Lighting Control System at the CPO Building

Overview

The Chief Post Office (CPO) Building, a heritage-listed landmark at the bottom of Queen Street and the iconic entry point to Britomart Train Station, underwent a significant redevelopment to enhance its commercial office spaces. Intelligent Environments was engaged to deliver a state-of-the-art lighting control solution that would respect the building’s architectural character while providing modern functionality and efficiency.

Objectives

The project required a lighting control system that:

• Delivered intelligent, automated control of the base build lighting.
• Ensured compliance with the latest DALI-2 standards.
• Integrated seamlessly with the building’s architectural design.
• Provided flexibility to accommodate future tenant fit-outs and modifications.
• Maintained aesthetic consistency within a heritage environment.

Technical Challenges and Solutions

Intelligent Environments provided a zencontrol DALI-2 lighting control system, designed to manage complex lighting demands across multiple office floors. Key features included:

• Time-based scheduling for optimised energy use and building operation.
• Occupancy detection via sensors to ensure lighting was only active when required.
• Integration of direct and indirect extrusion lighting fittings, enabling precise and flexible lighting control.
• Deployment of 32 DALI-2 subnets across multiple floors, providing robust scalability.
• Custom aesthetic solutions, with sensors supplied in both black and white finishes to align with architectural and design requirements.

Project Partners and Collaboration

Successful delivery of the project relied on collaboration between all parties:

• Coll Electrical Ltd. – Electrical contractor, responsible for the installation of the system.
• NDY (Norman Disney & Young) – Engineering consultants, overseeing system design compliance and performance.
• Intelligent Environments – System provider and technical partner, delivering the zencontrol DALI-2 solution and ensuring alignment with both engineering and architectural requirements.

Close coordination between the contractor, engineer, and Intelligent Environments ensured that technical challenges were addressed quickly and that the system was installed to meet both performance and design expectations.

Project Outcome

The installation resulted in a flexible, futureproof lighting control system that enhances both the functionality and sustainability of the CPO Building’s office spaces. Benefits achieved include:

• Energy efficiency through automated control strategies.
• Seamless integration of sensors and fittings with the heritage architecture.
• A scalable and easily adaptable system that can accommodate tenant-specific fitouts or future building requirements.
• Long-term value delivered to building owners through reduced operational costs and simplified maintenance.

The project demonstrates how advanced DALI-2 solutions can be successfully implemented in heritage-listed sites, combining technical innovation with architectural sensitivity.