Lighting in Design February-March 2016

02-03/16 www.crown.co.za

MultichoiceCity: an abundance of natural light

Classic luminaire converted to LED

Lighting Swisscom Business Campus

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Ed Space

S ome years ago the Department of PublicWorks bought Innes Chambers, a 1960s Modernist building that was home for many years to the Johannesburg Bar. Around 2010, they began the process of restoring it as the Johannesburg offices of the National Prosecuting Authority. For a variety of reasons the redevelopment took a long time, but this does not detract from the happy fact that the building – a landmark in downtown Johannesburg – was treated with heritage respect, though it was not at the onset of redevelopment quite 60 years old. The Department of Public Works de- serves congratulations for this stance and for the work it is doing to transform the city. During daylight hours, the white mosaic of the building’s exterior draws attention to this landmark but Leane Fernandes of Activate Architects, the architect on the project, said that a rewarding but unexpected outcome of the restoration was public response to the sight of light through the Y-column façade screens of the exterior after dark. To preserve the façade, no exterior lighting was specified for the building, but office light- ing illuminates the façade; emphasising the structure and providing a warm glow of welcome light in the city. Poles apart from this traditional legal setting, MultichoiceCity in Randburg leads the way in offering technology-driven employees a thoroughly modern work environment, complete with spaces that allow for ‘spontaneous conversation’ and the ‘creative exchange of ideas’. With natural light being the core design element, employees are constantly aware of the movement of the sun and the state of the weather. Leigh Darroll explains that while lighting was a significant consideration of the interior design it was selected to complement the high level of natural light within. Mood lighting and purpose- designed pendants are used for effect and focused task lighting applied where required. Most of the articles in this issue of Lighting in Design reflect installations that are designed to make technology intelligible, to facilitate conversation and creative thought and to expunge the corporate feel. Following this trend that is the ‘Internet of Things’, intelligent solutions, future-oriented technologies and current design trends that make a building more efficient, increase its standard of comfort and architecture and improve the lives of its occupants will be on display at Light+Building 2016, under the slogan, ‘Where modern spaces come to life: digital-individual-networked’. It is the world’s big- gest trade fair for lighting and building-services technology, with around 2 500 exhibitors and over 210 000 visitors. Shortly after the close of Light+Building, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) 2016, opens its doors to offer visitors an overview of lighting trends while, locally,The Lighting Show, will form part of Power & ElectricityWorld Africa 2016. Enjoy any or all of these exhibitions if you possibly can – I am fortunate enough to be going to Frankfurt and cannot wait!

Till next time …

Editor: Karen Grant (crownmag@crown.co.za) Advertising manager: Carin Hannay (carinh@crown.co.za) Layout: Adel JvR Bothma - Circulation: Karen Smith Cover: Swisscom Business Campus, Photographer: Radek Brunecky

Published by Crown Publications cc PO Box 140, Bedfordview, 2008 - Tel: +27 (0)11 622-4770 Fax: +27 (0)11 615-6108 - Website: www.crown.co.za Printed by: Tandym Print

All issues of Lighting in Design can be viewed on our website. Visit www.lightingindesignmagazine.co.za

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EDspace Editor’s comment.

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Natural light as a core element of design The artificial lighting for MultichoiceCity in Randburg was specified

selectively to complement the high level of natural light in and around the building’s atrium. Leigh Darroll spoke to dsgn design about the installation. 4

Landmark building resumes her rightful place Innes Chambers, a model example of 1960s Modernist architecture, has been restored to landmark status. Leane Fernandes, Activate Architects, and Catherine Feher, Regent Lighting, spoke to LiD about the transformation. 8 Le Silla head office: low-key elegance A flexible lighting concept resulting in coherent and discreet illumination that meets the highest standards of natural colour rendering creates an ideal environment for creative work at the Le Silla head office. Innovation, ideas and creative concepts In designing the lighting for the Swisscom Business Campus, Pamboukian lightdesign was asked for lighting that did not speak of the normal office – more comfortable, less formal. Anthony Tischhauser outlines how this was achieved. Incandescent lamps not quite dead No sooner do we come to accept that the future of lighting lies with LEDs than researchers at MIT announce they have developed an incandescent lamp that could be more efficient. Gavin Chait explains. Facilitating interaction and learning Sometimes subtle, sometimes bright, diffuse and alive, the lighting of Microsoft’s new Conference Centre in Montreal inspires innovation and facilitates interaction and learning.

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Natural light as a core element of design by Leigh Darroll

One of the most striking features as you enter the new Multichoice building in Randburg, Johannesburg, is the generous central atrium that rises through four office levels and opens the interior to an abundance of natural light. It is the innovative use of a long-span, triple-layered ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) roof that admits this flood of daylight to the interior space.

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M ultichoice is the leading provider of premium broadcast content in South Africa. The new building, designed by GLH Architects, is sited on the corner of Republic Road and Braam Fischer Drive and serves as an extension of the group’s established Randburg headquarters across the road, creating an expanded corpo- rate campus. It provides some 35 000 m 2 of additional office space over four floors as well as four basement levels for parking. An underground tunnel links the two buildings and an overhead pedestrian bridge, traversing Braam Fischer Drive diagonally, provides a safe walkway between the old and the new buildings above the busy road traffic. Following the natural orientation of the site, the new building tracks a longitudinal north-south axis, with predominant east and west façades.The street entrance is from the west on Braam Fischer Drive, where the hard urban edge of the northwest corner softens into a curvilinear glazed façade, inviting pe- destrians into the building through a street- level garden of indigenous plants. In terms of the building’s sustainability and particularly with regard to energy con- servation – both key considerations from the start of the project – the long east and west façades presented a challenge and called for the use of thermally efficient glazing as well as effective shading. Deep roof overhangs, horizontal steel shading and, on the curvilin- ear west façade a distinctive brise-soleil of vertical louvres of reflective glass all play a role, together with integrated internal blinds which track the movement of the sun to maintain solar control and limit glare. These and other carefully considered design decisions that limit the building’s consumption of resources and support its sustainability contributed to its earning 5-Star Design and As Built Certification from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). The central atrium with its transparent ETFE roof is a significant contributing ele- ment in this regard. Taking advantage of the Highveld climate and the sunlight hours it offers, the roof allows for optimum levels of natural light internally, reducing the need for supplementary electric lighting and therefore reducing energy consumption and related

Artificial lighting was specified selectively to complement the high level of natural light. Recessed troughs provide for mood lighting in public areas and more focused task lighting delivers required lux levels in the open plan office space around the atrium.

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costs. At the same time, the insulating effect of the ETFE roof supports the efficient thermal per- formance of the building, thus also contributing to energy conservation. The atrium roof Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene is a copolymer that was developed originally as an inert coating mate- rial for use in the aerospace industry. In building, it found applications initially in agricultural green- houses before being adopted in much more ambi- tious projects: the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, in the late 1990s, the Allianz Arena in Munich for the 2006 Soccer World Cup and the Aquatics Centre, otherwise known as the ‘Water Cube’, for the 2008 Beijing Olympics demonstrated the architectural potential of ETFE. As a roofing material, ETFE has a number of significant advantages. - While the film has a high tensile strength which makes it structurally resistant, it also has a high elasticity. - It is significantly lighter in weight than glass while offering exceptional light transmission with 90% to 95% transparency. - It has a low surface friction coefficient, so it does not hold dust or dirt which simply washes off in the rain. - It does not discolour or degrade under exposure to ultraviolet light, environmental pollution or extremes of temperature – all plus points for a South African Highveld application. - It also has far better acoustic properties than a hard roof surface such as glass or metal. - And it can be recycled. The raw granulate is extruded into sheets, referred to as film, and these can be applied in single-layered form or in double- or triple-layered applications. In multi-layered applications dry air is incorporated at low pressure between the layers of film, creating inflated cushions that provide an effective measure of thermal insulation as well as increased structural stability against wind loads. Under typical loading conditions, ETFE cushions can range from 1.5 m to 3 m wide and up to almost 7 m in length. Additionally, a frit pattern can be incorporated on one or multiple layers to adjust the solar perfor- mance of the material to requirements, providing a further degree of controlled shading and protection against glare and internal heat gain. At the Multichoice building the transparent roof is supported by a shallow arched structure that is

fabricated in slender tubular steel elements and spans some 24 m – between the east and west wings of the building.The three-layered ETFE instal- lation incorporates a layer with a high-density print and the large free-form cushions of the material can be inflated or deflated to control light penetration and glare by adjusting the shading created by the printed layer. As an insulating membrane, the roof also limits heat build-up within the atrium space. It has the further benefit that, because it is transparent, it allows people working in the building to feel connected with the external environment – the movement of the sun, the changing weather and the changing seasons – which makes for a healthier workplace. Flexible ways of working dsgn design was appointed to design the interior of the building to reflect the Multichoice brand and corporate culture, to portray a progressive, forward- thinking multi-media company, considerate of its employees, and to provide for flexibility in working scenarios, recognising how the work environment is evolving, with technology in the forefront. Open plan office space is organised around the light-filled atrium. Along the atrium ‘street’ at ground level and overlooking this central volume, various pause areas and breakaway zones, casual clusters of seating and futuristic meeting pods where staff and visitors can interact animate the space. Bridges and stairs criss-cross the atrium at different angles and levels connecting the vari- ous departments. This planning approach creates a dynamic interior and provides for flexible ways of working, increasing the range of places where informal interactions, spontaneous conversations and a creative exchange of ideas can occur. The atrium also meets the client’s requirement for a place where large staff gatherings can be hosted for new product launches or other corporate announcements. Congruent with the concept of flexible ways of working, dsgn introduced organic shapes – in the customdesignedmeeting pods, for example, aswell as other furniture – and bright colour, which appeals to the senses and reflects the Multichoice identity, is used in accent walls, furnishings and rugs. The building is fully equipped with advanced information, telecommunications and media tech- nologies supporting 24/7 global connectivity and it provides a host of amenities for staff, including a gym on the fourth floor and a coffee shop which spills out into the atrium at ground level.

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While lighting was a significant consideration in the interior design, it was specified selectively to complement the high level of natural light in and around the atrium space. Mood lighting is

introduced with selected wall fittings and the use of recessed troughs where focused task lighting was not required. Elsewhere, lighting installations were guided by specific needs and budget limitations. In the open plan of- fice space and in meeting rooms, lighting specifica- tions were driven by the

The transparent ETFE roof of the atrium, supported on a shal- low arched structure of tubular steel, admits an abundance of natural light to the interior.

need to meet required lux levels while recessed troughs allow for additional mood lighting in public areas. In pause areas more playful, eclectic fittings such as pendants were installed. In the business lounge Herzog & de Meuron wall fittings were used, introducing a quirky yet practical element as

they can be manipulated by anyone using the space to suit individual light lev- els required. Throughout the build- ing the lamps used are primarily LEDs, to provide for power saving and lon- gevity. At reception the blue wall – a three-dimension- al ‘larger-than-life’ repre- sentation of the Multi- choice logo, reaching from ground level to the height of the fourth floor – is

In the entrance lobby the ‘larger-than-life’ representation of the Multichoice logo forms a bold blue backdrop to reception and two purpose-designed pendant lights present a conceptual interpreta- tion of the satellite dish associated with the broadcast brand.

particularly well-lit so that it can be seen from the street. Two feature pendants, designed by dsgn and based conceptually on an interpretation of the satellite dish, present a unique expression of the Multichoice identity in the entrance area. The new Multichoice building is designed to serve the company well into the future. Acknowledgements to: GLH Architects (www.glh.co.za) and dsgn design (www.dsgn.co.za) for information provided ETFE film: see www.birdair.com/tensile-architecture Photographs by Grant Difford Photography, courtesy of GLH Architects

The entrance to the building is from the west, where the hard urban edge of the northwest corner softens into a curvilinear glazed façade. Night-time lighting accen- tuates the vertical louvres of the brise-soleil and the deep overhang of the canti- levered steel roof that appears to float above the west wing.

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Landmark building

I nnes Chambers, named after Sir James Rose Innes, Chief Justice of South Africa from 1914 to 1927, is a downtown landmark positioned in the Johannesburg central business district, oppo- site the South Gauteng High Court. Originally the offices of the Johannesburg Bar, Innes Chambers was purchased by the Department of PublicWorks (DPW) at the turn of the century and redeveloped as the Johannesburg offices of the National Pros- ecuting Authority (NPA). Activate Architects was responsible for the restoration. Built in the 1960s, Innes Chambers is distinctive for its Y-column façade screens and white mosaic tiles. Although not a heritage building (it is not yet 60 years old), it is a beautiful example of Modernist architecture, and the client and architects decided at the outset that every attempt would be made to retain and restore original heritage elements. The brief from the DPW was for functionality and efficiency and included the refurbishment and upgrade of all services to energy efficiency stan- dards, the inclusion of contemporary office space and the creation of an auditorium for largemeetings, lectures, etc.; all without compromising the original design and the landmark status of the building. At the time work started, the building was in a state of some disrepair and there were no original drawings, so the entire structure had to be re- measured, which took time. Restoring the exterior proved to be a labour of love – to repair the sub- strate, thousands of mosaics had to be removed and replaced to restore the building to as-new status. The interior of the building was gutted and existing office partitions and ceilings removed and replaced with new drywall. Existing windows, fa- çade panels and frames were replaced with high performance curtain walling and double glazing to provide a high performance façade, enhancing the thermal performance of the building envelope and resumes her rightful place

reducing the energy demand on the HVAC system. Only the ground and first two floors of Innes Chambers are public-private spaces, and it is in this central portion of the building that the raked audi- torium is situated. Its creation required the partial demolition of existing 1 st and 2 nd floor slabs, but the new suspended concrete auditorium roof forms an outdoor garden atrium which functions as a pause area, consisting of two deck zones and a section of soft landscaping. An undulating Hunter Douglas slatted timber ceiling has been installed throughout the areas and congregation spaces, including the auditorium, along the north end edge of the building. Delta Softline 1200x600T5 ceiling tiles, chosen for their efficiency and top quality indirect light, illuminate the offices, which make up most of the building (from the third to the 11 th floor), the meet- ing rooms and boardrooms. Installing suitable lighting for the ceiling present- ed more of a challenge. Architect Leane Fernandes of Activate Architects explains that to present the ceiling to best effect she and Glen Kwasnik of KKA Consulting Engineers wanted more than a standard downlight. Catherine Feher of Regent Lighting suggested a combination of Linear Micro LED and Linear MaxiT5 fixtures.The Linear Micro, which of- fers 24W/m at 4000 K was slim enough and able to

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Photographs by Christoph Hofmann, courtesy Activate Architects.

be custom sized to fit between the wooden ceiling cladding. Further, custom made brackets allowed the fittings to be clipped on, giving access to the services which are installed above the ceiling. After much consultation with Kwasnik and the contractor on site, standard T5 Maxi Linears were used for the auditorium. These abutted each other, with the 1 st fitting in the row designed and manu- factured with a special access hatch, a 300 mm long compartment within the fitting, to allow the contractor to connect from themain services, which were supplied through the centre of the auditorium. The common areas of the building are illumi- nated by 18 W and 26 W Perox downlighters. The effect of the lighting fittings on the warm undulating timber ceiling is appealing and blends well into the existing space and architecture. The exterior of the building was not illuminated because of historical conservation concerns but inside light shines through theY-shaped façade to create a pleas- ing night time effect, lighting up what was a dark section of the city and restoring Innes Chambers to landmark status in downtown Johannesburg. Acknowledgements to: Leane Fernandes: Acti- vate Architects; Catherine Feher: Regent Lighting; Brian McKechnie: http://www.theheritageportal.co.za; Glen Kwasnik: KKA Consulting Engineers

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Le Silla head office: low-key elegance

E xceptionally high heels, extravagant design, elegant materials and craftsmanship are char- acteristics that best describe the exclusive ladies’ footwear label, Le Silla. Defining itself as a brand with a passion for seductive and distinctly feminine shoes, for style and luxury and for quality made in Italy, the company is based in Le Marche, in a region of Central Italy that is known for its tradi- tion in leather craftsmanship and shoe manufacture. This is a heritage that the company, founded in 1994 by designer Enio Silla and his partner Monica Ciabattini, proudly and successfully continues. As a growing business, today’s range extends to bags and beach fashion, and is sold through a retail network that includes Le Silla boutiques in Milan, Florence, Moscow, Baku and Dubai. Last year, Le Silla moved into new premises in Porto Sant’Elpidio. The complex, built to design by architect Ivan Palmini, provides space for the creation and production of the shoe collections as well as for the administration offices and the brand outlet store. In marked contrast to the rather glamorous style of shoes, the architecture of the head office is defined by a linear, almost sterile de- sign vocabulary that reflects classical modernism. The offices, largely separated by glass walls, and the adjoining design studio are illuminated during the day with natural light entering through large window areas that often extend up to the ceiling, offering an expansive view of the surroundings and giving the interior an airy, modern and tidy feel.

Enio Silla’s design studio – were high. Palmini, who also designed the Le Silla flagship stores in Milan and Florence, strives for clearly defined spaces. Nothing should distract from the architectural struc- ture other than carefully selected and deliberately placed furniture and equipment. For this reason, he prefers a discreet and unobtrusive lighting solution, preferably with almost invisible luminaires. Further criteria for the selection of lighting tools included glare control, energy efficiency, low maintenance costs and the option of a practical and useful light- ing control system. For the design studio, where the concepts for new collections are created and where materials and colours are carefully consid- ered, additional critical qualitative specifications, such as brilliant colour rendering and the delivery of consistent colour temperature were added to the equation. ERCO proposed an economic and ecological lighting solution based on Quintessence recessed lighting tools as a single range of luminaires. The concept, requiring just a few luminaires, fulfilled all the relevant criteria and complied with the Eu- ropean standards required for office workspace (EN 12464). Quintessence’s modular system design facili- tates a flexible lighting concept as a unified whole. Downlights in combination with directional lumi- naires and wallwashers meet all the requirements of a perception-orientated concept for ambient and accent lighting. Downlights with flood and wide flood distributions illuminate the horizontal surfaces, particularly the Le Silla workstation and conference areas, with optimumuniformity.The walls and shelv- ing, in contrast, are illuminated using wallwashers to give the room a light and spacious impression.

The lighting concept briefing The requirements for technical lighting in the of- fices – including the connected meeting rooms and

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For optimised synergy with the building’s ar- chitecture and to achieve a harmonious, low-key ceiling design, Le Silla opted for the square version of the luminaire. The result is a formally coherent and discreet illumination with precise, linear intersecting beams, without compromising on the light quality. Because of the abundance of natural light in the Le Silla offices, particular focus was given to the precise coordination of daylight and artificial light. Here, the system’s efficient lighting technol-

ogy allows continuous dimming of the light down to 1%. The warm white light (3000 K) creates a natural and pleasant ambience whilst meeting the highest standards of natural colour rendering, thereby providing ideal conditions for the type of creative work in which Enio Silla and his team are engaged every day.

Photo credits: ERCO GmbH, www.erco.com. Photographer: Sebastian Mayer

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Innovation, ideas and creative concepts

The Swisscom Business Campus is neither showroom nor office but rather a space for interaction between customer and Swisscom experts. There is no product sold; solutions are sought. Your customers are not the average; rather, company directors looking for tailor made high-tech communication solutions. By Anthony Tischhauser, Pamboukian lightdesign.

T he Swisscom Business Campus is a small- ish space based on the notion of The Office of the Future. It bears some resemblance to the original concept of a 'paperless office' that dates from the 1940s – a system of shared mi- crofilm based hyperlinks. The campus also draws on elements that may be loosely associated with contemporary office design: open office landscape, hot-desk zones, retreat nooks, informal discussion areas, think-tank tech-driven spaces and a relax- ation lounge to accommodate digital interaction and all sorts of individual working modes. Situated in the transformed former industrial and now trendy and edgy district of Kreis 5 in Zurich West with studios, ateliers and shops, theatres andTechnopark start-up centre, the Business Park is, strangely enough, on the ground floor of a resi- dential block. Several smallish areas conceived for boutique-like shops are strung together to achieve the required floor area. The plan weaves between and around the west-facing entrance lobbies to the dwellings above. They are orientated to an urban park landscape. The Business Campus facing east

is entered off the piazza and opposite the Renais- sance Hotel. Suddenly the client was no longer happy with tones of beige, dark timber finishes, carpeted floors and classic spaces – no more corporate feel. Just before construction was to begin, Swisscom asked Holzer Kobler Architekturen to intervene and embody its swing in mood.The architecture should now reflect a relaxed approach to meetings and induce formal and stressed upper management clientele to 'let go.' How could this be achieved? The architects made a virtue out of the shop and other bits and pieces of space by stringing them together through a passage designed as a promenade. The prom- enade as core or raison d'être of the ensemble, morphs into different spaces animated in their own right. The promenade is treated as a gallery along the approach elevation with niches in the angled wall opposite the glass front. Each recess is devoted to a Swiss inventor.The Business Campus is about innovation, ideas and creative concepts. There are no private or public areas. The only spe-

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Photos: Radek Brunecky

Elevation - illustration of lantern lighting effect of gallery.

Entrance with etched panel wall, and lounge.

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cifically defined space, which is off the gallery, is the 'strategies room' or think-tank for strategic planning. It is 'virtual' in character and oval - its plan based on the proportions of the Oval Room in theWhite House. Movable wall screens in shades of red provide for mood change, acoustic treatment and revealing the white walls behind for projections, as well as the dynamic LED wall screen. On entering off the piazza one is drawn to a large table that is neither office table nor dining table, but a surface that serves a use given it at any moment.This lounge space is not only for relaxation (at the press of a button it is transformed into a high tech space), but the area of resolution. Other scattered and different sized spaces, quite different in character, serve as 'laboratories' for hammering away at ideas or solv- ing specific aspects of larger problems. The core of permanent staff sit around their own elongated table or move around as desired. There is no daily pattern, order comes and goes for any particular pitch. The lighting design brief was any designer's dream. It stated that the lighting shouldn't speak of

Gallery as promenade with each recess devoted to a Swiss inventor.

The 'strategies room' or think tank: Honeycomb ceiling.

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Nook as secluded space for small-scale discussions.

Lounge with individually adjustable reflective discs and 'floating' Barrisol luminaires.

able and were slowly tightened it was struck off the list. So was the colour change. But intelligent light management is still in place. In the lounge, where discussions may con- tinue into the night, an element of 'glamour' is introduced. Large suspended floating cloud-like structures provide mood. It is the first installation of the new luminaires by Ross Lovegrove designed for Barrisol.The gallery at night is designed to read as a long continuous space from outside.The gentle illu- mination of the ceiling facia emphasises the stretch of space. The gallery as such glows and is read as an enticing signal that cannot be overlooked. The promenade echos the piazza; the passer-by and viewer are invited to 'look in.'

the normal office, it should be more comfortable and less formal. As an experienced designer who usually does his own lighting, the architect insisted that he only wanted to see lighting solutions that he had not seen before. Here was space that de- manded an element of theatricality. Elements of colour light were introduced to certain areas. The uplit columns would change hues of soft light for events or even a late night work-out. The lighting also had to fulfil office basic standard needs and complement the premise that all areas are day-lit and fit for purpose on a clear day. The idea of a circadian lighting system (the basis for Pamboukian lightdesign's commission) immediately found the client's approval. When the budgets became avail-

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Incandescent lamps not quite dead

by Gavin Chait

H ave you ever have one of those flash-backs where you tick off your teacher and she sets you an enticing essay topic as punishment? You know the ones: the inside of a tennis ball; the aerodynamics of a gecko’s toenail; my life as a light- bulb. A topic designed to give you perspective on your sins, the vastness of the universe, and your insignificant part therein. So, with a backward glance over my shoulder to where my teacher is standing with the old yellow ivory ruler she used to punish me, let me begin. My entire house is filled with low-energy com- pact fluorescent lamps, except for two fittings: one over the dining-room table and the other over the main bedroom. Whenever I switch on either of these two lights, the local electricity generators spring into action to add fundamental new capacity to the grid lest the whole thing collapse, and my bank-manager springs a surprise charge onto my overdraft.

Each of these lamps contains a delicate and intricately-laced squirrel cage tungsten filament, hand-knotted by skilled Mesopotamian artisans, within free-blown glass enclosures made from silica scraped from the walls of the caves beneath the Vatican. Each light draws an astonishing 60W, and offers a very warm white light with a colour temperature of 2700 K, even such as the light that graced our antediluvian forebears as they strode bravely beneath the sunshine. My wife loves them. Which is a pity, because incandescent lamps are gradually being legislated out of existence in favour of LEDs and fluorescents. Except for some new research coming out of MIT, that is. In ‘Tailoring high-temperature radiation and the resurrection of the incandescent source’, Ognjen Ilic, Peter Bermel, Gang Chen, John Joannopoulos, Ivan Celanovic, and Marin Solja Č i Ć of the Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT have taken an ap- proach to improving dielectric coatings and applied them to incandescent lighting. A standard incandescent lamp is manufactured from a tungsten filament. When current passes through, it promptly heats up to about 3000 K

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and – as an imperfect dark body emitter – radiates energy across a continuous spectrum. Only a very small part of that emission (about 2 to 3 per cent) is as visible light. The rest we experience as heat. And it is that lack of efficient visible light produc- tion that makes incandescent lighting so wasteful of electricity. There are two low-energy alternatives, only one of which you probably see in people's homes. Fluorescent lighting is produced by a tube of mercury-vapour which releases ultraviolet light in response to an electrical current.That UV causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the glass to glow. They’re about 7 to 15 per cent efficient. LEDs are a solid-state p-n junction diode which emits light as a result of an electric field applied to a semi-conductor.They’re about 5 to 20 per cent ef- ficient and remain expensive.There’s still a great deal of lost energy in each of these alternative solutions. In the world of solar panels (really just the re- verse of a light bulb – using broad-spectrum light energy to create electricity), researchers have been developing mechanisms to improve the range of en- ergy wavelength that can be absorbed by solar cells. Perovskite-structured materials increase energy absorption by over 20 per cent.These aremethylam- monium lead halides dissolved in a solvent and then coated onto a substrate using vapour deposition. Then there’s lanthanide doping to improve conver- sion of infrared photons into higher energy photons. Or light-absorbing dyes such as ruthenium. Only one problem: all these specialist materials start to fail after 1000 K. And our incandescent is most productive much closer to 3000 K. Professor Marin Solja Č i Ć and his team began working on interference systems sandwiched around the incandescent emitter (for want of bet- ter terms, they refer to these as the cold and hot sides respectively). ‘In general,’ they declare, ‘the emissivity of a high-temperature emitter depends on temperature and wavelength.’ By surrounding the emitter with an interference structure designed to transmit vis- ible light and recycle infrared light across a wide range of emission angles they hoped to improve the efficiency of the system. Simply put, all that radiated non-visible energy can be transformed into visible light if we can only absorb it in some way and recycle it back into the emitter to reduce the initial energy required to heat the light source. As a very bad analogy, consider how much less energy it takes to heat water in a thermos versus when the water is flowing past in a pipe.

‘An ideal lighting source would then be a hypo- thetical high-temperature black body that emits only visible wavelengths. Such an emitter would have a luminous efficiency of approximately 40-45%,’ says Solja Č i Ć . The problem, as mentioned earlier, is that exist- ing incandescents are not ideal black body emitters and the current approaches to absorption fail at high temperatures. What Solja Č i Ć and his teamwere looking for was an interference stack, like a thin film, that could ab- sorb a wide range of wavelengths and angles (since incandescent light is not particularly linear), that is able to efficiently reabsorb non-visible energy radia- tion while being subjected to resistive heating, and still be compatible with thermal emitters. They selected four materials: SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Ta 2 O 5 and TiO 2 . The next step was to create a film that would act appropriately.They chose what is called a rugate filter, which is based on a dielectric coating where the refractive index varies continuously as part of its structure. Dielectric coatings themselves are thin-film or interference coatings composed of sub-micron layers of transparent dielectric materi- als. These can be placed by vapour deposition on a substrate (like glass). They are used to modify the reflective proper- ties of a surface by exploiting the interference of reflections from an optical source. At its simplest, rugate filters have a sinusoidal oscillation of the re- fractive index.This creates a notch filter (or multiple notches), blocking a limited wavelength range and reflecting it back onto the emitter. There is a great deal of mathematics in the Solja Č i Ć paper since, as you can imagine, fine-tuning the properties of the materials and the rugate filter (and its numerous notches) is supremely complex. Solja Č i Ć and co then went ahead and built a proof-of-concept. It’s actually quite pretty. The rugate filter consists of ninety layers of SiO 2 andTa 2 O 5 and the usual tungsten filament was made to maximise reabsorption (making it into a highly-polished and flattened radiator-like structure). They then measured the luminous efficiency as being 6.6 per cent, already significantly better than existing incandescents and reaching the levels of low-end LEDs. Theoretically, they could achieve 40 per cent. The more efficient the reflection of non-visible light back to the tungsten filament, themore heat ismain- tained in the system so the more energy-efficient it becomes at converting heat into visible light.

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Boost your inventory with the latest lighting products

Lighting the way to a brilliant future Need to know what’s new in lighting? Looking for the latest styles and newest technology? Look no further than HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) 2016, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. From 6 to 9 April you will find more than 1 250 exhibitors from around the globe who will display indoor and outdoor lighting, decorative and functional, commercial and residential. As well as refreshing your inventory, you will have an overview of lighting trends as well as trends in interior and exterior design.

What you need, where you need it Look in these zones to find the products that fit your market profile.

Hall of Aurora has around 240 brands in its beautiful setting, all of them designed and manufactured to the highest standard. They range from exquisite classic styles to modern designs. LED & Green Lighting is ideal for buyers of energy-efficient lighting and other ‘green’ lighting-related products. Demand for LED products just keeps rising, so stock up here. World of Professional and Industrial Lighting debuted successfully in 2015 to show Stage Lights, Emergency & Safety Lights, Architectural Lighting, Hospital Lighting and other situation-specific applications, with LED options. Advertising Display Lighting opens up new possibilities for display lighting products used for advertising, marketing and promotional activities. These are attention-getting lights to draw customers or promote a brand. Avenue of Chandeliers is a perennial favourite as it encompasses the traditional crystal chandeliers and also chandeliers re-invented for modern interiors. These are timeless style icons. There’s more…. Other zones at the Spring Edition 2016 include: Business of IP Zone, Commercial Lighting, Decorative Lighting, Lighting Ac- cessories, Parts & Components, Outdoor Lighting and Trade Services & Publications. Never a dull moment There are many activities which can promote business, contacts and knowledge. They include a Networking Reception as well as stimulating and informative seminars and forums. Winning entries in the Hong Kong Lighting Design Competition will be on display at the fairground.

HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) 2016 Fair Date: 6-9 April 2016

Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Admission: For trade visitors aged 18 or above only (Admission Fee: HK$100 per person)

Reserve your admission badge and save HK$100! Web: www.hktdc.com/ex/hklightingfairse/18 Wap: hktdc.com/wap/lightse/T119 App: HKTDC Mobile

First-time overseas buyers are entitled to exclusive travel incentives. Pre-registration is required. Please contact HKTDC at Tel: (27 10) 590 7976, Fax: (27 10) 590 7201, or Email: johannesburg.consultant@hktdc.org for details.

It’s difficult to see this as being a low-cost solution and, given the research into LEDs, even as efficiency increases in this process, so will that for LEDs. Yet … yet, there is the emission spectrum that comes from incandescent lighting that is still un- matched by either fluorescents or LEDs. Museums and galleries still prefer the colour presentation of incandescents. And many people are terrified of the mercury in CFL bulbs (which you’d only be exposed to if you broke the damn things … but this does happen). One of the more tricky problems, though, is that EU legislation has banned incandescents rather specifically. Many countries have legislated for a specific efficiency level (such as 15 lumens perWatt, in Australia) which would suit the MIT prototype just fine (at about 45 lumens perWatt, with a theoretical limit of 272 lumens per Watt). “LEDs are great things, and people should be buying them,” says Solja Č i Ć in MIT News. “But under- standing these basic properties about the way light, heat, and matter interact and how the light’s energy can be more efficiently harnessed is very important to a wide variety of things.” The question is: what things? At the moment the limiting factor for widespread LED adoption is simply cost. Compact fluorescents are cheap and long-lasting (and legally mandated over incandescent lamps).The colour balance is gradually being improved. And LEDs are getting cheaper and better. Prob- ably far sooner than these reabsorptive (vampiric? what name should we use?) incandescent lamps will become sufficiently cheap to use. However, there is a market. Much as my wife loves the look and feel of the squirrel cage incandes- cent lamps that hang in our home, people still love the physicality of seeing a real filament inside a real glass enclosure. Light isn’t only about luminance; it’s about the feel of a venue and the expression of personality. Plumen, a British company, specialises in pro- ducing designer low energy lamps, including its signature interlocking looped CFLs. It has created an artistic LED lamp as well. All of these are attempts to add warmth and emotion to something that almost seems wired into our biology. Not for nothing is the symbol of hav- ing a sudden spark of inspiration the incandescent lamp. There will be a market for these proper, more efficient incandescents. And, with a glance to my teacher, I can see I have finally delivered. Let a million lamps lume.

A proof-of-concept device built by MIT researchers demonstrates the principle of a two-stage process to make incandescent bulbs more efficient.This device already achieves efficiency comparable to some compact fluorescent and LED bulbs. Image: Courtesy of the researchers (MIT).

Front view

Cross section

A schematic diagram of a new type of filter that could revive incandescent lighting and make possible more efficient solar electricity generation. The schematic shows the technology from a front and side view (Purdue University-MIT Image/Peter Bermel).

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Facilitating interaction

M icrosoft recently opened its first Confer- ence Centre in Montreal. Corporate in- terior design expert, Metaphore Design, was given the mandate to develop a functional and welcoming space that inspires innovation. It was after a thorough study of this world leader’s DNA that the designers opted for a vaporous and aerial signature, punctuated with dynamic elements. The lighting of the space, designed in collabora- tion with LumiGroup, plays a key role in the interior design concept. Subtle at times, bright, diffuse or alive at others, the lighting accompanies, punctuates and accentuates every detail; sometimes becoming a shape, volume, or graphic/architectural element. Upon entry, visitors are welcomed by a structur- ally organic and aerodynamic reception desk, with

undefined limits.This floating white object instantly transports them to Microsoft’s universe, one of in- tangibility, immateriality, technology, innovation and creativity. The company logo also appears to float in the silky white pool, thanks to soft lighting with undefined contouring.This dreamy effect is achieved with a special lens, Dasal’sWall-Wash, which evenly distributes the light using a wider and higher light beam than is used in standard recessed lights. Attention is then directed towards a dropped ceiling, present in three conference rooms, reveal- ing a blue sky occupied by delicate clouds, referring toWindows system’s famous wallpaper, an iconic Microsoft image. The minimalist profile lighting fixture, through its bidirectional lighting, highlights the azure ceiling and the conference table, provid-

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Photographs: Lee Work Studio

reception and conference rooms, a large backlit mural displays photographed silhouettes in motion. A long strip of vivid white light overlooks the mural, accentuating velocity, guiding the visitor towards the entrance of the room. These notions of speed and linear movement, also noticeable in the pattern on the floor, graphically illustrate technology and its rapid development. LumiGroup and Métaphore Design transport visitors into a world between floating and move- ment, between serenity and dynamism, where material and digital seem to merge. It is because of this balance that Microsoft’s Conference Centre provides a welcoming environment where technol- ogy becomes intelligible, and facilitates interactions and learning.

ing a functional workspace. A gradient frost on the glass walls adds to the vaporous and airy ambience. The waiting room is comprised of multiple areas – an area for relaxing, another for social meet- ups or entertainment, a lounge area with intimate seating, a bar counter and a video game area. This was achieved using an array of volumes, materi- als and colours. The lighting remains discreet and functional, while the central ring of light punctuates the room in a more playful way. The light then energetically unfolds in the main corridor with a rhythmic game of recessed light bands of varying lengths in the ceiling. This light pattern continues in the adjacent inner conference room, crossing through the completely transparent glass wall, again challenging the physical boundaries. Another dynamic movement is observed at the entrance of the training room where, contrasting with the padded and floating atmosphere of the

LumiGroup: www.lumigroup.net Metaphore Design: www.metaphoredesign.ca

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Looks can be deceiving AND OFTEN DEADLY

There is a very large choice of lighting products available to contractors, specifiers, distributors and users.

Light fittings are subject to compulsory specifications but a number of shortcuts can be and are being taken by unscrupulous suppliers to reduce cost and offer products at seductive prices, for example: • Sub-standard insulation that risks electrocution of installers and users • Poor mechanical construction that compromises safety • The use of flammable materials that present fire risk • Careless design and assembly of cable routing and connections that risk safety

Many products, particularly non-decorative ones, are barely distinguishable from each other and, from appearances, it is difficult for most people to judge whether a product is safe or not.

What can you do? Some guidelines:

• Be suspicious of prices substantially below the going rate for comparable product on offer • Look for proper markings: Manufacturer’s name; Lamp type and wattage; Rated supply voltage and written installation & maintenance instructions and precautions

• Look for authentication of quality: Notably protection-level markings (Class I , II or III ) • Purchase brands you can trust. • Consult the SAFEhouse lighting guide ** • Contact the SAFEhouse Association for assistance.

** Available on our website or contact SAFEhouse

For more information contact : Pierre Nothard: 083 414 4980 | 011 396 8140 Email: pierren@safehousesa.co.za www.safehousesa.co.za The SAFEhouse Association is a non-profit, industry organisation committed to the fight against sub-standard, unsafe electrical products.

SAFEhouse members have signed a code of conduct: Your assurance of commitment to offer only safe electrical products.

AMEMBEROFTHE Hudaco GROUP

As at01/03/2016