providing acoustic properties. All the lighting is LED for maximum
energy-efficiency, including feature lighting in the form of LED
strip lighting.
“The lighting intent was to supplement any shortfall from the
natural lighting. There is a lot of glazing on the building, which
admits a great deal of natural light. Hence it was just a matter of
determining where this infiltrated to the required level,” Trend
Group Technical Designer Nicola Bridge explains. Motion sensors
control the lighting, switching on and off automatically whenever
there are occupants in an area. Automatic blinds were installed
on the ground floor, front-of-house, and restaurant areas, with
manual blinds on the upper levels. “We collaborated closely with
the lighting engineer. Basically, we designed the lighting intent,
and then they took it onboard to make it compliant and energy-
sufficient, and ensuring it meets all the local requirements and
Oracle SA
building standards. It all links back to comfort, and ensuring people
are comfortable within the workspace, without suffering eye
strain or either being over-stimulated due to the lighting,” Bridge
highlights. The base build has already achieved a four Green Star
rating from Green Building Council South Africa.
Swiegers concludes that the ultimate success of the project
was due to the cohesion between the entire professional team,
and its responsiveness and resultant creativity in both meetings,
and adapting to, the client brief. “From a specification point of
view, it was critical that we had to meet international standards.
Even though we had a short timeframe for both the base build
and fit-out, which was the main reason why both project tracks
coincided, it ultimately meant we were on hand throughout the
entire construction process to monitor the quality, and ensure an
end result meeting the expectations of our client.”
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