Aventi Beerse Belgium Utilizes Dynamic Lighting to Draw Attention to New Headquarters Building
When Aventi Beerse Belgium decided to build its new headquarters in the heart of the Antwerp Kempen, a priority was to utilize dynamic light to ensure the continued high visibility of the building throughout the evening hours.
For more than 20 years, Aventi has specialized in heating, air conditioning and ventilation services for the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. It is well known for its ability to complete customized projects with its well-trained teams and carefully selected products.
The new headquarters was built at a highly traveled location next to the N12 road which connects Antwerpen with Turnhout. The two-story building features private offices and a board room with a view of the main road. The distinctive exterior of the building features large vertical slats next to the windows.
In order to flood the building with dramatic light, the project lighting specifier, Bert Heuvinck, owner of Sellux, was looking for a small full RGBW fixture with high output. Heuvinck specifically wanted a fixture that matched the architectural styling of the building and was capable of providing a 10x60 degrees beam that would light up the entire building, including the distinguishing slats.
Heuvinck said, “We were looking for the perfect solution for the Aventi project. The lighting had to be sufficiently powerfull that we could still make the visual impact the client was looking for, but could reduce costs by limiting the number of fixtures by working asymetricly. Next, the fixtures had to be very dynamic to allow several very different lighting schemes. Because of the outdoors application an the infamous local weather, we also needed a high quality, durable solution, that can stand the test of time.”
After consulting with David van Nieuwenborg and Pascal Van Sloun, technical lighting experts from Acclaim Lighting, Heuvinck specified 84 Acclaim Dyna Graze HO Exterior, a high power, outdoor linear LED fixture with a wired digital communication network. Available in 1’ and 4’ sections, it offers multiple configurations, including RGB, RGBW, and Dynamic White. Each fixture provides up to 693 lumens per linear foot in RGBW.
Among other attributes, Dyna Graze HO Exterior features a robust IP66 housing, a multi-voltage switching power supply, and a glare shield for outdoor linear grazing. The fixtures are supported by 84x 90° mounting feet, two AL Net 8 Pro, an XMT350 and a custom-made Obsidian Control 19-inch 1HE Rackmount system. The AL Net 8 Pro is an eight universe ethernet to DMX interface converting Artnet to DMX, making this solution an ideal interface for video display lighting.
Complementing the lighting system is the XMT-350, a powerful DMX / RDM measurement and test tool. It allows for RDM addressing and monitoring of the Dyna Graze HO Exterior with RDM capability. XMT-350 can test all elements of the DMX data signal to ensure proper system operation. It includes a 9V battery for portable operation, micro-USB option, and hardwire cable adapter for non-XLR applications. The lighting system was installed by Neopaul Signs, which specializes in visual communication projects designed to draw added attention to buildings of note.
For this project, Neopaul Signs created a custom-made mounting bracket to hold two fixtures per slat with one facing up and one facing down. In order to get a dynamic outlooking, the fixtures were mounted alternately on two different horizontal lines. The end result is a dramatic, highly visible solution.
Heuvinck said, “Both in concept and execution, it was great teamwork with Neopaul and Acclaim Lighting. The client wanted us to deliver a dynamic landmark and I am proud we could deliver just that.. Because of the impact on the surrounding landscape, it was important to not go overboard and keep it balanced. To see the square building come alive after sunset and turn into an almost organic cube is truely magical.”
