Being built in 1907, this gracious Edwardian Baroque building was designed by notable Oamaru architect John Forrester. Recently being completely restored to its original glory, Mark Herring Lighting was approached to provide an architectural lighting solution for the building that would reflect its grandeur and heritage, without polluting the daytime image of the building and working within the constraints of the Historic Building requirements. The integration of classic architecture with modern lighting was achieved through the innovative use of Colour Kinetics dynamic colour LED’s, a solution that won a commendation at the recent Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Lighting Awards. With the input of Modus designer, Chris Bryne, various plans were considered, but working with coloured light is architecturally demanding, so real trials were required to understand and validate the effects. After several evening trials, creating surmountable local interest and snapshot opportunities, the best solution found was to mount the lighting within the casement windows, with fittings mounted on the window sill, and additional fittings being added to backlight the crowning balustrade. The DMX lighting control system, powered by a Colour Kinetics iPlayer 3 allows a flexible and unlimited colour scheme and variation that can be customised to the client’s requirement. MHL’s sustainable solution lights the entire building for 1kw with virtually no maintenance, creating additional attention to the historic white stone building, which is now fast becoming a lighting icon and tourist attraction in the region.
The green story is having a big impact on the lighting industry, whereby the whole industry is becoming more environmentally conscious. The total costs of ownership is becoming a buzz word in all industries, and none more so than in lighting, where clients and suppliers alike, are becoming more concerned with the lifetime cost of ownership, which includes the power usage and maintenance during the products life expectancy, rather than simply the initial outlay cost. Energy efficiency, carbon footprints and sourcing products that are made from recycled or recyclable materials are key trends driving innovation in the lighting industry. As a company, Mark Herring Lighting continually strives to source more sustainable lighting options and minimise the pressure we place on the environment.
Even though the award winning LED lighting solution for the Oamaru Opera House is a fine example of what can be achieved with high quality LED’s, in both aesthetics and energy efficiency, people should still be cautious in purchasing LED’s. As industry acceptance has been gathering for LED lighting technology, the world has been flooded with these products. Some of these are of exceptional quality, but many develop inferior LED’s to push towards mass markets at a cheap price, and these have the potential to tarnish the market perception of LED technologies. The use of low grade LED’s can reduce, if not neutralise, the environmental benefits of using this technology, as their longevity, reliability, maintenance costs and production methods are all compromised.
Aesthetics is always important in lighting design, as environmental awareness and acceptance comes easier when it looks good. Europe tends to drive the New Zealand market more than the United States when it comes to trends and product designs. Mark Herring Lighting ensure that they are always at the leading edge of lighting design and environmental issues, constantly being in collusion with their European suppliers, attending the Frankfurt Light and Building Tradeshow for the last four years.
If you are in the vicinity, take an evening stroll and peruse the historic Oamaru Opera House, the lighting accentuating its previous glory and look upon what is fast becoming a tourist icon, not only in Oamaru, but for the whole of New Zealand.
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