Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

Sainsbury, Greenwich

Architect Chetwood Associates

Lighting Consultants Pinniger and Partners

Client Sainsbury’s Supermarkets

The brief to the lighting consultants, working
in close liaison with the m&e consultants,
Faber Maunsell, was to develop ‘an
environmentally responsible lighting scheme,’
in which the natural and artificial lighting
would be closely integrated.
The building was designed by the architects,
Chetwood Associates as the lowest energy
supermarket, 50 per cent lower than

conventional stores. The daylighting was

achieved by an innovative roof design,

incorporating eight high-angled north-facing

rooflights, arranged in a sawtooth pattern

occupying 20 per cent of the roof area. The

daylighting design results in a high daylight

factor (DF) of between 5 and 9 per cent.

Each window is equipped with motorized

aluminium louvres, operated by photo-sensor

control, specified by Faber Maunsell. These

measure the available daylight and floor

illuminance levels, opening and closing as

required. At dusk they close completely,

preventing upward spill light which would

otherwise result in ‘light pollution’.

The final result is an excellent combination

of natural with artificial light, the natural light

providing the general impression of the store

being daylit; with the artificial light

concentrated on providing the individual light

to the goods, as specified by Sainsbury to be

1000 lux on the vertical services of the

gondolas.

The vertical light is provided by luminaires

mounted on specially designed brackets from

the gondolas.

The store was completed in October 1999,

described as the ‘Millenium Superstore’ it is a

great credit to the client in initiating the

concept of a ‘daylit store,’ associated with a

low energy artificial lighting solution. The

energy used for the artificial lighting has been

stated as 25 watts/m^2 , in a situation where the

intangible value of the daylit interior of the

store makes it a unique solution.

164 Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

Chetwood Associates ArchitectsPlan of the store