A few months after the inauguration of the ING branch in Braine-l'Alleud, Serge Rucquoy (project engineer at Alloson, a Brussels-based installation firm) reflects on the project.
Sonepar: This event deserved a celebration: the building is spectacularly modern, open and warm. And one of the key reasons for this visual success is the lighting.
Serge Rucquoy: The building was partially renovated. The renovated part now houses the bank's administrative personnel and an annex with glazed exterior siding that lodges the building's public spaces. The robotics, reception area, tellers counter and five small meeting rooms are located in the long lobby, which opens onto a big garden. A twelve-meter overhead walkway has been installed along the outside wall of the lobby entrance, running from street level to the lateral entryway.
Sonepar: Alloson was responsible for all of the electrical and technical fixtures, including the lighting. Is it true that ING was particularly attentive to this visual aspect?
S. R.: That's right. ING wanted the lighting to strike a balance between form and function. Maintaining high quality standards which doesn't mean foregoing energy efficiency was also a must. For the office lighting, we chose T5 Philips lamps. In addition to being very thin at 16 mm, they are forty percent thinner than traditional TL lamps, T5s offer other advantages: they are more environmentally friendly and, because they produce more lumens per watt*, they use ten to twenty percent less energy. Plus, they only work with electronic ballasts. We even installed T5 lamps in the building service rooms. For spaces open to the public, we opted for spot lighting that uses high-quality, energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (PL) from Philips.
Sonepar: It would appear that the outdoor lighting was not overlooked either
S. R.: Certainly not. On the cement wall across from the lobby entrance and the overhead walkway, Alloson affixed a galvanized metal grid. It is decorated with plants and thirteen Bega mount structures equipped with 36-watt PLL lamps. The greenery and lighting combination hide the existing and rather unsightly wall. The buildings front façade is lit with three Bega mounts.
Sonepar: How did Cebeo add value for you on this project?
S. R.: When it comes to workplace lighting and staff comfort, ING has very high standards each office has to reach an average of 500 lux**. To ensure compliance with these requirements, Cebeo conduct a detailed lighting study for each workspace. The reception desk and area offer a perfect illustration of what this level of care can produce. Various clusters of spot lighting have been installed in nearly concentric circles. While the ceiling spots look like they follow a freeform pattern, in fact the whole ensures homogenous lighting. This would not have been possible without Cebeo's support. We have excellent and long-standing ties with Cebeo. Confidence and good inter-personal relationships are the keys to any successful installer-distributor relationship.
Customer: Agence ING branch (Braine-l'Alleud)
Installer: Alloson (Brussels)
Project management: Cebeo Brabant, Francis Aelbrecht and Corinne Vandooren
*Lumen/watt (lm/W): the efficiency of a light source, the global light flow quotient that it emits at all points via the power it absorbs.
**Lux: The lighting of an object is equal to the ratio of all light flows it intercepts to the actual lit surface area.
