An innovative and energy efficient lighting solution at Gecina’s ‘Office of Tomorrow’ project in France.

Global lighting manufacturer, Sylvania, has supplied a combination of SlySmart-enabled Rana Linear LED luminaires as well as Syl-Lighter LED II luminaires and the Lumiance Lumistrip to provide an innovative and energy efficient lighting solution at Gecina’s ‘Office of Tomorrow’ project in France.

Gecina, a residential, office, and healthcare focused real estate investment trust, decided to embark on a unique experiment when refurbishing its office space. The objective was to create a dynamic working environment by testing, under real conditions, the concept of workspace development and what it can be achieved.

The lighting was one of the key challenges within this pilot project. Gecina joined forces with LBMG, a collaborative solutions specialist for new ways of working and Artdesk, an architecture and interior design company to create a lighting scheme that provided optimal visual and thermal comfort for its employees.

The project commenced in October 2015 bringing 29 employees from Gecina’s building services marketing, communications, CSR and real estate management teams together to create on a 350m2 working area. The new spaces have been redesigned based on the needs of users by establishing equilibrium between individual and common spaces. A total of 101 workspaces have been created and a lot more space useful for collaborative (room silence, brainstorming, small meeting rooms, relaxation room) or individual (individual posts, phone box) purposes.

Inaugurated on May 23, 2016, these collaborative and flexible offices combine efficient design and innovative facilities to form attractive and comfortable spaces. The results measured in December 2016 show that well-being in the workplace has increased tenfold and three-quarters of the staff experience better team cohesion.

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Artdesk worked on the layout of the spaces and the furniture so that they are adapted to the different needs of users, using light as the main element. Located on the third floor, the space originally benefited from a contribution of natural light and featured a lighting system comprising 39 T5 fluorescent tubes.

Energy is an important criterion for Gecina, Artdesk chose Feilo Sylvania LED fixtures integrated with the SlySmart lighting management system. 50 Rana Linear LED luminaires from Sylvania, incorporating the SlySmart light control system, were installed in offices. Designed in 900 x 90 mm lengths to integrate seamlessly into the new interior spaces, they offer a luminous flux of 2,200 lm and a colour temperature of 4,000K. Each luminaire is equipped with a SlySmart presence sensor that has an infrared transmitter and receiver device. The lighting management system operates as follows: as soon as someone enters the office, the first set of luminaires lights up to 100%, the second set of luminaires located three meters further receive the information from the previous set and lights up to 80%. They in turn transmit a signal to the luminaires located at 6m from there, which lights up to 60%.

SlySmart is a wireless system with each fixture having its own sensor and controller. Employees are able to interact with the system through an infrared remote control or from a tablet or a Smartphone.
In addition, 33 Syl-Lighter LED II in 21W luminaires and 25m of Lumiance Lumistrip were chosen to illuminate the corridors and central areas. Available in four different bezel sizes, the Syl-Lighter LED II is an IP44 rated range of circular downlights. Ideal for CFL replacement, the Syl-Lighter LED II comes in energy efficient electronic gear including analogue 1-10V and DALI dimmable options. The versatile Lumiance Lumistrip can be switched to create colour changing effects, thus reflecting the mood and ambience within the office. The low energy light source has been used to complement the modern features of the office and creates a striking effect for employees.


“The new lighting scheme reflects the hard work and dedication that went into this project and we are really pleased,” says Brigitte Cachón, Director Transformation, Marketing & CSR of Gecina. “Sylvania was able to provide Gecina with a well-planned, flexible and energy-efficient solution with various benefits. Evolving in time, the SlySmart lighting management system offers a great solution to understand the occupancy rate of spaces by types of use. This analysis will be soon possible thanks to data collected by the SlySmart system and recoverable by Bluetooth on the cloud.”

Gecina’s ‘Office of Tomorrow’ project benefits from the Sylvania lighting scheme in a number of ways. Each luminaire can be individually customised through on-line control using a smartphone or a Tablet, allows for an optimised lighting area by area, depending on the rate of occupation and activities. Taking natural light into account, the built-in light sensor allows the lamp to automatically take over if the contribution of natural light is insufficient. The luminaires can be easily installed thanks to the lighting management directly integrated into the luminaire. The solution has also resulted in significant energy savings of up to 70% compared to lighting without command system.

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