Whitecroft Lighting has supplied a range of fittings to the Trinity Academy in Doncaster for use throughout the facility. A key criterion for the lighting was that it should provide a comfortable and pleasant working environment for students and staff, whilst aiding effective learning, social interaction and the enjoyment of sport. Trinity Academy has 1470 11-18 year olds on its roll, including a sixth form of 350 and, while focusing on business and enterprise, it also has extensive facilities for science, technology, sport, drama and cultural pursuits. The stated objective of the academy is to seek to provide a school where every student achieves their personal best and is confident and happy. The academy puts quality ‘teaching and learning' at the heart of its work in an effort to allow pupils to take the best opportunities and careers that life presents.
The classroom lighting at Trinity Academy is designed to provide a bright and cheerful environment with an even spread of light to avoid shadows and contrast between different areas of the rooms. In classrooms with recessed ceilings Vivant luminaires were chosen to avoid shadows on teaching walls while injecting life and delivering a spill of light on the ceiling.
Vector suspended luminaires were chosen for classrooms with high or solid ceilings. In all cases the lighting had to take account of the extensive use of computers by students, ensuring the lighting did not create glare on screens, in the same way these issues would be addressed in an office space.
Specialist teaching areas have been treated as such, with the domestic science classrooms utilising luminaires designed for food production and clean room applications. IP65 protection prevents any ingress of substances from the ceiling void and this is combined with an easy to clean front face, using a TP(a) fire-resistant diffuser.
Sports hall requirements were met by 4 x 54W T5 luminaires which provide a high light output, protected from impact by heavy gauge wire guards. Use of T5 tri-phosphor lamps also gives excellent colour rendering and visual acuity, essential for clearly distinguishing the ball from a background of a similar colour. To minimise the lighting energy consumption in the sports hall, the lighting is deployed in twin circuits so it can be set to provider around 300 lux for normal use and over 500 lux for higher level competition.
In Social Areas and Circulation Areas with high ceilings Atlanta 4 x 42W TC-T high bay luminaires were employed with clear refractors to ensure light reaching all surfaces, thus simulating a natural environment. In the main hall suspended high bay luminaires have been used in the larger part whilst, to the rear of the hall, the ceiling is lower and has been lit using recessed, circular luminaires with compact fluorescent light sources.
For longer corridors, these compact luminaires have been supplemented with asymmetric wall washers to enhance vertical light levels and prevent a ‘tunnel' appearance. This approach also helped to minimise the total number of lighting points in corridors, thus reducing maintenance requirements.
In social and circulation areas with high ceilings, architectural high bay luminaires with 42W TC-T compact fluorescent light sources have been employed, whilst recessed compact luminaires have been installed in areas with normal ceiling heights. These are used in conjunction with clear refractors to ensure light reaches all room surfaces to simulate natural light.
Providing the required light levels with minimum energy consumption was achieved using high efficiency T5 fluorescent lamps. As well as increasing energy efficiency and improving colour rendition, these lamps provide a longer life than T8 lamps so maintenance cycles are extended and re-lamping costs reduced.
Throughout all areas of the school there is an emphasis on creating a bright and airy ambience that is conducive to high morale and providing the right environment for learning. Wherever possible, maximum use is made of natural daylight, with luminaires designed to dim and ensure required illuminance levels are maintained.
