Light Bureau Sets Standard in Healthcare Lighting at Flagship BUPA Clinic

LONDON, ENGLAND, September 16, 2010 (Press-News.org) Opened in June 2010, the new clinic at Mortimer Street, W1, BUPA's new wellness centre offers private healthcare facilities in contemporary surroundings. Treatment is provided across a broad spectrum including laser surgery, skincare and APOS (A treatment that re-designs a person's walk to aid back and knee pain).

The premises were a distinct challenge in terms of lighting, based as they are below ground. At ground floor, the only presence the clinic has is a reception and waiting areas. The treatment rooms and other facilities are at basement level where the only daylight penetration is minimal to part of one elevation by glass pavement smoke ventilation lenses; far from ideal for a healthcare clinic.

Light Bureau's innovative lighting design solution was to supplement and in most cases, manufacture artificial daylight conditions for the treatment rooms. High quality reflectors direct fluorescent light from digitally controllable linear fluorescent lamps into the rooms. Two colour temperatures are used: 'daylight' 6500K and warm 3000K temperatures which are dimmed and mixed to create artificial daylight.

Additional lighting is provided to wall cupboards; daylight colour temperature upwards to support the perimeter function and warm below to supplement the task light and cosier patient lighting. A pendant is used centrally to reinforce the domesticity of the rooms and to encourage patients to feel at ease.

The lighting control system interface designed by Light Bureau is intentionally basic; clinicians and doctors are able to select from 3 pre-determined scenes dependant on 'morning', 'afternoon' or 'treatment'. Previous issues at other facilities had led to BUPA requesting this limited range of scenes and visiting practitioners are able to quickly acclimatise to the treatment rooms and be confident of not disorienting the patient by mistaken use. Absence detection is provided to conserve energy in case lights are accidentally left on by users when rooms are not in use for more than half an hour.

The creative lighting solution uses almost entirely low-energy light sources and combined with the specialist control system provides a space that is significantly lower energy than other existing premises.

Paul Traynor, Principal of Light Bureau remarks "The lighting design solution has been really successful; initial feedback received indicates that users are very happy with the treatment rooms and are not adversely affected by being confined to a basement for extended periods".

Other areas of the clinic are lit by means of indirect illumination; the corridor with its distinctive green glass walls are lit with a cove to one side and waiting areas benefit from coffer details and again, pendants.
The feature stair is illuminated via floor recessed warm white LED uplights to create an interesting transitional space. There is also a large 3 dimensional feature wall between mezzanine and basement which breaks the linear monotony of the daylight deprived corridor whilst introducing colour and visual interest.

Client: BUPA
Interior Designer: MCM
M&E Engineer: NDY
QS: Gardiner & Theobald
Controls Specialist: Control Lighting
Main Contractor: 8Build
Photography: 8Build

Light Bureau is an independent lighting design consultancy based in London. Established in 1999, the practice has become one of Europe's leading creative lighting consultancies.