How an Office Lighting Supplier and Consultant Collaborated to Transform Acme Consulting's Workplace

Introduction

Acme Consulting is a mid-sized professional services firm with 150 employees spread across two floors of an office building in downtown Chicago. As a leading advisor to major corporations, Acme prides itself on fostering a productive and collaborative work environment for its multidisciplinary teams.

When the building owners announced plans for a renovation in early 2022, Acme saw an opportunity to modernize their outdated lighting systems which had been in place for over 15 years. The aging fluorescent troffers and incandescent task lamps were inefficient and created unsuitable lighting conditions.

Acme's facilities manager researched contemporary office lighting designs and realized the untapped potential of optimized illumination to boost staff wellness, creativity and overall performance. As workstyles evolved with hybrid schedules, spaces also needed flexibility and appeal.

To develop a future-proof lighting plan guiding the retrofit, Acme enlisted lighting design firm Radiance Solutions. Their expertise in data-driven commercial lighting optimization would help transform the workplace experience through enhanced functionality, aesthetics and sustainability.

This case study outlines how Radiance customized solutions elevated Acme's offices with leading-edge yet practical solutions. Key results demonstrate lighting's strategic value beyond energy cost reductions alone. It offers best practices for any organization seeking lighting-led productivity gains.

Evaluating Lighting Needs

Radiance's designers performed a comprehensive walkthrough and light level measurements of Acme's office areas. Existing troffers provided an average of just 30 footcandles at desktop level, with noticeable shadows and hotspots.

Workstations were arranged in dense pods without zoning. Conference rooms lacked task tuning for presentations. Private offices featured outdated brass pendants prone to flickering. Facility drawings aided understanding layouts and power/communication infrastructure.

Staff feedback through surveys highlighted issues like eye strain and inability to focus for long periods. Windowless interiors meant natural light wasn't optimized. Usage patterns showed increased mobile working and hybrid schedules.

Radiance conducted a lighting audit to quantify footcandles, energy draw and maintenance hassles. It found the T12 fluorescents ran far less efficiently than necessary. No controls exacerbated excess consumption during unoccupied evenings and weekends.

Armed with these diagnostics, Radiance understood the priorities for their design. This included blending ample ambient lighting with precise task tuning. Zoning fixtures and introducing automated controls became essential to enhance the experience and workflows comfortably. Overall goals centered on modernizing with maximum energy savings, flexibility and staff wellness in mind.

Developing a Lighting Plan

To address Acme's evaluation findings, Radiance proposed a solution leveraging the latest LED technologies and intelligent controls. The plan featured:

• Troffer retrofits with direct/indirect luminaires equipped with tunable white LEDs for superior visual lighting and ambiance.
• Pendant lights in private offices with occupancy sensors and adjustable accent lighting for focused work or client presentations.
• Motion-activated wall washers and accent shelves along perimeter to maximize natural light.
• Table lamps with directional spotlights integrated into conference room tables.
• Task lighting options like desktop monitors and suspended luminaires to optimize visual tasks.

Radiance also designed a centralized lighting control system allowing for automated and manual control via smartphone. Zoning fixtures into work pods, collaboration spaces and other areas enabled comfortable settings for any activity.

3D renderings visualized how redesigned luminaires and placement would impact lighting quality throughout. Radiance ensured full compliance with standards while proposing energy savings over 60% annually versus existing conditions.

With Acme's endorsement, Radiance finalized construction documents detailing every fixture specification. This turnkey approach set the stage for seamless installation and a transformed workplace through advanced yet affordable lighting design strategies.

Implementation

To minimize disruption, Radiance scheduled retrofit work in phases over weekends and after-hours. Prefabricated electrical boxes and new circuit runs were first installed.

Troffers were then systematically replaced with direct/indirect luminaires as per drawings. Pendants and accent fixtures followed according to placement designs.

Programming established settings for personalized tuning based on daylight, occupancy and tasks. Integration with HVAC and security systems enabled holistic control.

Commissioning involved professional calibration of sensors, presets and output levels. Touchscreen wallpads and a companion app allowed control from anywhere on-site.

Detailed training equipped facilities managers and employees on intuitive system management. This covered fixture maintenance, recommended schedules and benefits of smarthome-style adjustment.

Deployment stayed seamlessly on schedule through Radiance's meticulous planning and preparation. Acme’s interior designers also consulted to ensure style coherence post-lighting reveal.

By the final phase completion, Acme's energized offices debuted a future-forward illumination approach optimized for innovation and collaboration through all workmodes.

Results

In the months since Radiance's lighting transformation, Acme has witnessed notable impacts:

• Employee satisfaction scores rose 15% regarding the new workspace. Staff reported improved focus, less eye strain and greater motivation in surveys.
• Occupancy sensor activation slashed energy consumption by a remarkable 65%, far exceeding projections. This led to substantial ongoing savings.
• Automated lighting schedules tied to daylight and occupancy yielded a two year payback period on Radiance's investment. Maintenance costs also reduced without T12 ballasts.
• Consulting teams thrived with dynamic conference room and huddle space tuning. Productivity metrics indicated fewer sick days and longer attention spans as well.
• Intuitive controls enabled seamless hybrid schedules, with employees adjusting lighting remotely during occasional work-from-home days.
• Facilities management also gained enhanced flexibility to optimize for any function through the centralized control system.

Customized solutions ensured standards compliance while delivering cost-effective, high-performing illumination tailored to Acme’s specific workflows.

Quantitative and qualitative feedback proved lighting alone boosted Acme's competitive edge as an employer through optimized health, wellness and staff experience.

Important takeaways

In reflecting on the success of Acme's lighting transformation, Radiance and facility stakeholders recognized important takeaways:

• Comprehensive evaluation of spatial needs and metrics informed the most impactful design strategies.
• Staff engagement throughout the process fostered buy-in and understanding of the lighting system.
• Phasing installation after hours minimized business disruptions versus full shutdowns.
• Intuitive controls training empowered staff to tailor spaces for optimal workflows and wellness.
• Occupancy sensors automated savings without sacrificing personalized lighting quality.
• Central management provided flexibility for facilities managers to easily support hybrid workstyles.
• Ongoing monitoring through the control system offers insight into optimization opportunities.

For Radiance, deep collaboration was key to elevating Acme beyond basic code compliance to a showcase of advanced lighting applications. Standard retrofits rarely drive such positive organizational impacts.

As the workplace continues evolving, strategic illumination will remain integral for supporting employee experience, creativity and health. Data-backed designs prove lighting's strategic value beyond first costs alone.

Conclusion

Through Radiance's carefully considered lighting transformation, Acme's offices have been reinvigorated as dynamic, productivity-enhancing work environments tailored for the future. Staff wellness, comfort and experience are now fully optimized through high-performance customized illumination.

As a leader in professional services, Acme's workspaces exemplify what intelligent lighting design can achieve when implemented precisely to enhance workflows, collaboration and spaces in any industry. Subtle enhancements have paid dividends in amplified satisfaction, reduced costs and strategic differentiation.

The client partnership between Acme and Radiance demonstrated that deep understanding of spatial needs coupled with data-driven solutions unlock a facility's maximum potential. By elevating utility and ambience, lighting alone boosted Acme's competitive edge for talent attraction and retention.

For other organizations seeking to modernize their workplaces, optimizing illumination through strategic retrofits provides a significant opportunity to raise productivity and lower environmental impact. Much like high-quality client service, a carefully crafted lighting system that nurtures wellness and inspires Innovation is worth every investment.

Through ongoing analysis using its advanced control system, Acme and Radiance look forward to continually refining spaces to maximize performance, health and sustainability. The transformed headquarters will remain a showcase for lighting's transformative capacity and strategic importance within workplaces of the future.