THE OBJECTIVE

The Lighting treatment to a residential building is exacting. In refining the schematic for the Saraya Towers 1 & 2, we had to be sure to provide a strong outward appeal and notable signatures, while preventing the two towers from adversely affecting each other through interreflecting light pollution.

Although the buildings do require a signature treatment, giving them great presence in their prestigious locations, it has to be our primary objective, to ensure that the buildings provide great living spaces within the lit environment. This requires that there is no use of surface lighting during the hours of darkness, which could penetrate the apartment windows to cause disturbance to the residents.

Sheer surfaces do not reflect the light projected onto them in such a way that they appear illuminated.

The Objective was therefore defined by the following requirements:-

• To give each tower its own strength of quality presence - from within.
• To provide excellent ‘living with light’ conditions.
• To meet sustainable energy and maintenance objectives by careful integration of equipment.
• To achieve high end LEED and ESTIDAMA standard awards for the project.

WHAT HAS BEEN DELIVERED

We achieved major effects on the project, while ensuring a fully integrated design approach.

I have been working in lighting design since 1978 and as an innovative designer working with state-of-the-art lighting equipment, I have always endeavoured to gain the full collaboration of ‘the architect', for seemless inclusion of all specified lighting equipment into their designs.

On occasions we have been able to achieve some degree of compromise, but not until the Saraya project have we been given total control of the method of installation and a commitment to refine the architectural structure around the ideal luminaire positions.

When Arabtec gave us the brief, I promised that our combined schematic concepts would be achieved, as long as we could incorporate some minimalist additional details, behind and within which could hide the light sources.

This involved; extruded elements within the internal vertical window mullions, mock pool rails and fixing brackets in the penthouse roof garden and additional reveals within the dry garden soffits and facade fin details. All LED drivers, Fibre Optic sources and Cold Cathode control components are secreted so as to prevent thermal gain from the exposed structure.

These design refinements mean that there is no need for any access equipment specific to maintenance of any lighting equipment. Access to lamp module replacements is from within the building walkways or from the window cleaning hoist. The window mullion lighting is low energy, low maintenance and because it is mounted within the air-conditioned interior, with easy access, it is guaranteed to achieve maximised sustainability. The strong linear, amber, external effect is manipulated by internal refraction to offer free, golden lighting to the internal hallways, from lift to apartment, which is effectively free and sustainable.

Click here to see more progress photos of Saraya