A distinguished City law firm occupies twelve floors (72,000 m²) in a landmark building designed by Sir Norman Foster. The client sought a more efficient lighting system without the disruption of removing and transporting 10,000 light fittings. GCL, working in partnership with Skanska, provided an on-site modular retrofit that delivered rapid installation, reduced risk, and a 60% cut in lighting energy usage.
The client’s goals were clear. They wanted to:
Complete the retrofit onsite to avoid transport and handling
Reduce maintenance and running costs
Lower their carbon footprint
Ensure all work was done out of hours
Achieve a 60% reduction in lighting energy use
Prevent disruption to users during working hours
Additionally, they required a lighting solution that maintained the building’s visual consistency and integrated with its existing systems.
From the outset, the project presented several technical challenges.
The light housings were built into the ceiling structure, making removal extremely difficult. Emergency lighting relied on a closed-protocol 110V central battery system, which had previously blocked retrofit attempts.
Furthermore, no solution had been found that could integrate with the battery system while retaining the existing fittings. GCL had to deliver a reliable, safe, and fully compliant alternative—without compromising aesthetics or functionality.
To begin with, GCL partnered with lighting engineers to develop a custom LED gear tray that could be fitted directly into the existing luminaires. This approach avoided the need for offsite removal and significantly reduced both time and risk.
Eliminated transport-related CO₂ emissions
Avoided damage to fragile fittings
Delivered rapid installation—a full floor completed within two weeks
The new LED tray was photometer-tested, delivering:
5000-lumen output
36W system power
93 lumens per Watt
GCL’s engineers reused the existing 110V circuit and installed a new 55W PLL lamp beside the LED board. As a result, they achieved an energy-efficient, BSEN 12464-compliant system with full CIBSE LG7 glare compliance.
Moreover, GCL designed a matching emergency lighting retrofit that worked seamlessly with the building’s central battery setup.
The City law firm now benefits from:
At least 60% savings in lighting energy costs
Minimal maintenance due to LED reliability
Full compliance with building regulations
A quick return on investment
Consistent aesthetics across all floors
No disruption to staff or operations during works
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