Built in the 1980’s the Civic Centre has provided a valuable service to the community. However, the council was keen to ensure that its employees were afforded the best possible working conditions that improvements in lighting and design over the last twenty years could offer during their recent refurbishment.
In today’s modern office, multi skilled knowledge employees often work in open plan environments in close physical proximity. The space becomes a more social role allowing people to think and communicate effectively. Gateshead Council’s Contact Centre is no different. Committed to the well being of its staff, Gateshead Council adopted the Philips lighting design concept of Dynamic Ambience.
Dynamic Ambience is based on the ever-changing dynamics of daylight. Long since recognised, daylight is the form of light with which we are most comfortable. It is, however, never constant, changing in level and colour temperature throughout the day and over the seasons, affecting our emotions, moods, perception and performance. The Philips Savio luminaire with Dynamic Ambience aims to mimic this stimulating and inspiring effect. With this, and LG7, in mind, 80 luminaires were suspended from the 600mm x 600mm modular ceiling each incorporating three energy efficient TL5 lamps.
In larger open plan offices, Savio Dynamic Lighting luminaires are all controlled together to create a dynamic ambience. The level and colour temperature of the light vary automatically over time offering the office workers the ideal lighting at every moment of the day. This is important given the fact that people’s mood and alertness and indeed their productivity fluctuate during the course of the working day. Savio makes it possible to create dynamic artificial lighting to keep us feeling fresh and active. The luminaire itself has an edge-to-edge lighting appearance with a uniform and comfortable brightness impression. This surface of light ensures optimum light distribution and full glare control in compliance with the latest office lighting norm. Savio, having been installed, has made a big impact as Gateshead Council’s Head of Design comments: “It’s definitely an improvement on the previous static lighting. Being involved in a project like this really makes you appreciate the role light plays in optimising working conditions in the office environment. We have created an environment which should have both psychological and biological benefits to staff, reviving flagging spirits which naturally drop during certain periods of the day.”
Indeed, not only that but Gateshead Council were also keen to provide other areas within the space, which were clearly differentiated from the main open plan office. By creating defined break out areas, workers were again offered a chance to re-energise in a visually stimulating environment.
Here, Philips down-lights with decorative pendant glasses have been installed within the floating ceiling. A further decorative element is provided by the fibre optics unit, which includes a colour-changing wheel managed by a DMX control system. Thus, the alternating hues of blue, green etc give a subtle halo effect above the suspended disc.
Without doubt, Gateshead Council’s new Call Centre has provided a functional yet inspiring and stimulating environment in which to work. Above all the lighting has been able to improve the well being of its employees, motivation and performance – and that must be a good thing all round for customers and staff alike.