Electronics

Deloitte's new Amsterdam HQ has connected, sensor-packing LED lighting

Deloitte's new Amsterdam HQ has connected, sensor-packing LED lighting
Philips connected lighting system for offices using LED luminaires with additional embedded sensors
Philips connected lighting system for offices using LED luminaires with additional embedded sensors
View 6 Images
The new shared Amsterdam HQ of Deloitte and AKD will feature Philips connected lighting system for offices (Image: PLP Architects)
1/6
The new shared Amsterdam HQ of Deloitte and AKD will feature Philips connected lighting system for offices (Image: PLP Architects)
Philips connected lighting system for offices using LED luminaires with additional embedded sensors
2/6
Philips connected lighting system for offices using LED luminaires with additional embedded sensors
Office workers can adjust the brightness of individual lights and set lighting profiles for different moods
3/6
Office workers can adjust the brightness of individual lights and set lighting profiles for different moods
Facility managers can look at building utilization and energy usage in historical and real-time views
4/6
Facility managers can look at building utilization and energy usage in historical and real-time views
Philips connected lighting system for offices using LED luminaires with additional embedded sensors
5/6
Philips connected lighting system for offices using LED luminaires with additional embedded sensors
The new shared Amsterdam HQ of Deloitte and AKD will feature Philips connected lighting system for offices (Image: PLP Architects)
6/6
The new shared Amsterdam HQ of Deloitte and AKD will feature Philips connected lighting system for offices (Image: PLP Architects)
View gallery - 6 images

With corporate showmanship and architectural one-upmanship being what they are, newly-built company headquarters are often lavish affairs. The Edge in Amsterdam is no different. Not only is it good looking sustainably-designed, but its lighting does more than just brighten up a room.

The Edge, designed by PLP Architects, will be the new shared headquarters of Deloitte and AKD. It is located in the Zuidas area of Amsterdam and provides 40,000 sq m (430,000 sq ft) of office space. Offices look down in to a gaping 15-story atrium and 60 percent of the offices in the building receive natural light through north-facing windows. Workers benefit from access to public transport, a high-speed rail link and the cycle route network. There are also 500 bicycle parking spaces on-site.

The new shared Amsterdam HQ of Deloitte and AKD will feature Philips connected lighting system for offices (Image: PLP Architects)
The new shared Amsterdam HQ of Deloitte and AKD will feature Philips connected lighting system for offices (Image: PLP Architects)

According to Philips, which is working on The Edge, the building has achieved Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) Outstanding certification. The certification recognizes that best practice has been used to ensure that the building is designed, constructed and operated to the high sustainability standards.

As part of its BREEAM accreditation, the building uses Philips connected lighting system for offices. Gizmag visited Philips at its high-tech campus in Eindhoven where the office lighting system was demonstrated. The system employs LED instead of conventional luminaires, which Philips says will make the lighting in the building 80 percent more efficient. In addition, the system is powered using Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) technology, which is also able to transmit data.

Office workers can adjust the brightness of individual lights and set lighting profiles for different moods
Office workers can adjust the brightness of individual lights and set lighting profiles for different moods

This added functionality means that the system can be controlled and monitored to a far greater extent that traditional lighting systems. Bulb lifespan and faults can be tracked, meaning that the infrastructure can be updated and maintained as is required. Office workers, meanwhile, can control the lighting using their mobile devices. The brightness of individual lights can be adjusted to a worker's preference and different lighting "profiles" can be activated to foster, for example, focus or calmness.

Additional sensors are embedded into the lights to take advantage of the data transmission capabilities. The sensors are able to capture anonymous data about carbon dioxide levels, temperature and humidity. Facility managers can then look at building utilization and energy usage in historical and real-time views. Rooms or floors could be left closed or uncleaned if they are shown to not be used on certain days and carbon dioxide levels can be used to indicate room occupancy at any given time.

Facility managers can look at building utilization and energy usage in historical and real-time views
Facility managers can look at building utilization and energy usage in historical and real-time views

The system will also provide a means of way-finding inside the building. The lights transmit encoded data to the device to enable identification of each light fixture within the building. Users can find out where they are within the building by training their mobile device on a lighting unit using a mobile app. The app can then direct a user to their desired destination.

The installation of Philips connected lighting system for offices at The Edge is expected to be completed in the last quarter of this year.

The video below provides an introduction to the use of the system at the Edge.

Source: Philips

Philips' nieuw intelligent lichtsysteem voor kantoren

View gallery - 6 images
2 comments
2 comments
Daishi
Power over Ethernet for lighting is actually a pretty cool idea. The lights can all be connected/controlled without needing to be wirelessly meshed and the individual lights could serve different functions. You could even use the network to connect wireless access points.
Power over Ethernet also makes a lot more sense for plugging in fire/smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and security cameras than just wiring up to regular AC or having a bunch of batteries to replace.
Using motion sensors to know occupancy of various floors/rooms would be useful in an emergency as well. Controllable lighting is just one small use but with the Internet of Things growing I wouldn't be surprised to see more new buildings going in use native PoE networks for lighting too.
steve02
A few years ago, neither Deloitte nor Philips was environment conscious.
Actually Phillips did create some glossy brochures depicting environmentally vague graphs and figures, but Deloitte was nowhere on the scene.
I wonder how they woke up to the reality.