Adult Rehabilitation Integrated Stroke Unit (ARISU), Taio Ora

Overview

The Adult Rehabilitation Integrated Stroke Unit (ARISU), housed within the new Taio Ora facility at Auckland City Hospital, is one of only two dedicated stroke centres of its kind globally. Designed to provide an integrated approach to hyper-acute, acute, and rehabilitative stroke care, the $30 million facility delivers 41 inpatient beds alongside purpose-built rehabilitation, dining, exercise, and communal spaces.

Intelligent Environments Ltd was engaged as the lighting control integrator for this landmark healthcare project, working alongside the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) and other key partners. Our brief: to implement a robust, intelligent lighting control solution that would enhance both patient care and operational efficiency in this critical-care environment.

Objectives

Previously, stroke patients at Auckland Hospital received fragmented care across multiple wards and departments. The ARISU project sought to consolidate and modernise this care pathway, creating a single, purpose-built space designed to support improved clinical outcomes and patient wellbeing.

In alignment with these clinical goals, the lighting control system needed to:

• Enable tailored lighting for different care functions across Hyper-Acute Stroke (HASU), Acute Stroke (ASU), and rehabilitation spaces

• Allow staff to easily manage lighting scenes to support circadian rhythms, patient comfort, and clinical requirements

• Ensure maximum reliability and rapid serviceability in a 24/7 critical care environment

• Be future-proof, scalable, and compliant with DALI-2 standards for long-term flexibility and maintenance

Technical Challenges and Solutions

Given the building’s use as a specialist stroke unit, system uptime was non-negotiable. Intelligent Environments selected zencontrol DALI-2 controllers to meet the demanding technical brief. As the only system compliant with the full AS/NZS 62386 suite of standards for both input and output devices, zencontrol offered the advanced capabilities required.

Key challenges addressed included:

• Maintenance without Downtime: The system was designed for plug-and-play component replacement, allowing individual drivers or devices to be swapped without shutting down the entire system.

• Remote Programming and Support: Cloud-based access enabled programming and system changes to be conducted off-site, which proved vital during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

• Seamless Integration: Devices were pre-programmed and supplied to electrical contractors for installation, eliminating the need for on-site commissioning by the integrator.

System Design and DALI Application

Lighting control across ARISU is fully managed through a zencontrol DALI-2 architecture, encompassing:

• 29 zencontrol DALI-2 Room Controllers

• 516 DALI-2 LED drivers

• 218 zencontrol DALI-2 switch inputs and occupancy sensors

Each patient room features individual control over ambient, task, and night lighting, with nurse stations equipped with touchscreen interfaces to manage lighting across wards. Scenes can be easily toggled between preset modes (e.g., “day”, “night”, “exam”) depending on patient needs and clinical activity.

Highlights of the system include:

• HASU & ASU Central Control: Nurse stations provide centralised control of lighting with the ability to override or tailor settings per room as needed.

• Dual-Layer Bedhead Lighting: Bedhead fittings include direct and indirect light sources, independently controlled via separate DALI drivers. This allows patients to manage local lighting, while staff retain control of overall settings for clinical use.

• Adaptive Circulation Lighting: Corridors and shared spaces are programmed to respond to time-of-day changes, supporting both staff workflow and patient orientation.

• Specialist Video Room: A dedicated room supports video recording for clinical observation, with programmable light scenes that temporarily disable local user input to maintain required lux levels for camera operation.

Why DALI-2 and zencontrol?

The zencontrol DALI-2 system was selected based on its ability to meet the complex demands of a modern healthcare environment. Key benefits included:

• Flexible and granular control of lighting at the room, zone, and system-wide level

• Low-level dimming accuracy, critical for patient comfort and recovery

• Cloud-based programming and diagnostics, enabling real-time system monitoring and remote support

• Ease of installation and future serviceability through simplified wiring and device-level programmability

• Built-in redundancy and resilience, ensuring that maintenance or component replacement can occur without affecting operations

The system’s scalability also allows for potential future integration of energy monitoring and luminaire performance tracking via the cloud.

Project Impact

The lighting control system installed by Intelligent Environments has become a key enabler of Taio Ora’s mission to deliver holistic stroke care. Beyond supporting essential clinical functions, the system contributes to:

• Improved patient comfort and recovery through circadian-supportive lighting

• Reduced staff workload with intuitive scene presets and centralised control

• Streamlined maintenance and future upgrades without service interruptions

As testament to its innovation and execution, the ARISU project received a Highly Commended accolade in the global 2023 DALI Lighting Awards – further recognising Intelligent Environments’ leadership in lighting control integration within healthcare environments.