Siteco creates optimal light for the transfer of knowledge in the new Informatics Forum of the University of Edinburgh.

In order to exist within today's competition for students, it is not enough for universities to convince merely with expertise - they also have to be architecturally innovative, creative and inviting. The School of Informatics of the University of Edinburgh, one of the leading universities worldwide for informatics, was awarded the “Informatics Forum” in Autumn 2008, a new research location for the approximately 500 scientists, professors and students.

Communicative architecture
The Informatics Forum is a modern and highly inviting building whereby the concepts of sustainability and energy efficiency played a central role in planning and construction. The focal point of the 12,000m², six-storey new construction is a central atrium. Its open design is intended to promote intensive communication and interaction between the up-and-coming researchers. Lighting solutions from Siteco create a pleasant atmosphere in nearly all building zones of the Forum, thus supporting the intensive exchange of knowledge.

Efficient and flexible lighting design
The lighting concept needed to meet the central demand for maximum energy efficiency, which was the reason why a daylight-dependent lighting management system was installed to enable flexible and individual control of lighting levels.

In addition, the lighting was to be implemented with contemporary, but retrospective lighting systems. Siteco designed a customer-specific suspended luminaire especially for this project that catches the eye with its circular housing form and “retro” look. Its circular, opal housing harmonises well with the round seating of the lounge-like communication zones. On the other hand it purposefully contrasts with the more linear, angular design language of the architecture and the omnipresent, continuous rows of luminaires.

Offices and the generously scaled traffic zones and corridors were equipped with a customer-specific version of the Comfolight with microprismatic enclosure. The direct/indirect distribution Comfolight continuous rows feature infrared sensors and emergency LEDs, and are mounted in both suspended and recessed configurations. Their linear, angular design contrasts with the circular suspended luminaires and reflects the lucid contours of the architecture. Because the floors, ceilings and walls of the building were constructed with exposed concrete, electrics was accommodated by the heightened ceiling cavities, meaning that ceiling lighting is fed via the floor cavity of the storey above.

In the atrium, intensive use of daylight has been focused upon. The daylight concept is supplemented by artificial lighting with glare-free Mirrortec systems. The secondary reflector systems harmonise perfectly with the modern architecture and guarantee that visitors entering the building, even when looking upwards into the open, exposed storeys, are not blended by the lighting systems.