Ascent at Singapore Science Park I, is a transformative and new typological integrated business and retail development. The elongated development consist of 7 storeys of large workspaces and a single retail block which incorporates lush landscaped spaces with the retail & lobby areas. The formative lighting intent was to attract with legibility, and retain users in this campus like business development after dusk, with its substantial presence to its location. It is also an attempt to demonstrate that quality illumination and energy savings can be resolved with by, rethinking and reacting to the fundamentals of light, usage of materials and appropriate techniques in exceeding the desired outcome.

The brilliant facade spandrel lighting of varied heights ranging from 4 meters to the tallest at 8 meters and are made of translucent “U” channel glass modules, it wraps around the lower retail block and embraces the central courtyard, where a preserved illuminated rain tree stands. The spandrel serves as a rain screen, sheltered arcade and lighting feature all in one. The challenges encountered was the very tight depth provided, with no negotiation for compromising, due to structural constraint, loosing valuable tenancy spaces behind and the building setback restriction by the authorities to the front; facing limited budget and meeting strict energy codes requirement.

Close discussions and collaborations with the Architects and the Contractors, was necessarily conducted with numerous studies and mockups to test and resolve the technical constraints. By using a single row of appropriate cool colour temperature LED concealed at the top of the openable spandrel capping, simulated, calculated and reviewed with a 2 degrees angle tilted matt grey back panels, to reduce the intensity and hotspots where the LEDs are closest to the surface on the top. The colour selection of the back panels are also essential in creating a desired outlook during the day as envisaged by the Architects.

Using the basis of reflection, highly polished reflective elements are integrated at the bottom of the internal spandrel details, bouncing light upwards back on the back panel to maintain uniformity, that is both refreshing and crisp; emitting brilliantly as a “ribbon of light”.

To avoid under utilised spaces after dusk, the surrounding landscape lighting are designed to be subtle yet enticing, to encourage interaction and spill over usages at night, with concealed lighting at floating wooden benches and illuminated trees, allowing users to enjoy a tranquil breakaway moment from the hectic business environment.

Entering the double void space main lobby, it is flanked by 2 lift lobbies core; the visuality of the space are designed in juxtaposition of various colour temperature by having concealed LED at ceiling cove to graze the grey aluminium profile feature walls in cooler white. Warmer colour temperature was selected for the bespoke hanging pendants in contrast to the 3000K selected for general lighting, creating a more intimate ambience for the users and guest utilising the communal spaces below.

The glowing panels above each lift cars at the lift lobbies are a reminiscence of the external facade lighting

Lime Light Atelier