CBG Consultants Ltd and Light Perceptions are marking one year since their amalgamation, which saw the creation of CBG Light Perceptions as CBG’s new specialist lighting design team working primarily in heritage buildings and high-end residential properties.
CBG’s acquisition of Light Perceptions allowed for the creation of a new lighting consultancy team within the well-established MEP and sustainability consultancy. Not only can the established CBG business now offer specialist lighting to their existing clients, but Light Perceptions clients can now access wider sustainability and building services through CBG’s broader skills. This has opened up a number of exciting new business opportunities with architects, developers and private clients, who are now engaging with CBG’s wider offering of services.
One year on, the sound thinking behind the acquisition is clearly demonstrating its worth and benefit to all concerned. It has enabled CBG to expand into wider markets whilst securing the future of the Light Perceptions brand and reputation, which boasts a 21-year history.
One of the most significant pieces of work completed by CBG Light Perceptions in its first year has been part of a project to install new safety railings to the Whispering Gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral. The lighting in the famous gallery has been upgraded to new LED fittings.
This is the first stage of a programme to upgrade the interior lighting of St Paul’s which, designed by Speirs Major some 25 years ago, consists mainly of dimmed halogen lighting and metal halide fixtures.
Working to refresh the original Whispering Gallery scheme, CBG Light Perceptions specified linear lighting to replace 64m of cold cathode fittings that provided uplight to the beautifully gilded Tijou railings. The replacement scheme had to be designed so that it did not bring attention to the new safety railings or their support structure.
The new lighting to the Thornhill painting, which decorates the dome above, is provided by new spotlight luminaires controlled in a series of zones to highlight the important elements of the painting. These replace the older spotlights. An additional safety feature added to the gallery is a series of miniature, hidden emergency lights that can be used to provide low-level lighting to the floor of the gallery and highlight the exit doors in the event of an emergency. The installation was expertly carried out by Electricians from the Cathedral’s Works Department.
For CBG, the ability to add a new specialist service to its portfolio is opening new market areas and expanding its skillset as a company. These include in-demand services such as design, visualisation, lighting, modelling and high-quality graphics. Clients are now able to access a growing number of specialisms through CBG, supporting the completion of more complex projects, such as Westminster Cathedral.
This major project involved updating much of the interior lighting and controls. The new lighting scheme has illuminated and enhanced the sacred artwork in the Cathedral, thereby helping to lift visitors’ hearts and minds.
The recent lighting improvements have added a further dimension to the Cathedral’s interior through a number of additions and alterations; the new lighting on the sanctuary ‘has provided greatly improved visibility of the celebrant at the High Altar, as well as those leading worship’ and there is new highlighting to both the front and rear of the Rood, and to the Tympanum – never previously lit.
In the three chapels at the East End, the spotlighting has been replaced and dimmable controls added, the latter being an especially useful feature for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel when it is used for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on weekdays. Seeing the mosaics of the chapels lit with the pendants dimmed down to a low level is both dramatic and atmospheric; the new lighting allows most parts of the Cathedral interior to be seen in ways not previously, dramatically improving the interior aesthetic and atmosphere.
Bruce Kirk, Founder of Light Perceptions, and a Director of CBG, added “We are delighted to have a very experienced lighting designer, Stephanie Harris, now leading the original CBG LP Team out of our Oxford office, which services CBG’s clients in all areas, focusing on the heritage, private residential, and other specialist markets. We see Stephanie leading the team from strength to strength.
In addition, CBG is creating a new team based in our London office delivering commercial and corporate lighting solutions to new and existing clients. In London, CBG LP will be headed up by Fabiana Nery, an accomplished and experienced lighting designer. Fabiana brings an extensive portfolio of successful projects with her, spanning a variety of sectors.”
With sustainability and low carbon engineering solutions at the forefront of the broader building services agenda, the CBG LP Teams will be able to draw on the expertise of CBG’s sustainability, low carbon and building physics teams to deliver high quality low energy systems across the board.
Bruce Kirk added: “The success over the last 12 months of CBG Light Perceptions, and the creation of the new team in the London area, is exactly what we anticipated this amalgamation would bring. It is clear to see that together we are bigger and stronger, delivering even more of what our collective clients need.
“Through the sale to CBG, Light Perceptions has been able to develop international and corporate clients, as well as major building developers. This would have been an incredibly tough market to break into, therefore teaming up with CBG has opened many doors and created new and exciting opportunities.”
Andrew Payne, Managing Director of CBG, added: “The addition of lighting design to our already robust services has been a game changer. We’re now able to fulfil even more of our client’s requests, as well as attracting new clients who want a more holistic approach to complete their projects.
“Bruce has been an invaluable member of the Board of the Directors since the two companies merged, offering sound advice and helping us to remain focused on growth while supporting our clients. The future is certainly very exciting as we move forward together.”
