Candalepas Associates in Sydney

For an architect with high creative expectations there can hardly be a more fitting office space — apart from his own studio building, designed by himself — than an old industrial loft. The atmospheric quality of these usually high and light-filled rooms, with their rugged charm and workshop character, explains why they have attracted creative minds for so long. Architect Angelo Candalepas succumbed to this charm, moving his team into a listed commercial building in the heart of Sydney's bustling Central Business District.

One of the project’s lighting design challenges arose from distinctively different amounts of natural daylight in individual areas, which required a balance of natural and artificial light. Therefore 3000K dimmable lights were used throughout the office, so the artificial light could match the changing daylight conditions. The uneven, highly structured ceilings posed a further challenge. ERCO track was successfully integrated into the ceiling structure, where it can only be perceived as a supplementary element.

Following the famous lighting designer Richard Kelly's philosophy that lighting should be installed only where it is needed, ERCO developed a convincing differentiated light concept, which was essentially implemented with three luminaire families. In the rather dark basement, 8-watt Starpoint downlights with wide flood lenses provide a bright, friendly atmosphere, but spotlights from the Parscan and Pantrac luminaire families with a variety of wattage and light distribution were used in the entrance area and offices. 

On the ground floor, where meeting areas are located, 24-watt Parscan wallwashers produce ambient lighting and serve several purposes: They expand the visual impression of the rather tube-like division of the spaces; they set off the substance of the old building; and they make the materials on the large pin boards legible. Accent light is provided by 24-watt Parscan spotlights with flood lenses angled towards the discussion tables. 

In the office areas on the first and second floors, where people work at screens, Parscan spotlights with oval flood light distribution are used for steady, glare-free illumination of desk surfaces. For the ambient lighting of these areas, Parscan wallwashers were the choice once more — though 12 watts this time. They were supplemented in areas with high ceilings by Pantrac ceiling washlights with a power output of 24 watts. 

The office used personally by Angelo Candalepas proved particularly tricky with respect to its lighting design, due to its high ceiling and large windows. While his desk is placed next to the window, the drawing board is located away from it. So two 24-watt Pantrac ceiling washlights provide suitable ambient lighting and a Parscan spotlight directs light precisely onto the drawing board. Atop Candalepas's desk — like the icing on the cake — sits Lucy, the most recent task light from ERCO. It can be swivelled and directed for individual purposes and, particularly useful in the evening hours, it can be dimmed down to one per cent.