Collingwood Lighting, a UK manufacturer of LED lighting products, has supplied the lighting to help artist Sarah Nelson realise her dream of a net-carbon-zero home which featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs TV show.
Sarah, who lives and works from the house and attached studio, says lighting is very important for her.
In the living areas she specified Collingwood’s 1901 spotlights, which she can rotate and tilt to direct light where she wants it.
The fittings have a contemporary black cylindrical design and produce a warm light of 2700K for a relaxing atmosphere.
To create an intimate but modern feel around the eating area, the company also supplied its Linear Prism fitting in black which is suspended above the table.
With colour switchable options to choose what light source she wanted, Sarah opted for a warm light of 3000K.
For the gallery hall, Sarah chose the company’s OKTO 4 architectural lights.
They have a similar sleek black cylindrical design as the 1901 spotlights and provide ambient lighting for large areas with their 85° beam angle.
A grand design
Commenting on the installation, Sarah explains, “I wanted energy-efficient LED lighting with a modern contemporary design.
“The black, sleek design of all the fittings really work as a visual statement, especially when set against the textured grey Hempcrete walls.”
In the studio where she works, Sarah specified industrial looking lights with Collingwood’s Caiman Versa anticorrosive fitting.
The two fittings are suspended from the steel ridge beams, and the company says their steel bodies work well set against the bare Hempcrete walls and this exposed metal girder.
With plenty of glazing facing north, the studio has an abundance of natural diffuse light for her work, which the light fittings supplement as it gets dark with a cool white light of 5700K that is similar to natural light.
The timber frame building uses Hempcrete for insulation. This bio-based product is carbon negative because it uses material from the hemp plant which absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The building also has an air source heat pump and solar panels to provide power for the lighting and sockets, as well as for the heating and hot water.
In addition, the ceiling is clad in plywood and Sarah sourced the kitchen units from freecycle, using plywood offcuts for the kitchen unit doors.
Commenting on her new home and studio, she says, “I have shown that you can build a sustainable, zero-carbon building that is very individual and good looking.
“My emphasis has been on energy-saving solutions, but that does not mean that you must sacrifice style.
“As an artist, light is very important to me and Collingwood’s fittings allow me to achieve what I believe in and [to] create and showcase a space that is visually stunning.”
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