Science of light

There are two main issues when lighting a building pleasing aesthetics and task suitability. Usually, it is the bright and interesting lighting schemes that receive praise, but with an industrial building, such as the Golden Bay Cement factory, it is far more important for the lighting to promote safety.

Lighting designer Tracy Bronlund specialises in industrial and commercial spaces. For this project, as with all lighting designs, she says it was important to provide illumination that would create an environment conducive to productivity and one that felt safe and comfortable to work in.

"One part of the plant consists of a bag house and a seven-storey-high platform, which had another two storeys added above the top tiers. These are outdoor platforms, and with work often being carried out during the night, the lighting needed to adequately illuminate the many on-site obstacles."

However, as the factory is in a prominent position, Bronlund's design also needed to contain the illumination within the building. This was achieved through the careful placement of luminaires.

To ensure her design scheme met all criteria, Bronlund created 3D models of her lighting proposal for Golden Bay Cement, in order to make sure every facet of the building had been taken into account. Large pipework provided some challenges, as this could have obstructed the illumination of some areas.

Bronlund works as part of a team of experienced and qualified engineers and electrical designers at Buchanan Projects Limited (BPL). She also chairs the New Zealand chapter of the Illumination Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand (IESANZ), and is part of the team organising the New Zealand chapter IESANZ Lighting Design Awards to be held in Auckland later this year.

For information on Tracy Bronlund and Buchanan Projects Limited, visit the website: www.bpl.co.nz.

For more details on IESANZ, and this year's Lighting Design Awards, visit the website: www.iesanz.org.

Story by: Trendsideas