Delivering energy-efficient, code-compliant lighting

Retailite, part of Gerard Lighting Group, was recently engaged to deliver a lighting design plan for fashion designer Carla Zampatti’s new signature store in Sydney’s CBD.

The Sydney store is located in the Westfield shopping centre in the heart of the CBD. “The brief was to provide a high-level, modern and cost-effective lighting design to complement the Carla Zampatti Brand,” said Retailite Business Development Manager Tracy Galbraith.

However, the main challenge was to develop effective lighting solutions which would comply with the upcoming, more restrictive Building Code of Australia J6 power density requirements of 16 W/m² — due to be implemented in 2019.  This essentially means reducing the energy consumption of lighting.

“Overall our design entailed a combination of elegant black track spots around the store perimeter and store windows,” Galbraith said. “This in turn created a distinctive modern feel for the brand along with discrete purposefully placed pairs of accenting downlights within a clean clutter-free ceiling.”

Retailite strategically placed lighting to illuminate the desired elements, these being the merchandise and store feature wall. The black track lights also accentuate the black shopfront pillar with Carla Zampatti’s white luminescent logo.

“Using luminaires with high CRI allowed us to design to lower lux levels while maintaining and improving the perceived quality of light and the merchandise being illuminated,” Galbraith said.

“This analogy enabled a more energy-efficient design for compliance whilst maintaining a highly effective end result.”

Meanwhile, the feedback has been very positive from both the store staff as well as the customers. “The idea behind the lighting redesign was to ensure customers enjoyed the shopping experience and the clothes were highlighted to showcase the beautiful designs,” said Carla Zampatti’s General Manager, Elena Notte.

Image courtesy of Retailite.