Case Study: Hi-Tech & Digital Centre

March 15, 2024 Charlotte Dekker

"We thoroughly recommend eldoLED drivers. Not only are the drivers extremely capable and easy to install, the level of customer support and the team's knowledge is fantastic." - Matt Waugh, Michael Grubb Studio

Hi-Tech & Digital Centre | Paignton (UK)

South Devon College is one of the top Further Education and Tertiary Colleges located in South Devon.  They pride themselves on their inclusive, student-centric philosophy and always push themselves to “Inspire our community through learning for all.”

Lighting holds a special place in South Devon College’s heart. Many businesses within the college support and are connected to Photonics—the physical science and application of light. South Devon was ready to build a one-of-a-kind, regional landmark that would fuse digital technology with creativity.

In 2019, they appointed Michael Grubb Studio and LHC Architects to design a dynamic exterior lighting scheme for their new building—Hi-Tech & Digital Centre.

Install with Ease

Hi-Tech & Digital Centre was new construction for South Devon College. Michael Grubb Studio and LHC Architects were tasked with creating accessible maintenance while accommodating the geography and landscape. The cabling also could not permeate the façade and have no voltage drop.

The duo crafted an exterior lighting scheme that consisted of removable panels. Michael Grubb Studio then specified eldoLED DMX drivers with Radiant Architectural Lighting's 3D Flex 40 IP66 RGBW luminaires.

The Radiant 3D LED flex is a flexible linear lighting system which allows it to bend while sitting behind perforated steel panels. Our DMX driver is integrated into the Radiant system—resulting in the contractors commending the ease of installation.

Promote Environmentally-Friendly Lighting

Environmental friendliness and efficiency was another important element of Hi-Tech & Digital Centre’s lighting. Michael Grubb Studio had to shield the lights, limit light pollution and minimize the wattage.

Radiant Architectural Lighting manufactures all their luminaires from recyclable materials. This resulted in high performing light with low energy consumption. Our DMX drivers’ technology delivered maximum light quality within a small form factor.  

The efficiency of our DMX technology empowered Michael Grubb Studio to use less overall drivers without compromise on control. This complimented the 130 photovoltaic roof panels that produced 120% of the energy.

Michael Grubb Studio’s combination of Radiant Architectural luminaires and eldoLED drivers resulted in no wasted energy outside of the College’s opening hours and minimized light pollution.

Accentuate Architecture with DMX

South Devon wanted a distinctive lit environment that would encourage movement throughout the campus. Radiant Architectural Lighting's system incorporates RGBW light engines with efficient color-mixing lenses that provide an elliptical distribution.

Our DMX driver technology—coupled with Radiant Architectural Lighting’s luminaires and a Pharos Control System—delivered a flexible lighting system with deep-dimming capabilities (0.1%) that individually addressed each luminaire. Thus, resulting in a range of static and animated color sequences.

eldoLED

Innovation Yields Recognition

Not only did Hi-Tech & Digital Centre have a rare façade, achieve their lighting goals and optimize for efficiency—their environmental friendliness earned them both a BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A rating.

The building’s innovative lighting and technology also shortlisted them for the [d]arc awards 2020 Structure, Surface Design Awards 2020 Light & Surface Exterior and the Lighting Design Awards 2020 Integration Project of the Year.

Photography: Tom Davey & Tom Prestridge

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