was carefully selected so that the colour
intensity would not cause glare resulting from
a marked contrast between the background
natural light and the fin itself. Additionally the
reflectivity of the finish should be relatively
low to ensure that direct light was not
reflected back into the building interior. This
combination was found to solve the sun glare
problem, whilst at the same time giving the
appearance of transparency by allowing
oblique views through.
Daylight levels are linked electronically
with the artificial light by means of the BEMS
which controls the supplementary artificial
light when the daylight is insufficient. The
method adopted is that the users switch the
lights on when required, and the BEMS
switches them off when daylight levels are
suitable.
Artificial uplighting at the rear of the space
consists of fluorescent lamps together with
metal halides housed in a shelf beneath the
ceiling; this light will be the first to come on
followed by the central line of recessed
downlighters, and finally the row of recessedlights closest to the window wall; in practice
the latter are rarely needed.
The building requires no air-conditioning as
it employs a system of displacement
ventilation cooling. The supply air is
introduced by a plenum method through
circular steel registers set into the raised
access floor. The combination of solutions to
the lighting and ventilation satisfies the
designer’s desire for a holistic energy efficient
solution.Goldsmiths College 133Section
Max Fordham