lamps were replaced with low energy lamps with new glass shades to provide glare-free, soft lighting. Compact Oculus LED fixtures were installed to improve light levels on the higher levels.
The lighting scheme by Peter Deer and Associates has enhanced the internal spaces; providing an area which is functional and versatile. The clever lighting design has enhanced the original building features and has been appreciated by all staff, pupils and visitors.
The Oculus LED luminaire, machined from 6063-T6 aluminium for its thermal and aesthetic qualities, embodies the Victorian ideal of high quality engineering but has a contemporary look that suits it perfectly to Clague’s design. Its design includes movement aided with a low-friction bearing rotation and constant torque tilt mechanism and the ability to lock it in pan and tilt.
The new lighting scheme by award winning company Peter Deer and Associates for the library and learning resources centre at Highgate School, London, features four bespoke chandeliers created with Precision Lighting’s Oculus spotlights and Basis Track. The chandeliers can be raised and lowered to accommodate different uses of the space.
London architect Clague, created the new Sir Martin Gilbert Library at Highgate, retaining the Victorian shell of the Grade II-listed Big School built in 1866 by Fredrick Pepys Cockerell. Clague’s architecturally sympathetic conversion includes a new mezzanine floor for a perimeter gallery and adapts the space for a library and learning resources centre.
Following the successful completion of a new teaching block for Highgate School, Peter Deer and Associates were asked to provide Building Services and lighting design for the existing Big School Hall & Chapel. Peter Deer and Associates were asked to design a low energy and low maintenance scheme for this Grade II listed building. The refurbishment was to preserve the original Victorian Gothic architecture and house all existing books from the previous library, whilst containing all the new modern technology required for a futuristic e-library.
New, efficient LED lighting was specified for the library by Peter Deer and Associates. Due to previous collaborations on projects such as the Royal Academy of Art, Peter Deer and Associates looked to Precision Lighting for the discrete, efficient and reliable fittings they are renowned for. The scheme was designed to provide functional lighting for everyday usage whilst accentuating the details in the surrounding architecture with a play of light and shadow. The new LED chandeliers were designed in conjunction with Precision Lighting to resemble the existing gothic, iron chandeliers. The brushed aluminium finish of the Precision Lighting chandeliers and spotlights highlights the new stainless steel floating mezzanine, stairs and handrails. Oculus LED spotlights were chosen for their small size and bespoke finish meaning that they would blend in perfectly with the surrounding beams and trusses.
Peter Deer and Associates considered the various events the library environment is used for and so, opted for a flexible lighting scheme which would work for the multiple purposes. For normal library use, Peter Deer and Associates set the chandeliers at an optimum height for lighting efficiency. For alternative purposes, the chandeliers could be raised and lowered as required through the use of high-level winches. This also enables the use of a projector, and aids any future maintenance required. The chandelier design “followed complex parameters,” says Precision Lighting Design Manager Peter McClelland. “Each chandelier is suspended from just two points so that it can be moved up and down using synchronised winches. We ensured that the track was rigid and would not flex; stabilised with a custom-built seamlessly welded brushed aluminium ring that goes on top of the matching, circular Basis Track”. There are 10 Oculus 16 spotlights on each chandelier.
The winches are mounted and concealed behind a bespoke metal disk. The winch mounts also incorporate de-stratification fans which release warm air through the centre of the suspended metal disk and chandelier. “The other reason that we could only use two cables was to avoid disrupting the airflow from the library’s new ventilation system,” McClelland adds. “It is all very well thought out and required engineering to a very high specification. Precision Lighting has research and development facilities in London where we are able to test out custom solutions as awell as working on new or improved designs”. The fans can also be lowered through the centre of the chandelier for low-level maintenance.
In the chapel, the existing Victorian wall lights were taken down and restored to their original brass and green painted iron. Original incandescent lamps were replaced with low energy lamps with new glass shades to provide glare-free, soft lighting. Compact Oculus LED fixtures were installed to improve light levels on the higher levels.
The lighting scheme by Peter Deer and Associates has enhanced the internal spaces; providing an area which is functional and versatile. The clever lighting design has enhanced the original building features and has been appreciated by all staff, pupils and visitors.
The Oculus LED luminaire, machined from 6063-T6 aluminium for its thermal and aesthetic qualities, embodies the Victorian ideal of high quality engineering but has a contemporary look that suits it perfectly to Clague’s design. Its design includes movement aided with a low-friction bearing rotation and constant torque tilt mechanism and the ability to lock it in pan and tilt.
The Hard Rock Café in Florence boasts an ultra-stylish lighting scheme by Fuse Studios in association with Isometrix Lighting + Design to match the eclectic glamour of its interior, and the stars of the show are the ingenious, bespoke chandeliers created by Precision Lighting to the tightest of deadlines.
Situated on the corner of Florence’s world famous Piazza Della Repubblica the Hard Rock Café is housed in a former cinema, many of whose original architectural features have been reclaimed and given a high-tech twist by a team headed by executive architect Fuse Studios. They include original 1940s chandelier completely revamped by Isometrix and Precision Lighting. Each of the chandeliers is now dressed in a tube of translucent, metallic voile fabric that conceals an additional chandelier with an 8.5 metre suspension and custom-built using Precision Lighting’s Basis Track and Radar ML spotlights. The revamped chandeliers not only provide accent lighting on retail fixtures but some are also part of the Hard Rock Café’s essential acoustics system as they incorporate speakers as well as spotlights and supply both light and sound.
Precision Lighting also supplied a large quantity of its own Retrac system with Evo S16 Spotlights and glare guards custom made with a combination of 350mm and 600mm arms. The Retrac and Evo S16 were discreetly mounted onto the ornate coving amongst other areas to provide the vertical illuminance required to highlight the numerous displays.
Precision Lighting’s in-house development team responded with lighting speed to Isometrix’s request, designing and manufacturing the chandeliers in just three weeks. The next challenge was shipping them safely to Florence. The solution was to supply a system in two-metre sections that would be assembled and modified on-site, to take account of variations in ceiling height. Even the illustrated instructions were created specially, allowing contractors to install the chandeliers in a single weekend without any problems.
Precision Lighting’s lockable Pico 1 LED spotlight has helped display design experts Protean solve a classic problem with lighting art, allowing visitors to Hampton Court a glare-free view of the portraits on show by Historic Royal Palaces’ exhibition The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned. Protean’s solution came in the form of Precision Lighting’s lockable Pico 1 LED spotlight.
The six-month exhibition, designed and co-produced by Northants-based Protean and curated by Brett Doman, explores the story of beauty and decadence at the Baroque court. Exquisite artworks from the Royal Collection include portraits of Charles II’s mistresses Nell Gwyn and Barbara Villiers, brought together for the first time, and other resident pictures such as Peter Lely’s ‘Windsor Beauties’ and Godfrey Kneller’s ‘Hampton Court Beauties’. Protean used more than 100 single LED Pico 1 spotlights plus a small number of Precision EVO spotlights with long snoots or gobos used to project images on to the walls. The CRI 90 LEDs ‘lit the paintings with a colour and depth that traditional lighting fails to provide,’ says Thomas.
The Pico family of energy-efficient LED mini-spotlights is designed for applications such as gallery and retail display lighting. Weighing 60g and with a diameter of just 19mm, the Pico 1 LED offers beam widths of between 12o and 40o using optics that can be changed on site. It has an integral 24V DC drivers and use Precision Lighting’s versatile JackPlug, connected easily to the company’s full range of track systems. It is lockable in pan and tilt and can be rotated smoothly through 360 degrees.
The Pico 1 LED has a light output of 100 lumens at 1.5 Watts. The 3000K LEDs with a colour-rendering index of 80CRI as standard but other colour temperatures and 90CRI versions are available. on request. The range incorporates integral heat sinks for optimised LED cooling. Standard finishes are brushed aluminium and white, with custom finishes available on request.
Lighting design practice Nulty were employed to produce a lighting scheme for Corbin and King restaurant Fischer’s that complimented the Viennese décor of the interiors, while delivering the efficiency and flexibility required by the operators. As part of their intimate lighting scenario, Nulty specified 129 spotlights from architectural lighting manufacturer Precision’s Retro range.
Fischer’s, an informal all-day café located at London’s Marylebone, features interiors by design studio Brady Williams. Nulty worked closely with Brady Williams to create an architectural lighting design scheme that would maintain the the warmth and intimacy throughout the café’s opening hours, while also highlighting the interior furnishings, including the decorative wall ornaments and displayed art, without eclipsing their design.
To ensure the balanced aesthetic throughout the day, Nulty employed a lighting control system that enabled scene-setting for each of the restaurant’s service settings of breakfast, lunch and dinner. This sophisticated controls strategy allowed Nulty to control the lighting balance between natural light and artificial sources, as Daniel Gray, Senior Lighting Designer for Nulty, explains:
“The scene-setting at the restaurant’s time of service balance the stages of daylight and maintains the interior’s warm tones. The system also helped reduce energy consumption where possible without compromising on the quality of illumination.”
Given that Nulty were briefed on the importance on developing a rich, cosy environment within Fischer’s, the lighting design practice’s solution was to bring a fresh concept to traditional lighting by using established lamp technology rather than LEDs.
With Precision’s Retro range, the lighting design practice has crafted a space that “exudes warm tones and encourages conviviality”, describes Gray.
The appearance of the Retro spotlights contributed towards their choice, with an elegant aesthetic, the luminaires are a natural fit for the restaurant’s classic décor, while the rubbed bronze finish of both the spotlights and the Basis Track mounting system offers a complementing appeal, with the classic stylish profile of the track.
The Basis Track system offered further advantages in the design of Fischer’s; the low-voltage track was factory curved by Precision to follow a graceful arc through each corners of the café, following the internal line of the architecture.
The combination of refined lighting with traditional lamp hues from Nulty and Brady Williams’ welcoming interiors full of classic detailing that results in a restaurant that is so reminiscent of the Grand Viennese cafés of the past, yet completely timeless in its appeal.
For lighting the lecture centre in the first zero-carbon business school in the UK, BDP needed an energy efficient solution while ensuring an inspirational learning environment is delivered to the University of Essex students. BDP turned to Precision, and with close co-operation, delivered a completely bespoke suspended light ring featuring Basis Track and over 60 LED spotlights from the Evo X family.
BDP were selected from a shortlist of six design teams to design the £14 million Essex Business School, in recognition of the extensive experience the multi-disciplinary practice has in the higher education sector.
On account of the Business School’s ethos for responsible management and sustainable business, BDP were charged with delivering a stimulating environment that inspired the next generation of ethical business leaders. The resulting campus, complete with winter garden and integrated bio-dome, saves over a tonne of carbon each day thanks to the unique design of the building and use of low-carbon technologies.
The sustainability of the the building is visually obvious, with clear references to the commitment through the choice of materials, including timber frames and cladding, and a photovoltaic covered roof, designed to provide a source of renewable energy.
BDP carried through this sustainable aesthetic with the choice of structure for the lecture centre, the hub of academic study within the new Business School. Set within a colossal domed timber frame, the beam work has been configured in an extrapolating starburst arrangement that extends towards the curved walls.
For lighting this fantastic space, BDP approached Precision with the aim of developing a lighting installation that could follow the curvature of the building, while also delivering evenly distributed light efficiently throughout the lecture centre.
Working closely with BDP, Precision developed a 9m diameter bespoke chandelier; curved rubbed bronze Basis Track runs through the internal trough of the support ring, providing a convenient low-voltage track system which the Evo X spotlights could be mounted to.
The support ring, following a ‘H channel’ profile, provided support to the Basis configuration, while also offering an opportunity for Precision’s custom product team to integrate up-lighting into the chandelier. LED strip lighting, tuned to a matching colour temperature provides an upwards glow at the crowning of the domed lecture theatre, revealing the warmth and quality of the timber used in the beam structure.
The complete installation weighed approximately 200kg and consists of over 35m of Basis Track; such an engineering feat required close co-operation between BDP and Precision from concept through to delivery.
Precision’s bespoke service, which ranges from simple stem extensions and custom RAL powder coating through to completely customised luminaires and systems, involves an inclusive approach to project development.
Working carefully with all parties, the custom project team not only design and build custom componentry, but also provide detailed concept documentation, full technical submittals and produce custom installation instructions, all to ensure smooth progress throughout the development of bespoke projects. This far-reaching approach has even seen site visits from the engineering team for commissioning of installations when required.
Precision’s Evo X16 LED spotlights, with a minimalist design and complimenting antique bronze powdercoat finish, also contributed to the efficient design. The spotlights specified for the light ring deliver an excellent output of 630lm, from just 9.8W. Recent refinement of the Evo X LED module sees the Evo X16 now available with a lumen package of 712lm with no increase of power consumption.
The 40-degree optics used in the 67 Evo X16 luminaires allow for an even wash of light from the light ring, while an additional section of Basis Track bisects the light ring and provides additional spotlights for the centre of the lecture theatre.
At ground-level, full-height windows feature within the periphery walls of the theatre. The combination of the cooler daylight at lower levels, with the warmth of the up-light reflected from the beam structure allows for a balanced appeal, and reduces the need for artificial lighting at ground level. This is further evidence of the systematic approach that BDP employed in designing a carbon neutral building, without compromising on the aesthetic appeal of the space.
Independent lighting designer Victoria Jerram was commissioned to provide a lighting scenario for a dramatic redevelopment of Eglon House that pays homage to the International Style; her completed scheme features 68 rubbed bronze spotlights from Precision Lighting that complement the Modernist architectural styling.
The redevelopment, located in London’s fashionable Primrose Hill district saw a former industrial site transformed from a legacy of a WWII shell manufactory site, an Express Dairies facility for float servicing, and most recently a recording studio.
The redeveloped Eglon House carries echoes of this commercial usage, with the building demonstrating a dual-function design in which separate areas correspond to the characteristic live/work phenomenon of the modern paradigm, the redevelopment perfectly pays homage to Pierre Charaeua’s Maison de Verre which so clearly inspired this transformation.
Divided into two distinct buildings, both hidden from view on all sides and accessible only via an unassuming archway, the structures address both commercial and domestic use, and are linked together at basement level. On the commercial side, a full professional quality kitchen can be found alongside a double-height gallery space, while the more residential focused building features a kitchen-cum-breakfast room.
This balance between workspaces and living spaces had to be reflected in the lighting concept; as Jerram describes: “Balance of quality and quantity of light between the living and work areas. Additionally, there needed to be flexibility within the scheme, to support the flexible use of the space.”
The iconic glass-brick façade of the Maison de Verre is paid homage at Eglon House, providing vast quantities of natural daylight that serve to further open up the living spaces, and offer organic brightness that contrasts with the more industrial styling of the building, and the transparency played with the open, weightless quality of the structure’s construction. The effect is akin to a “glowing transparent box”, explains Jerram, while the exposed steel structures and visible services, ensures true to the Maison de Verre concept.
For Jerram’s scheme, luminaires need to perfectly harmonise with the almost industrial interiors, with a requirement for minimalism without unnecessary ornamentation. Bespoke spotlights based upon the styling of Precision’s Microspot C family met this brief, with their tasteful design corresponding to the orderly architecture. Machined from premium grade brass and finished to a rich, dark antique bronze colour, the spotlights are extremely versatile, classically styled luminaires.
The luminaires were mounted on Precision’s low voltage Basis Track system, chosen for the minimalist profile with clean lines; the linear flow of the tracks, and the use of rectangular formations of the track system alluded to the rectilinear forms of the International Style that Eglon House adopts.
As Jerram describes: “The aesthetics of the lighting system had to fit to an industrial chic décor with exposed shuttered concrete ceilings and visible structural elements; the Basis Track system for the luminaires contributes to this, forming a strong ceiling pattern that takes its lead from the exposed steel beams and the extensive glazing grid.”
In total, 68 fixtures and over 80 metres of Basis Track were required to complete the scheme. The Basis Track was finish matched to the rubbed bronze spotlight finish, this patination of both track and luminaire ensures a “hand-crafted artisanal feel”, explains Jerram.
The use of Precision’s unique Jack Plug connection for mounting luminaires to the track add consideration to the versatility and maintenance for the scheme; luminaires can easily be removed for cleaning or re-lamping using the click and twist mechanism, while the ease of repositioning luminaires on the rectilinear Basis Track formations allows the occupiers of the two buildings to position luminaires where required to suit the needs of each space.
The unique properties of the Basis Track system were particularly useful when it came to lighting the dynamic staircase area; as Basis Track can be factory curved to follow a specific profile, the track system was shaped to follow the softer arced lines of the staircase.
For the bedrooms of Eglon House, as well as the Basis Track mounted spotlights, Jerram also used surface monopoints to mount the delicate luminaires. The surface monopoint offers the advantage of providing a suitable mounting location for the spotlights without architectural intrusion.
Other luminaires specified for the project by Victoria Jerram included wall luminaires in the style of Pierre Chareau, manufactured by Galerie MCDE. The juxtaposition of these more decorative, homely fixtures with the more industrial stylings of the Basis Track and bespoke luminaires from Precision perfectly mirrored the thematic balance between work and life in both the architecture and the interiors of Eglon House.
Over 12 months of structural, restoration and facility improvement work at this beautiful Grade I listed church included a complex custom lighting project which Precision Lighting were delighted to take on.
benjamin+beauchamp, Award Winning Architects & Historic Building Consultants, delivered the design brief which was both structurally and archaeologically delicate. As with many Grade I listed buildings, careful attention was paid to restore the original timbers, tiles, furniture and fittings to their former glory, whilst modernising the facilities.
Updating the lighting by installing low voltage chandeliers throughout the main church hall was a key part of the transformation but presented a number of challenges, from product design right through to installation.
One of the biggest constraints was that the bespoke multi-circuit chandeliers had to be fixed from single points in the gothic arched ceilings. This was the first time Precision Lighting had suspended chandeliers of this size from a single point, so an innovative suspension box was devised. All cabling could therefore be routed through the box, enabling the chandeliers to balance perfectly from a single mounting point.
Each custom made chandelier was formed from Precision Lighting’s Rubbed Bronze Basis Track, 2.4m in diameter and fitted with up to 16 Rotor spotlights to provide both up and down lighting on separate circuits. Rubbed Bronze Basis Tracks and Rotor luminaires were also installed at high level through the nave and aisles.
Find out more about our custom and bespoke services here.
When Cha Cha Moon commissioned Firefly Lighting Design to create a scheme for its restaurant in Whiteleys Shopping Centre in London, it needed a track system and luminaire with a small enough aperture to fit between tightly spaced bamboo beams, that would also minimise glare.
The interior design made it important to install a large number of luminaires over a long run of track. Precision Lighting Microspot C16 luminaires were mounted on transformer adaptors for three-circuit Eutrac. In all, 177 spotlights, finished in matt black powder coat, were hidden out of sight in the compact space between the bamboo beams and the concrete ceiling. Short snoots that fitted between the beams were used to minimise any glare.
Set in Rome, Cesare Lampronti gallery was founded in 1914 by Cesare’s grandfather. Cesare became director in 1961. The gallery focuses on Italian Old Master Paintings of the 17th and 18th Centuries, with view paintings, landscapes and still lives forming the majority of the content. In January 2013, an offshoot of the gallery opened in the heart of London allowing viewers an insight into Italian art and culture.
Quality pieces by the likes of Caravaggio and Canaletto are mounted on the walls of this London based gallery, with their intricate details highlighted by Precision Lighting’s Discus 16 LED fixtures. Multiple optics were specified to cater for the variety of artwork housed within this gallery. The luminaires are mounted on Precision Lighting’s minimal Basis Track system allowing the lighting installation to remain discreet whilst surrounded by such beautiful artwork.
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