The Sky Lounge, UK

A refined and characterful transformation of an existing workplace – a thoughtful refurbishment that brings warm, tactility, identity and a renewed sense of purpose to the well-established community in Cambridge.

The previous environment lacked warmth and functionality. The challenge was to adapt a very fragmented workplace into a cohesive environment and in turn to redefine what a workspace offers, and what it looks and feels like.

Materials throughout are natural with wooden clad columns and ceiling frames, acoustic felt panels, soft fabrics and planting.  All the elements were allowed to speak for themselves through the use of a natural and mature colour palette.  When presented with an interior design as such, you are suddenly responsible for responding with light to enhance and emphasise the gentle approach.  The first task as always is to understand who is doing what and where.  Where do you need to provide a higher level of task light whilst representing the material colour and texture, where do you need a discrete lighting solution to provide a clear safe passage through the space and where can you roll the lighting back towards a less uniform, more personal and more cosy corner.

The layers of light provided through the space were carefully selected to bring out the detail and texture whilst also creating visual coherence.  Pendants and various styles of wall light provide very clear features in the spaces.  Shapes and colours deliberately selected to ensure each one contrasts with the other to be seen.  Yet at the same time the quantity and position allows each light to explain themselves.  Secondary to the feature lights are the integrated lights in the furniture.  These integrated lights enhance areas and identify what is happening without being a feature themselves.  This ensures they blend in rather than stand out.  The essential lighting is then split into two.  One element is a series of track and spots so the light can be centred on tables and objects.  This allowed us to put light where it is needed and create patterns of light through the planting.  The second element was a series of discrete downlights in an ordered fashion allowing sufficient light for people to pass through the space.

All of the lighting is LED 2700K.  The lights were designed to provide specific lighting levels on various vertical and horizontal surfaces.  This avoided the need for a lighting control dimming system which saved the client capital and maintenance cost.  The lighting is connected to a simple PIR and timeclock control to save energy.

The choice of the functional lighting was very much about circularity, e.g. the selection of Orluna for the recessed spotlights and track lighting.  The feature lighting market has not caught up with circularity in the same way and so products were selected with as few components and different materials as possible.

The overall effect is calming, beautifully respectful to the materials and textures and a space you don’t want to leave – an inviting destination for focus and connection.