Architecture brought to life
Fourth Dimension Lighting Design add drama and
atmosphere to a 12th century church
All Saints Church, Upper Clatford dates back to the 12th century. The tower was added in 1578 with further alterations in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries including the addition of the north aisle in 1890. Construction is of flint and roughcast walls under a tiled roof. The interior is Victorian except for the nave, which has 2 slightly pointed chancel arches resting on drum columns; the posts support tie beams, above which are three slender Tuscan columns (supporting the ceiling).
PRODUCTS - Lighting
PRODUCTS - Lighting Control
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
PHOTOGRAPHY
The Challenge
On visiting the church for the first time we were struck by the wonderful quality of the daylight within the building and the clarity of the modelling of the architectural details.
The artificial lighting was limited to a few tungsten spotlights interspersed with a few LED floodlights that had been added in more recent times.
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So, whilst the natural lighting in the morning is excellent, by the time dusk and night time arrive, the artificial light was completely inadequate to provide sufficient light for services, let alone model the architectural detail. The problem was further compounded by the infrared heaters that cast a red glow within the building in the winter.
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The Parochial Parish Council (PCC) wanted to both update the lighting and the heating at the same time. It had been decided to use radiant heaters that emit no light and this gave us a free hand to disregard the interference of the heaters when designing a new lighting layout.
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Our Approach
The PCC had seen an earlier project of ours and wanted a similar approach for All Saints.
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The church needed to be re-cabled to comply with current regulations so it was decided to carry out a new lighting scheme and to replace the heaters at the same time.
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We wanted the lighting to be as discreet as possible. To this end, the main luminaires are mounted on the east side of beams so that when viewed from the west the light sources are as unobtrusive as possible.
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We were keen to use a control system so that scenes could be set and luminaires dimmed as required. We therefore introduced the Project Team and the Rector to Casambi as a low cost and highly flexible solution for a project of this nature. Having finally got the PCC's approval, we completed the detailed design work.
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Whilst each luminaire can be addressed at an individual level, the luminaires were grouped depending upon their location and scenes were then created. The Project Team insisted that the lighting was simple to use so the system was commissioned with a number of set scenes including normal service, baptism, flower festival and concert, all of which can be modified based on user experience when required. Whilst the Casambi system is programmed within an iPad, the lighting is controlled by a pair of conventional switch plates which, being wireless, can be located wherever desired within the church.
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Once the final design work was submitted, we needed to wait for the faculty to be granted and funds to be raised to carry out the work. Much to our surprise, the faculty was granted and funds raised in a very short period of time following which work began on site in February 2024.
The Finished Project
The building has been transformed. The architectural details have been emphasised by the balance between light and shadow whilst at the same time improving the lighting for the congregation during services. Those that use the church regularly appreciate the sense of drama and atmosphere created by the new lighting.
