Efficient visual comfort as a strategy in public buildings
Light is the fourth dimension of architecture
ERCO comprehends light as the fourth dimension of architecture. Our vision consists of making a positive contribution to society and architecture with our activities. We develop and manufacture lighting solutions for this purpose that create a high quality, authentic environment. The basis for this is Efficient Visual Comfort (EVC) – our strategy for seamlessly connecting sustainable design approaches with innovative product technology. To implement this ambitious task in practice we have formulated five quality criteria.
Qualitative lighting design
With the illumination of public buildings, functional aspects such as orientation, user friendliness and inclusion are on an equal footing with emotional aspects such as quality of stay and representation. Together with the interplay between bright and dark, foreground and background and vertical and horizontal planes, light serves to guide flows of visitors and is a medium for communication. This in turn puts human perception into the focus of the lighting designer and with it lighting design that targets perception-based psychological needs such as vertical lighting and accenting.
Vertical lighting
Vertical lighting determines 80% of the spatial perception of people – and therefore influences our sensitivity to brightness much more strongly than light on horizontal planes. Vertical lighting also renders architectural elements visible from afar through glass facades. It supports orientation in buildings by defining dimensions and room boundaries, displays artworks, panels and signage installed on walls and gives a more generous and airy appearance to corridors and rooms.
Effective lighting technology
Only high-performance, precise optical systems enable zonal lighting and also overcome distances in especially large or high rooms. ERCO offers specialised light distributions within a luminaire range to illuminate the surfaces required by people for their perceptional needs. Designers can also select from up to five different characteristics with recessed luminaires. As a consequence, lighting with ERCO is especially efficient and effective.
Intelligent control
With in-house developed control gear, ERCO provides interfaces for various control technologies such as DALI. This enables ERCO luminaires to also be integrated into universal building control systems that should make public buildings more energy-efficient. Also of relevance is control for multifunctional rooms and event halls for example in which lighting adapts with use of scenes to differing applications or sequences.
Efficient LED technology
The leading role adopted by ERCO in lighting with LEDs is based on the decision to expand the company's optoelectronics expertise. Due to in-house development ranging from LED PCBs and electronics to thermal management, ERCO always has complete control over the features of its products. In practice this means perfect quality of light, high illuminance levels coupled with low connected loads, and lumen maintenance that exceeds market standards for maximum longevity.