In recent years Croydon College has undergone extensive refurbishment. Designed to position the college at the forefront of training and education in South London, the on-going programme has equipped the college with some of the best education facilities in London. The recently completed third phase of programme has focused on the Rotunda extension, a new library and social space that give the college a visually striking new landmark public façade.
Designed by Nightingale Associates and built at a cost of £20m, the new extension, creates a state-of-the-art five storey facility that houses a learning resource centre, performing arts theatre, dance studio and accommodation for the senior management team. Alongside delivering excellent new education facilities, the new glazed Rotunda brings significantly more light into the building, and in the process allowed the new lighting scheme to incorporate both natural and artificial light sources.
Michael Jones & Associates LLP, the M&E consultant for all three phases of the Croydon College project put together a scheme that combines 2000 of RIDI Lighting’s AIDA Vario luminaire with the company’s Control 3 lighting control system. Each element of the scheme works together to enhance the learning environment, increase productivity and maximise energy saving.
RIDI supplied twelve 8 Channel Control 3 systems to the site. The system uses a tailored control interface to allow swift and simple alteration of lighting levels to create the optimum environment for staff and students alike. The system incorporates approximately 5000 DALI devices. These devices include ballasts for the luminaires, multi-sensors for presence/absence and daylight linking. Switch inputs for manual on/off and scene recall in rooms and emergency lighting devices are also integrated into luminaires.
The controllers are linked by Ethernet network running on the college LAN and so it’s possible to view system status and make system changes from anywhere in the college. Furthermore, RIDI has remote access to the site via a VPN and is able to log in to make changes and diagnose any system faults that may occur.
Within the Rotunda extension all areas are controlled by the system, including the decorative exterior lighting. Classrooms have daylight linked and projector-friendly scenes along with absence detection. All corridors have linked presence detection and maintenance factor compensation built in. This also extends to the stores and WC areas, which saves additional energy even in areas where there is no natural light available. In the meeting rooms the system is integrated with a Crestron control system to allow touch screen control from the lecterns.
The primary luminaire used throughout the development is a fixed version of AIDA Vario - a unique luminaire which features a two position gondola section that can be lowered to maximise ceiling illumination or fully recessed to ensure a flush ceiling line. Coloured filters have been added into each luminaire with each area of the extension having its own RAL colour. Vario is available in a choice of matt aluminium louvre or prismatic diffuser. The reeded aluminium or satinised white aluminium gullwings produce a softly diffused uplit canopy which is excellent for vertical light control and gives sharp architectural styling. The AIDA-Vario also features additional fill-in light through the square perforations in gondola sides for a softer and evenly spread light diffusion. All luminaires are equipped with energy saving electronic control gear for TC-L and T5 lamps with dimmable electronic versions also available as standard options.
Designed by Nightingale Associates and built at a cost of £20m, the new extension, creates a state-of-the-art five storey facility that houses a learning resource centre, performing arts theatre, dance studio and accommodation for the senior management team. Alongside delivering excellent new education facilities, the new glazed Rotunda brings significantly more light into the building, and in the process allowed the new lighting scheme to incorporate both natural and artificial light sources.
Michael Jones & Associates LLP, the M&E consultant for all three phases of the Croydon College project put together a scheme that combines 2000 of RIDI Lighting’s AIDA Vario luminaire with the company’s Control 3 lighting control system. Each element of the scheme works together to enhance the learning environment, increase productivity and maximise energy saving.
RIDI supplied twelve 8 Channel Control 3 systems to the site. The system uses a tailored control interface to allow swift and simple alteration of lighting levels to create the optimum environment for staff and students alike. The system incorporates approximately 5000 DALI devices. These devices include ballasts for the luminaires, multi-sensors for presence/absence and daylight linking. Switch inputs for manual on/off and scene recall in rooms and emergency lighting devices are also integrated into luminaires.
The controllers are linked by Ethernet network running on the college LAN and so it’s possible to view system status and make system changes from anywhere in the college. Furthermore, RIDI has remote access to the site via a VPN and is able to log in to make changes and diagnose any system faults that may occur.
Within the Rotunda extension all areas are controlled by the system, including the decorative exterior lighting. Classrooms have daylight linked and projector-friendly scenes along with absence detection. All corridors have linked presence detection and maintenance factor compensation built in. This also extends to the stores and WC areas, which saves additional energy even in areas where there is no natural light available. In the meeting rooms the system is integrated with a Crestron control system to allow touch screen control from the lecterns.
The primary luminaire used throughout the development is a fixed version of AIDA Vario - a unique luminaire which features a two position gondola section that can be lowered to maximise ceiling illumination or fully recessed to ensure a flush ceiling line. Coloured filters have been added into each luminaire with each area of the extension having its own RAL colour. Vario is available in a choice of matt aluminium louvre or prismatic diffuser. The reeded aluminium or satinised white aluminium gullwings produce a softly diffused uplit canopy which is excellent for vertical light control and gives sharp architectural styling. The AIDA-Vario also features additional fill-in light through the square perforations in gondola sides for a softer and evenly spread light diffusion. All luminaires are equipped with energy saving electronic control gear for TC-L and T5 lamps with dimmable electronic versions also available as standard options.
