A new, highly advanced lighting system is helping a Preston based charity to enhance the facilities available within its multi-sensory activity area whilst also making substantial cost savings through greatly improved energy efficiency.
Run by the registered charity, the Friends of the Willows, the SPACE Centre (Soft Play Area with Controllable Environment) in Preston is one of the largest multi-sensory rooms in the country. A soft padded play area with sophisticated lighting and audio-visual facilities, it provides many forms of sensory stimulation and is ideal for helping those with learning and / or emotional difficulties to develop skills and to enjoy experiences usually unavailable to them.
The centre’s extensive use of lighting systems had previously resulted in a high demand for energy – a total power draw of around 20kW for the lights alone – most of which was subsequently lost in the form of waste heat. Moreover, the combination of warm lamps and the padding within the rooms often produced very high room temperatures, which had to be offset by running the air conditioning system near to full capacity.
The centre’s managers decided that a new solution was required that would provide more control and interactivity while also being far more environmentally sustainable. They began by contacting the Lancaster based audio-visual specialist, Lee Engineering, a company with a well established track record in the design of low energy lighting systems and projects for people with special needs.
Following a series of visits to the centre, designer Ian Nelson produced a detailed specification for a bespoke AV package that combined high performance LED lighting, video and sound equipment with a user-friendly computer based interface. The system also included voice activated controls and special features such as a set of musical steps, which play different notes as the user moves over them.
“It’s a very versatile but easy to use system,” says Ian. “At the touch of a button, the soft play area can be transformed from the bottom of a Caribbean coral reef to the far reaches of outer space. We’ve got sound effects when people use the slide, firework effects on the walls, and microphones that allow visitors to change the music and lighting just by using their voice.”
The system was completed in spring this year, and in the first quarter since its installation it has enabled the owners to slash their utility bills. The new set-up has many more lights and lighting effects than before but the total power draw is now only 5kW – a 75% energy saving. Not only has the cost of running the lighting fallen very dramatically, but waste heat has also been minimised so the air conditioning system does not have to be kept running in order to deal with it. As a result, the centre’s operating costs and environmental footprint have both been reduced by a significant margin.
In addition to being able to conserve valuable funds, centre manager Alison Shorrock has seen a marked improvement in the quality of the centre’s facilities. She said: “The colours are far more vibrant than before and the new system is easy to control by means of a touch-screen panel. That gives us scope to do much more. We can blend music, video and sound, and we can set different colour schemes for the various zones to suit different therapeutic purposes. It gives us the ability to set the scene, just as you would in a theatre, creating atmospheres that are wild and lively or calm and relaxing – whatever is most appropriate for the particular sessions and objectives.”
The versatility of the new technology means that the SPACE centre can be adapted to suit the needs of people with many different special needs, from those with cerebral palsy to adults with challenging behaviours.
The centre's new facilities have gone down very well with visitors and Alison reports that SPACE is in such demand that there are plans to raise new funds that would allow the team to move to larger premises with several multi sensory rooms. It will take time to raise the necessary finances, but Alison and her colleagues will certainly be taking the new lighting system with them when they move.
Lee Engineering is a partner on the Resource Efficiency Centre, a not for profit project that is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund via Lancashire County Developments Limited and Blackpool Council. The project helps small and medium sized enterprises in North and West Lancashire, providing free recommendations and advice about energy efficiency, water use and environmental sustainability.
Posted 14th August 2008.
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