Light Forms luminaires specified in huge Birmingham office overhaul

As part of a £38.8m refurbishment of a Birmingham City Centre commercial office space, a wide variety of luminaires from high-performance lighting manufacturer, Light Forms, have been specified into the upgraded building.

The office space sits within Brindleyplace; a large, mixed-use canal-side development in the heart of Birmingham. It is home to restaurants, shops, leisure offerings such as the Sealife Centre, and a number of commercial office buildings.

Wilmott Dixon Construction was appointed by the building owner CBRE Investment Management to combine two separate sites – 8 and 10 Brindleyplace – into one large building. The transformation would also create a more modern space with a focus on smart technology, sustainability and wellness. Not only was this better from an environmental perspective, it would help to attract future occupants of the office and ensure the area remains buoyant and commercially successful.

Given the focus on sustainability, LED lighting was an important part of delivering improved energy savings and a better carbon footprint. A plethora of solutions have been specified by Light Forms, fulfilling many of the lighting requirements of the refurbishment project. These were primarily specified by Wilmott Dixon Interiors, who were responsible for the internal fit-out of the renovated offices.

Light Forms was able to offer a wide variety of solutions for the project given its well-rounded and all-encompassing portfolio. This is alongside Light Forms’ commitment to offering flexible products that can be adapted and customised in a variety of ways to best suit the needs of each and every project.

These include Lightplane 2.5; a compact and streamlined luminaire that provides direct, indirect or direct-indirect illumination. Offering the adaptability that Light Forms is renowned for, Lightplane 2.5 can be suspended, wall or surface mounted. The Brindleyplace office is using the prismatic lens for low UGR, which delivers a more pleasant and healthier working environment.

Elsewhere in the building, Light Forms Cygnus Round luminaires have been used, along with ValueDown. Cygnus Round is a minimalist, high-power LED track spot with a wide range of light sources and optics. ValueDown is a budget-friendly, recessed downlight spot fixture that may be specified in multiple outputs with a beam spread of 15, 25 or 40 degrees.

Other specified solutions include Nova Medium 62, Leo, Indus, Slimline 1.25, TinCan, Lightrod 80 and Panel Up and Under.

Completing the project are the EM surface, EM Recessed and EM Exit. These are all part of Light Forms’ LED Emergency luminaire range, which encompasses both emergency spotlights and exit signs. The lighting configuration and control was completed by Mymesh; wireless controls designed for professional and demanding environments.

Harry Prior, Managing Director from Light Forms said: “Brindleyplace offices are an enviable location within Birmingham city centre, offering ease of access, an attractive waterside setting and stunning architecture. To have our luminaires featured so heavily in this exciting renovation project to bring two spaces together was incredibly exciting. Furthermore, it truly demonstrates how much our portfolio can meet the needs of even the most ambitious refurbishments, including those where sustainability is a key part of the work.”

The overhaul has now linked the two formerly separate sites into one building, creating 212,000 sq ft of office space over nine floors. The location also boasts of the city’s largest available floorplans at over 27,000 sq ft. Other improvements include internal reconfiguration such as the brand-new reception area. Extra facilities have been added including a café, business lounge and conference facilities.

The redevelopment has achieved a number of accreditations, including Fitwel; a standard that measures occupant health and wellbeing. It has also been awarded other certifications including EPC A rating and BREEAM Excellent.

Client: CBRE

Contractor: Wilmott Dixon

Architect: Associated Architects

Consultant: CPW

Controls: Mymesh

Built to last or should we look towards the past? Exploring the durability of new-build homes

It’s no secret the reputation of new-build housing is becoming increasingly negative among UK residents. In fact, a 2023 study by the CIOB found that almost a third of people would describe new builds as ‘poor-quality’, with over half of the respondents believing that older homes are of better quality.

What exactly are the reasons behind this belief? In this article, the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) explores how the materials used in new builds compare to those of the Victorian era, and the impact of today’s homes on their residents and the environment.

Modern homes have both obvious similarities and stark differences to those of the 19th century. In the Victorian era, houses were built using local materials, due to the ease of transportation. Following the abolishment of the tax on glass and bricks in the 1850s, brick, timber and glass became standard materials in most homes.

In the 21st century, housebuilders are using more plastics in nearly every part of construction, from flooring to insulation, and fittings for applications like pipes, seals, windows, doors and cables, due to the low cost of the material.

Until relatively recently, copper was the material of choice for transporting water and heat. Plastic pipes have unfortunately become more commonplace, despite growing evidence highlighting its adverse health and environmental effects.

Increasing quality concerns around new build houses also bring into question the durability of the materials used, with common issues including cracks and leaky pipes. It’s no surprise residents are moving house more often, to avoid costly maintenance works.

Meanwhile, Victorian properties are more durable, with over a quarter of the British population living in them. Thanks to the traditional building techniques that prioritised quality materials like hand-crafted bricks and copper pipes, these homes have stood the test of time.

With plastics in all areas of the modern home, this unfortunately impacts on the longevity of today’s stock. Not only do plastics deteriorate more quickly than traditional materials, but they have associated fire and health risks, posing a serious threat to human health.

While modern homes excel in incorporating new technologies, appliances and building quality and environmental standards, there remain lessons to be learnt from the past. The average new build home has a lifespan of just 40-60 years, whereas Victorian properties incorporating natural materials have proven to hold for more than 100 years with some TLC. Among the most resilient materials are copper pipes and plated wiring, natural stone, all-wood floors and steel.

One lesson we can take from the past even predates the Victorians – copper has been used to transport water for over 4,000 years. Unlike plastic, it is fire resistant and infinitely recyclable, rendering it a superior and long-lasting material.

For more information on the sustainability credentials of copper, visit: https://www.cuspuk.com/.

£1.7m refurbishment project to provide 'Construction Centre of Excellence’ in County Durham

New College Durham’s Promotion House is being transformed into a new learning space by Esh Construction.

Esh Construction has commenced work to transform an existing factory unit into a Construction Centre of Excellence in Langley Moor.

Working in partnership with New College Durham, the £1.7 million project will see a change of use refurbishment delivered to create a specialised teaching facility for trade subjects. The building will be remodelled to create a space that includes teaching rooms, breakout areas, changing facilities and a practice area for teaching.

Grant Watson, Construction Manager for Esh’s commercial build division, said: “We pride ourselves on building strong working relationships with our clients and we are delighted to secure a second project with New College Durham. We look forward to delivering another high-quality teaching facility that will inspire young people up to adult learners to consider a career in the construction industry.”

Based on Littleburn Industrial Estate, a newly engineered joisted floor will create a mezzanine area to house mechanical plant. The existing building fabric will be stripped back to reveal the existing portal frame before being reclad with new Kingspan composite cladding while internally partitions will be created to form classrooms, breakout spaces and a workshop.

The Promotion House scheme follows Esh’s successful completion of New College Durham’s collaborative and integrated learning space, T.H.E Hub (Technical and Higher Education Hub) in September 2023. The £8.9 million state-of-the-art education facility is based at the college’s Framwellgate Moor site and features 23 new teaching spaces, including an immersive suite, early years foundation nursery and multiple sector-specific arenas.

New College Durham envisages the newly refurbished building to function as a Construction Centre of Excellence from September 2024. It will be used initially for the brick curriculum, but will also house building maintenance and painting and decorating lessons at a later date.

Andy Broadbent, Principal and CEO of New College Durham, commented: “We are delighted to be working on this exciting new project with Esh. We’re excited to be able to provide another new fantastic teaching space for our students, which will be available from September. It’s really important to us at NCD that the projects we undertake contribute significant social value, and working with Esh for this new initiative means not only do we provide the best learning environments possible but also provide additional value to the community at the same time”.

Esh’s social value team will support the project by delivering a raft of initiatives, including employability and careers sessions aimed to inspire young people to consider a career in construction, offering apprentice training weeks and creating employment opportunities for local residents.