SOCIALLY SMART

‘LUCI’, Lighting Urban Community International Association, has published a new ‘white paper’ on smart cities. It emphasises that smart city ‘success’ means engaging with and taking on board social and community questions and concerns as much as focusing on overcoming technological challenges

By Nic Paton

The ILP is a member of ‘LUCI’, the Lighting Urban Community International Association. To that end, the recent publication by LUCI of a ‘white paper’ on smart lighting was one to sit up and take notice of.

The publication, A cities’ guide to smart lighting, has been co-written by LUCI and lighting designer Dr Philip Ross. Initiated by LUCI and the Interreg North West Europe SMART-SPACE project, it is the result of a one-year collaboration involving in-depth interviews, a series of cocreation sessions, and consultation and engagement with LUCI members.

The guide, broadly, outlines reasons why smart lighting should be considered by cities, local authorities and municipalities and how it can contribute to a broad range of city priorities, including environmental sustainability, social cohesion, citizen value, the city’s internal organisation and so on.

It includes practical advice, including building the business case, organising expertise, conducting pilots, interoperability, citizen engagement, tendering and data management. One key innovation to the guide is the fact it approaches smart lighting not just from the technical/technological side but from its social/societal impact, too.

WHY SMART LIGHTING?

The guide is divided into two main sections. First, there is an element on ‘why smart lighting?’, so addressing the role and benefit of smart lighting in terms of social and environmental sustainability, organisational growth, maintenance and asset management, enabling new functionality, and (self-evidently) putting in place new lighting possibilities for cities and citizens.

It also, however, highlights potential reasons not to go smart. These include if, for example, citizens or residents haven’t been brought along or engaged with you, the risks around data gathering and the sharing (even anonymised) of data, cybersecurity, lack of expertise and capacity.

The second section then expands into a series of more practical ‘how to?’ guides, covering areas such as building the business, social and sustainability case; exploring the best use and potential of your infrastructure; project management; and organising expertise, especially design expertise.

A number of case studies are highlighted, including the experience of Eindhoven, Helsinki, Budapest and the City of London. For example, the guide explains how Helsinki is installing protective tubes and micro-channel piping for optical fibre, designed to ‘future proof’ fast-growing demand for power and data, including 5G.

Budapest, by comparison, is equipping selected luminaires with NEMA sockets,

Rotterdam and (below) Helsinki by night. The LUCI guide highlights how how both cities are pioneering smart city connectivity

as part of a city street lighting renewal programme. These will give the city the possibility to add dimming and/or motion control modules at a future date.

The guide emphasises the importance of conducting and evaluating pilots, as well as learning from and sharing expertise with other cities. It also recommends choosing an open and interoperable technical infrastructure for any pilots, as this makes things easier to expand later on.

CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Given its social slant, it is perhaps unsurprising the guide emphasises the value of citizen engagement, communication and education.

This, it recommends, can include running ‘night walks’, using co-creation techniques and working to incorporate the experiences of citizens and residents into your project every step of the way.

It highlights the example of Rotterdam, which conducted surveys to compare residents’ experiences of regular and detection-based dimming schemes in its Bredenoord district.

As the guide explains: ‘The results gave confidence that adaptive dimming, with its large energy saving potential, was accepted by residents and did not compromise their feeling of safety.’

Other areas covered by the guide include the critical need to be ensuring interoperability (including ensuring you build in hardware, software and network layers), being flexible in terms of the solutions you use, the value of using open standards, and the absolute importance of effective data management, including the need for robust cybersecurity.

Intriguingly, the guide also includes a section on the value of tendering for social sustainability, and how this is becoming an increasingly important part of many tendering strategies.

For this, it highlights the example of the city of Albertslund near Copenhagen, which required the involvement of teachers and pupils in the tender for an interactive playground.

As the guide explains: ‘The winning company had described how it would facilitate a workshop with the pupils to determine the “theme” of the lighting and how they would approach user involvement in general.’

The city also established a citizen group of 42 ‘lighting ambassadors’ to better involve citizens in the decision-making process.

‘For each residential area they discussed the payment model, luminaire selection, dimming, roll-out strategy, development and innovation projects, and Smart City elements,’ the guide explains.

‘These citizen insights were incorporated in the tenders. They also led to a framework agreement and gave citizens a say in the further implementation of the projects,’ the guide adds.

FIND OUT MORE

The full LUCI guide, scan the QR code below:

Throughout 2022, Lighting Journal is profiling inspirational women working in lighting and this month it is the turn of lighting designer Sunny Sribanditmongkol, who is also the architectural representative for the ILP’s Young Lighting Professionals (YLP). She tells us about her route into lighting and the opportunities the industry has given her

By Sunny Sribanditmongkol

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m currently a lighting designer at Steensen Varming in its London studio and I’m originally from Thailand. After graduating in mechanical engineering and a couple of years working in the oil and gas industry, I found myself looking to make a move into a career where I would genuinely enjoy and care about the work I do.

So, I started looking into a profession that awards technical aptitude as well as creativity and aesthetics. And, at an intersection between art and science, I found lighting!

I then started researching lighting practices in Bangkok and found that many of their directors graduated from The Bartlett, University College London, so I applied to the lighting course there.

While preparing for the application, I did a part-time certificate lighting course while I was still working offshore to make sure that this was something I would like to pursue. Then I did an internship at a production and event lighting company in Bangkok before coming to the UK to do my master’s in Light and Lighting at UCL.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK

I am grateful that my career has allowed me to work on so many beautiful spaces and iconic buildings across all sectors, from heritage building, commercial and office development, high-end residences, hospitality, light art installation, public realm, to museums, churches and hospitals!

I did think about whether to specialise in specific types of projects, but I find that being flexible to deliver the design for a variety of projects is a challenge I enjoy and a skill I would like to build upon.

I think this skill is also important in the current economic climate where you have to be adaptable and competent to do the work coming through the project pipeline.

WHO HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO YOU IN YOUR CAREER?

All the women who have done it before me! This is not for lighting in particular; for example, I liked Marie Curie when I was young and this made me interested in science subjects. I chose to study engineering out of curiosity and chose lighting after a bit of career soul searching.

IS THERE A PROJECT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?

I am proud of all the projects I’ve worked on, especially if I have learned something from the projects or they have helped me grow in some ways.

With my previous office (Studio 29 Lighting), I did lighting design for Ilona Rose House, just off Tottenham Court Road Station in London (next to the Foyles’ bookshop).

It was my first large-scale project that I was responsible for overseeing from design to construction.

I learnt a lot from that project especially

Sunny Sribanditmongkol (left) was inspired to go down the scientific/engineering career path by the example of Marie Curie (right)

Women in lighting

in regards to the construction process and technicality during the implementation stage. At Steensen Varming, we do a lot of public building projects, such as museums and churches, including the National Cathedral in Ghana.

It is rewarding when you know your design could be experienced by members of the public and will benefit local communities.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE OVERCOME IN YOUR CAREER?

My biggest challenge has been to find confidence in myself, especially when I just started in lighting; everyone has to start somewhere.

I find that having the knowledge and the competency can help boost your confidence along with experiences which you will gather over time. With that in mind, I try to keep educating myself and making sure that I learned something on every project I work on, so my experience is not just a matter of time but also in richness.

HOW DOES LIGHT INSPIRE YOU?

For me, quality of light means quality of life. I don’t mean this in a cause-and-effect kind of way but rather the one is a reflection of another.

Daylight provides the best quality of light. It improves our mood and our wellbeing. We all desire a house with plenty of daylight.

Similarly, during night-time, good-quality lighting provides a better environment, which leads to better wellbeing and possibly indicates better quality of life one has in general.

So I feel that, by promoting good-quality lighting and spreading the awareness around, we, in a way, are helping improve people’s lives bit by bit.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER IS STILL A BARRIER, IF ANYTHING, FOR WOMEN IN LIGHTING

I haven’t experienced major barriers apart from odd remarks here and there when I was still working offshore.

So, I would say the biggest barriers might actually be the ones we tell ourselves. I think if we truly believe this is where we belong, that we are competent and we are the right person for the job (no matter how tempted we might want to tell ourselves otherwise), we give ourselves that best chance of having a good rapport with our male counterparts.

The trust and confidence we have in ourselves will reflect in the way we interact with other people and the way we carry ourselves.

Sunny designed this spectacular installation for the 2018 LewesLight festival (and which appeared on the cover of Lighting Journal in April 2019). Photograph courtesy of Edward Reeves

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE IN LIGHTING?

I think in lighting, to a certain degree, you can have a certain steering control over which way you would like your career to be and what kind of projects you would like to work on.

So, if you want to do more infrastructure projects, there are lighting engineering firms that specialise in that. Or, similarly, if want to focus on hospitality lighting, residential, commercial or light art installation and so on.

There are different design studios or companies that specialise in each of these things. Or you can choose to work for a company that does everything. Or you could even take on the projects by yourself. There are so many possibilities of how you want your career to be!

HOW HAS THE ILP HELPED YOU IN YOUR LIGHTING ‘JOURNEY’?

The ILP has introduced me to many interesting people within the industry and we are all passionate about our professions.

As the architectural representative of the YLP, I have also had a chance to represent the ILP and YLP and give talks at industry events such as the Landscape Show and the Surface Design Show.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO OTHER WOMEN IN, OR WANTING TO GET INTO, LIGHTING?

Come join us and I am looking forward to meeting you! We are a friendly and sociable industry.

Throughout your career, you will get to work on many amazing buildings that are made even more special through the touch of lighting.

You will also get to work with other professions in the construction industry (or whichever relevant industries you find yourself in) and see the thoughts that go into the creations of great buildings and placemaking.

I am sure you would be proud to be a part of that.

Sunny Sribanditmongkol is a lighting designer with Steensen Varming and an architectural representative of the YLP

‘I ALSO DISLIKE SATURATED COLOURS’

In relation to Aviva Gunsburg’s recent article in Lighting Journal (shown above), I can assure her there are plenty of ‘neurotypical’ people who dislike saturated colours on building façades (‘Neuro logical’, February 2022, vol 87 no 2).

When colour-changing LEDs became readily available about 25 years ago, it was such a contentious issue that the ILP even ran a conference in London to discuss it, very appropriately called, if I recall right, ‘Beauty or Blight’ and held at Artemide’s showroom.

Personally, I am a ‘white light’ designer, albeit sometimes using contrasting CCTs or shadows for emphasis.

Also, well done to NDYLight in Australia for seeing the positive aspects of Aviva’s personality rather than just the superficial.

It seems to me that there are plenty of lighting design practices who employ people with the right ‘look’ rather being genuinely creative/innovative.

VALUE OF ‘FALLING’ INTO LIGHTING

On a completely different topic, I would also like to comment on skills and training, picking up on the article in (again) the February edition looking at the recent Institution of Engineering and Technology’s skills survey (‘Talking talent’).

It seems to me that the best training route for entry into lighting would be non-university ones, such as BTEC and/or apprenticeships.

The LET diploma in lighting design has most of the content you will ever need to know on a day-to-day basis.

Personally, I have never been convinced that lighting can justify its own degree. When the current older members of the ILP first started their careers, maybe only 5% to 10% of school leavers went to university.

One final point is that maybe there is an advantage in having a profession that people fall into.

I’m in that category – I passed a technical college that was advertising vacancies for the City & Guilds 286 ‘Illuminating engineering’ course and simply thought the topics sounded really interesting. Much more so than my job at that time operating mainframe computers.

The advantage of ‘falling in’ being that lighters are therefore usually interested and enthusiastic about their work for most of their lives. And you can’t say that about many professions.

Alan Tulla is an independent lighting consultant

SEND US YOUR VIEWS

Do you have a burning issue or opinion you want to get off your chest, a commentary or perspective on the industry, or even just a personal viewpoint you’d like to share? At Lighting Journal we’re always open to hear your views.

I you want to send a letter to the editor, simply email Nic Paton at nic@cormorantmedia.co.uk to get things underway.

Letters may be edited for length and style purposes and publication is not guaranteed.

HERBIE BARNIEH

BEng IEng MILP PROJECT CENTRE

1 AMERICA SQUARE, LONDON, EC3N 2LS T: 0330 135 8950, 077954 75570 HERBIE.BARNIEH@PROJECTCENTRE.CO.UK

WWW.MARSTONHOLDINGS.CO.UK/PROJECTCENTRE

Efficient, innovative, and bespoke lighting design services from an award winning consultancy. Experienced in delivering exterior lighting projects from feasibility studies to post construction. Whether it’s highway, street, or public realm lighting, let us assist you to realise your project goals.

STEVEN BIGGS

IEng MILP

MILESTONE INFRASTRUCTURE

PETERBOROUGH PE1 5XG T: 07834 506705 STEVEN.BIGGS@MILESTONEINFRA.CO.UK

MILESTONEINFRA.CO.UK

Award winning lighting design specialists, delivering innovative design, installation and maintenance solutions in highways, public realm, commercial and architectural environments. Our HERS registered team provide design strategies, impact assessment, technical & certifier support.

BONNIE BROOKS

BA(Hons) BEng (Hons) MSc CEng MSLL MCIBSE MILP

ILLUME DESIGN LTD

EXETER EX4 1NF T: 07840 054601, E: INFO@ILLUME-DESIGN.CO.UK

WWW.ILLUME-DESIGN.CO.UK

Professional independent lighting design consultancy providing designs for all exterior applications, including street lighting. Specialists in assisting at the planning application stage with designs, strategies, lighting impact assessments, and expert witness, with a focus on mitigating ecological and environmental impacts.

ROSS GILL

4WAY CONSULTING LTD

STOCKPORT, SK4 1AS T: 0161 4809847 E: ROSS.GILL@4WAYCONSULTING.COM

WWW.4WAYCONSULTING.COM

Providing exterior lighting and ITS consultancy and design services and specialising in the urban and inter-urban environment. Our services span the complete project life cycle for both the public and private sector.

STEPHEN HALLIDAY

EngTech AMILP

WSP

MANCHESTER M50 3SP T: 0161 886 2532 E: STEPHEN.HALLIDAY@WSPGROUP.COM

WWW.WSPGROUP.COM

Public and private sector professional services providing design, technical support, contract and policy development for all applications of exterior lighting and power from architectural to sports, area and highways applications. PFI technical advisor and certifier support, HERS registered personnel.

STEPHEN HIGHAM

IEng MILP

SHD LIGHTING CONSULTANCY LTD

BOLTON BL2 6SE M: 07834 490 192 E: STEVE@SHDLIGHTING.CO.UK

WWW.SHDLIGHTING.CO.UK

Outdoor lighting consultancy specialising in adoptable highway and private lighting designs. Our services include Section 38, Section 278, Car Park lighting designs, Commercial floodlighting schemes and environmental impact lighting assessment reporting. Qualified design team with 24 years’ experience in exterior lighting.

ANDREW LONGMAN

BEng (Hons), CEng, MILP, MIET, MHEA -Managing Director

DESIGNS FOR LIGHTING LTD

WINCHESTER SO23 7TA T: +44 (0)1962 855080 M: +44 (0)7779 327413 E: ANDREW@DFL-UK.COM

WWW.DFL-UK.COM

Professional lighting design consultancy offering technical advice, design and management services for exterior/interior applications for highway, architectural, area, tunnel and commercial lighting. Advisors on lighting and energy saving strategies, asset management, visual impact assessments and planning.

ANTHONY SMITH

IEng FILP

STAINTON LIGHTING DESIGN SERVICES LTD

STOCKTON ON TEES TS23 1PX T: 01642 565533, E: ENQUIRIES@STAINTONLDS.CO.UK

WWW.STAINTONLDS.CO.UK

Specialist in: motorway, highway schemes, illumination of buildings, major structures, public artworks, amenity area lighting, public spaces, car parks, sports lighting, asset management, reports, plans, assistance, maintenance management, electrical design and communication network design. Registered personnel.

NICK SMITH

IEng FILP MIES

NICK SMITH ASSOCIATES LIMITED

CHESTERFIELD, S40 3JR T: 01246 229444 E: MAIL@NICKSMITHASSOCIATES.COM

WWW.NICKSMITHASSOCIATES.CO.UK

Specialist exterior lighting consultant. Private and adopted lighting and electrical design for highways, car parks, area and sports lighting. Lighting Impact assessments, expert witness and CPD accredited Lighting design AutoCAD and Lighting Reality training courses.

SIMON BUSHELL

MBA DMS IEng MILP

ENERVEO

PORTSMOUTH PO6 1UJ M: +44 (0)7584 313990 T: +44 (0)121 387 9892 E: SIMON.BUSHELL@ENERVEO.COM

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Professional consultancy from the UK’s and Irelands largest external lighting contractor. From highways and tunnels, to architectural and public spaces our electrical and lighting designers also provide impact assessments, lighting and carbon reduction strategies along with whole installation packages.

LORRAINE CALCOTT

IEng MILP IALD MSLL ILA BSS

IT DOES LIGHTING LTD

THE CUBE, 13 STONE HILL, TWO MILE ASH, MILTON KEYNES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, MK8 8DN T: 01908 560110 E: INFORMATION@ITDOES.CO.UK

WWW.ITDOES.CO.UK

Award winning lighting design practice specialising in interior, exterior, flood and architectural lighting. Emphasis on section 278/38, public realm, ecology receptor mitigation and supporting Councils with planning approvals, CDM2015 and SBD accredited. Specialists in circadian spectrally specific lighting design.

ALLAN HOWARD

BEng(Hons) CEng FILP FSLL

WSP

LONDON WC2A 1AF T: 07827 306483 E: ALLAN.HOWARD@WSPGROUP.COM

WWW.WSPGROUP.COM

Professional artificial and daylight lighting services covering design, technical support, contract and policy development including expert advice and analysis to develop and implement energy and carbon reduction strategies. Expert witness regarding obtrusive lighting, light nuisance and environmental impact investigations. registered personnel.

ALAN JAQUES

IEng FILP ATKINS

NOTTINGHAM, NG9 2HF T: +44 (0)115 9574900 M: 07834 507070 E: ALAN.JAQUES@ATKINSGLOBAL.COM

WWW.ATKINSGLOBAL.COM

Professional consultancy providing technical advice, design and management services for exterior and interior applications including highway, architectural, area, tunnel and commercial lighting. Advisors on energy saving strategies, asset management, visual impact assessments and planning.

ALAN TULLA

IEng FILP FSLL

ALAN TULLA LIGHTING

WINCHESTER, SO22 4DS T: 01962 855720 M:0771 364 8786 E: ALAN@ALANTULLALIGHTING.COM

WWW.ALANTULLALIGHTING.COM

Site surveys of sports pitches, road lighting and offices. Architectural lighting for both interior and exterior. Visual Impact Assessments for planning applications. Specialises in problem solving and out-of-the-ordinary projects.

MICHAEL WALKER

IEng MILP CMS MCCANN LTD

NOTTINGHAM NG9 6DQ M: 07939 896887 E: M.WALKER@JMCCANN.CO.UK

WWW.MCCANN-LTD.CO.UK

Design for all types of exterior lighting including street lighting, car parks, floodlighting, decorative lighting, and private lighting. Independent advice regarding light trespass, carbon reduction and invest to save strategies. Asset management, data capture, inspection and testing services available.

MARK CHANDLER

EngTech AMILP

MMA LIGHTING CONSULTANCY LTD

READING RG10 9QN T: 0118 3215636 E: MARK@MMA-CONSULTANCY.CO.UK

WWW.MMA-CONSULTANCY.CO.UK

Exterior lighting consultant’s who specialise in all aspects of street lighting design, section 38’s, section 278’s, project management and maintenance assistance. We also undertake lighting appraisals and environmental lighting studies

PATRICK REDMOND

HDip Bus, EngTech AMILP, AMSLL, Tech IEI

REDMOND ANALYTICAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD.

M: + 353 (0)86 2356356 E: PATRICK@REDMONDAMS.IE

WWW.REDMONDAMS.IE

Independent expert lighting design services for all exterior and interior lighting applications. We provide sustainable lighting solutions and associated electrical designs. Our services include PSDP for lighting projects, network contractor auditing, and GPS site surveys for existing installations.

PETER WILLIAMS

EngTech AMILP

WILLIAMS LIGHTING CONSULTANTS LTD.

BEDFORD, MK41 6AG T: 01608642530 E: PETER.WILLIAMS@WLCLIGHTING.CO.UK

WWW.WLCLIGHTING.CO.UK

Specialists in the preparation of quality and effective street lighting design solutions for Section 38, Section 278 and other highway projects. We also prepare lighting designs for other exterior applications. Our focus is on delivering solutions that provide best value.

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