Illuminating Dulwich: Exterior Lighting Design for a Grade II Listed Building

Project type: Exterior lighting for historic building

Location: Dulwich, London

Size: Medium

Date: 2018-2019

Design Goals

• Preserve Architectural Integrity: highlight and preserve the Grade II listed building's architectural features with unobtrusive, character-sensitive lighting that enhances its visual appeal without overpowering or altering its inherent charm.
• Energy Efficient & Minimise Light Pollution: Reducing light pollution was a key objective. This included addressing glare issues and ensuring did not spill into the surrounding environment.

The lighting solution had to be energy-efficient, lowering consumption while providing adequate illumination for both aesthetic and practical needs.

• Enhance Safety: The lighting design aimed to ensure safety by adequately illuminating paths and entryways, safeguarding pupils, pedestrians, and visitors while maintaining a calm, aesthetic atmosphere around the building.
• Minimise Visual Distraction: The lighting design aimed to blend with the newly designed landscape and minimise visual disruption during the day. The lighting fixtures should be inobtrusive and not dominate the space.

Design Strategy

• Site Assessment and Night Survey: A detailed site visit and night survey were conducted to assess the existing lighting issues, including glare, energy inefficiency, and aesthetic shortcomings. We tested various luminaires with different lumen outputs and optics to determine the best combination to obtain the results we were looking for.
• Decorative elements: Facade and Clock Tower Lighting: To highlight the facade and clock tower of the Grade II listed building, recessed inground lights were used, avoiding direct fixture installation to the historical structure. These lights added depth and shadow, subtly enhancing the architecture while blending with the landscape.
• Navigational Lighting: The Dulwich Bollard: Dulwich’s iconic white bollards, a recognisable local feature, are also found on the Dulwich College campus. By incorporating lighting into their design, they became both practical and visually appealing.
• Light Fittings for Specific Tasks: Different lighting fixtures were selected for each part of the building. For example, the clock tower was lit using powerful spotlights mounted at a distance to provide uniform illumination. Small spotlights were added to highlight the lantern of the clock tower, enhancing its grandeur and architectural details.
• Planning and Compliance: The project required planning permission from Southwark Council, particularly because it involved a Grade II listed building. The submission included detailed lighting plans, 3D renders, lux levels, fixture specifications, positioning, glare ratings, and an analysis of how the lighting would affect the building and its surroundings.
• Installation and Lighting Adjustments: Trained electricians ensured safety during the height work. Different fixtures were used, allowing for the varying installation distances around the clock tower to achieve uniform lighting. A final lighting test was conducted to ensure the illumination was precise and aligned with the design goals.
• Minimising Environmental Impact: The design also incorporated measures to minimise the environmental impact of the lighting. Energy-efficient LED fixtures were used, which are long-lasting and easy to maintain. This reduces both energy consumption and material waste.

Results

The lighting design successfully achieved the following outcomes:

• Preservation of Architectural Features: The new lighting enhanced the building’s historical and architectural features, highlighting intricate details of the facade and clock tower without overwhelming the structure.
• Improved Public Safety and Security: Adequate illumination was provided for the paths, entryways, and surrounding areas, improving safety for pedestrians and visitors.
• Reduction in Light Pollution: The new lighting was designed to minimise light pollution by directing light precisely where needed, avoiding unnecessary spillover into the surrounding environment. By incorporating directional lighting, we reduced glare.

Previously, the area was lit with cool white light, which can significantly disrupt wildlife feeding patterns. To address this, we switched to warmer lighting at 3000K and 2700K, which is far less disruptive to the fauna. Although this consideration was not part of the original design requirements, we believe in prioritising such factors whenever possible.

• Aesthetic Enhancement: The lighting effectively enhanced the building’s presence after dark, providing a visually stimulating and elegant nighttime appearance. The design incorporated both navigational and decorative lighting, ensuring the building and campus were safe and visually impressive, fitting into the environment without dominating it.

Conclusion

The exterior lighting design for Dulwich College successfully met its objectives by improving both its visual appeal and functionality. The design prioritised preserving the building’s historical character, reducing light pollution, and enhancing security, all within an energy-efficient framework. This achievement was the result of a collaborative effort between the design team, installation experts, and the client, delivering a lighting solution that honours the building’s heritage while showcasing its beauty after dark.