Lighting in Design August-September 2017

Lansdowne Centre, Nairobi, Kenya This shopping centre, located in the heart of Karen, one of the more culturally steeped locations in Nairobi, was designed by Aleem Manji of Aleem Manji Architects, a local practice founded in 2010, which undertakes full-scope services in architec- tural design as well as interiors. The project, which consists of small shopping units on three levels with two basement parking structures and a rooftop restaurant/lounge area, all accommodated on a quarter acre parcel in the old Karen Provisional Store neighbourhood, is a modern take on the neo-colonial style of design. This was achieved through a careful selection of the mate- rial palette, including blue-gumpole walkways with exposed soffits, coupled with mazeras stone tiling as opposed to porcelain tiling. Manji notes that the client's preference in light- ing was to maximise natural lighting during the day, especially with regard to the centre’s central atrium. “While there was anticipated footfall in the evenings, they expected most of their footfall to come during normal business hours and wanted to move as far away as possible from the standard shopping centre solution of heavy artificial lighting in common areas during the day,” he explains. Natural light is brought into the central atrium from the rooftop level, which was deliberately left open on the side. The high roof allowed for a flow of indirect light that filtered into all areas of the shopping centre’s walkways and circulation spaces. “We were then left with the option of using specific ambient and task lighting on the soffits, purely for task lighting above walkways,” says Manji. Externally, lighting played an important role as the architects wanted to accentuate the various materials they had used on the façade (natural slit

stone cladding, timber boarding and rough textured render). When asked how the lighting contributes to the overall success of the project, Manji says “Enormously, especially the natural lighting. It gives the entire design a feel of airiness and light- ness, almost an uplifting feeling within the central spaces. Additionally, owing to the rustic nature of the material palette, the natural light helps highlight the various colours and textures and enhances the stark contrast with the brilliant white walls.” The lighting design, along with the chosen materials, have combined to create a charming, small shop- ping precinct which blends in with its environment but, at the same time, gives it a touch of modernity. Although the three featured projects are vastly different, with disparate requirements for the dif- ferent users, each project took the lighting needs of the building on its own merits, and delivered a solution that was project and site appropriate, but also took into account budget restraints, available natural lighting and the end user’s prerequisites, to deliver lighting that not only suited the spaces, but enhanced them. Further information: Inhouse: www.inhouse.ws MDS Architecture: www.mdsarch.co.za Aleem Manji Architects: www.ama-kenya.com

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LiD AUG/SEP 2017