Lighting solution for executive club lounge

When Haworth, a designer and manufacturer of adaptable workspaces, was looking for a sophisticated modern lighting control solution for The Porter, Sydney’s premier business executive lounge, it approached Philips Lighting.

Haworth recently collaborated with Lend Lease - manager of 1 O’Connell Street - to develop part of the building’s lobby area into an adaptable and flexible workspace, suitable for a dynamic range of business, community and social activities.

Haworth and Philips have fostered a strong and productive strategic alliance over a number of years and have recently collaborated on several core-level projects, including a dynamic shared workspace in the Parkview Green building in Beijing. Consequently, it was natural that Haworth elects to leverage Philips’ Dynalite control systems expertise once again to provide a solution for the new project at 1 O’Connell Street - The Porter.

The challenge

Haworth’s challenge for 1 O’Connell Street was to transform 600 m² of lobby space into a flexible and adaptable workspace that would help support the ongoing business needs of existing building tenants as well as new users. All too often, the lobbies of similar commercial buildings are simply given over to unimaginative retail ventures and food courts.

The Porter design brief called for an exclusive business club lounge area, separated into a series of distinct working areas - The Studio, an open area designed for workshops, presentations and interactive meetings; The Atelier, a technology-enabled room for workshops, training seminars, video/audio conferencing and focused meetings; The Library, a serene hot-desking area also set up for video/audio conferencing; and The Lounges for more informal meetings, equipped with wireless presentation screens.

The lighting/automation design, developed in close collaboration between Haworth and Philips Lighting Solutions Manager Vessi Ivanova, needed to reflect the overall design ethos of The Porter, complementing the requirements of the different spaces. The lighting plan focused on realising the best possible balance between form and function, and this was achieved through a combination of architectural and feature pendant LED lighting to create the desired ambience, with Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) LED luminaires delivering task-specific illumination. “The Dynalite controls are a standout feature of the project. It is a very flexible and elegant system that perfectly matches the overall design of The Porter,” said Viswesh Sathi, Haworth Australia business operations manager.

The solution

The switching of the feature and architectural lighting is achieved via two Dynalite DDRC1220FR-GL relay controllers, while the dimming for the 120 DALI addressable luminaires is controlled through a 3-channel DDBC320-DALI controller. The DALI luminaires are installed on a suspended track, which delivers both a contemporary look and ultimate flexibility. One of the many benefits of a DALI system is that it allows luminaires to be regrouped easily. The use of suspended lighting tracks allows luminaires to be physically repositioned without the need for rewiring.

An additional DDRC810DT 8-channel relay controller enables motorised blind control through the Dynalite system, while a DNG232 RS232 network gateway allows full two-way integration between the lighting control system and the AMX protocols used by the AV systems in the videoconferencing and meeting rooms.

The use of DUS704C universal sensors and the DDTC001 Timeclock facilitates automated scene control based on both operating hours and the occupancy status of various areas. The award-winning AntumbraButton user interface further enhances the elegance of the solution, while the DTP170 Color Touchscreen provides an intuitive supervisory interface for the entire system. The various elements of the system are interconnected through the robust DyNet RS485 network, and the system was commissioned using EnvisionProject commissioning and management software.

Benefits

The finished system’s ease of operation belies its underlying sophistication, perfectly matching the overall design ethos of The Porter. The AV integration provides an example of this, with a single button press simultaneously turning on the AV systems, closing the blinds and optimising the lighting levels. Automation settings simplify operation for both staff and visitors, providing an inherently energy-efficient system that is both unobtrusive and intuitive to use. Moreover, the DALI protocols deliver the flexibility to allow lighting moods to be adjusted easily through preset scenes, while facilitating future layout changes without the need for costly rewiring.