Overview

Prior to moving into our newly leased 25,000 sq.ft. office space, we needed to renovate and fit-out the space. Our architectural staff was ultimately responsible for the floor plans and finishes, while the electrical staff tackled lighting. In 5 months, the entire project was completed, from design through construction, to meet this demanding client’s aggressive schedule. LED lighting replaced fluorescent lamps, reducing luminaire wattage by over 65%, resulting in over $10,000 in rebates for the building owner. Revit 3D models allowed the staff to see 3D space renderings real-time, making layout and finish decisions easy.

Solution Details

Lighting
Prior to our renovations, the office space was predominantly illuminated by 2x4 recessed ceiling troffers with a parabolic lens containing 3 fluorescent lamps each. Type T8 (32 watts) and T12 (34 watts) lamps were intermixed, sometimes within the same luminaire, with the total input wattage per luminaire ranging from 86 watts to 127 watts. The nature of a parabolic lens is to direct the illumination onto the work surface and minimize ceiling brightness, which often creates dark walls and a ‘cave effect’. The lighting controls consisted of a few manual wall switches to energize the luminaires in large groups for open office areas.

New 30 watt, LED, 2x4 recessed troffers were selected to provide general illumination. The luminaires provide the IES recommended 30 foot-candle level of lighting throughout the open office area, while decreasing luminaire wattage by 65% or more. The new power density for the Entech office is 0.4 watts per square foot. To control the new LEDs, each luminaire contains an individual motion and photocell sensor; as occupants leave the local area of the luminaires, the lamps begin to de-energize within 10 minutes. As occupants return, the luminaires will energize if target light levels are not already met through natural light source provided by the building’s glass perimeter wall surface area.

Architectural
The building’s glass exterior walls presented an opportunity to utilize natural light and exterior views within the floor plan. Kitchen, bathroom, conference, and other spaces that required opaque walls were located within the floor’s interior spaces to allow as much natural light into the floor as possible. Additionally, corridors were routed and cubicle wall heights were limited to allow views and light to permeate the interior core of the floor.