dpa were appointed to design the lighting for the specialist areas of 3i’s Head Office. An existing 5,760m² speculative Cat A open-plan office space was divided into numerous highly specialised areas for the purposes of entertaining and dining with clients, meeting/conference rooms, a staff restaurant, coffee bar, break-out areas and two reception/meet and greet areas.

The lighting was designed in close collaboration with the Client and Design Team to be flexible, adaptable, energy efficient and easily controllable. In addition to providing appropriate levels of illumination, the complete visual environment was considered in the design. Our solution was to utilise different lighting elements within each space to address both the visual performance requirements and respond to the interior design, resulting in a comfortable, visually stimulating working environment, which has been well received by both staff and visitors alike.

Winner of British Council for Offices, London Regional Award 2006, Fit-out of Workplace (Large Projects)

Client: 3i Group
Architect: Swanke Hayden Connell Architects / Aukett Swanke
MEP Services Engineer: Foreman Roberts
Photography: Courtesy of David Churchill.