>> Press release Two shining examples LED technology in dwellings saves energy Two dream houses are lusciously lit, and enable their builder-owners to save electricity at the same time. All living areas of the two showpieces are equipped with LED luminaires from Nimbus. Conventional luminaires were dispensed with completely. >> Impressions of Sylt: LED high tech between dunes >> Interior views in Stuttgart: living with warm white LEDs >> The LED luminaires used in detail: Q-36 Aqua, Module Q 36, Spirito Santo >> About the Nimbus Group Image sources: Nimbus Group; Photography: Sabine Vielmo/René Müller
>> Press release Impressions of Sylt: LED high tech between dunes From the basement to the roof: Two exclusive semi-detached holiday homes are lit exclusively with LED luminaires from Nimbus. Reservations about LEDs? Well, the builder-owner had none, quite on the contrary. Frank Nickels first had his workplace equipped with LED luminaires. When it was then time to decide what light was to illuminate his holiday home on the island of Sylt, the builder-owner s enthusiasm had been awoken: I was able to convince myself that LED light works not only in functional rooms, but also in a dwelling. Data and facts: year of construction 2009, building type: two semi-detached houses, function: holiday home, floor space of house 1 approx. 170 m², house 2 approx. 185 m², location: Hörnum, island of Sylt, planning: interior designers and architects Bredt und Partner, Darmstadt, builder-owner: Frank Nickel, Eschwege, LED luminaires from Nimbus Group, Stuttgart. Nimbus luminaires were chosen because their aesthetics corresponds to the builder-owner s expectation of his holiday home among dunes. An ambience that stands between agreeableness and a sense of well-being, but with clear signs of modernity, is how the architect Alexander Bredt defines the task, which applies to both the lighting and the interior design in general. He also recognised in his builder-owner a a strong inclination towards technology and especially also building engineering. The holiday home consists of two almost identical semi-detached houses with space for a maximum of six persons each on four floors. From a slightly heightened position, the domicile by the beach offers a direct view of the North Sea. If at all, the grassy dunes between which the houses are embedded might minimally limit the unobstructed view of the sea. No-nonsense design, high-grade furniture and warm, earthy material colours determine the character of the rooms. Large window surfaces, glass walls, floors made out of natural stone and wood, and bright walls the LED luminaires fit perfectly and discreetly into the overall picture with their clear design and their reduced formal idiom.
>> 3 The wellness area is the bel etage - the ideal location for the aqua module The rooms are equipped with the square Q 36 or the Q 64 module ceiling luminaires for basic lighting. In the stairwells, by contrast, the Mike India luminaires fitted near the floor are fully sufficient for lighting the steps properly. With its swivelling head, the wall-mounted Spirito Santo luminaire provides accentuated lighting, for example on the kitchen and living floor or at the beds in some of the bedrooms. The height-adjustable Line C pendant luminaire immerses the dining table in light. Not one single conventional luminaire is to be found in either of the houses. Particular attention was paid to the bathroom in the basement floor, the dwelling mound floor. A large round bathtub, a bed and a washbasin area, all of them with a view of the dunes, and a sauna the openly designed level is one single wellness oasis and is almost something like the house s bel etage. As the module Q Aqua ceiling luminaires were developed specially for moist or wet rooms, the planners were able to consistently implement the lighting concept in this room too. Thus, the Q 36 or Q 64 ceiling luminaires were used both in the shower and for the washbasins. Outdoors, the lighting squares, fitted under the balcony, serve as terrace lighting. Hardly any maintenance thanks to a long useful life The building systems including the light are controlled via a bus system. As the two houses are rented to guests, handling of this system should be uncomplicated. Moreover, once they are installed the LED luminaires practically produce no more work thanks to their long useful life. They are practically maintenance-free, reports Jens Ewich, an architect at Bredt und Partner and the project manager for the holiday home. Another holiday home of the Nickels is still equipped with conventional lighting which, according to the builder-owners, causes disproportionately more maintenance effort. Frank Nickels is still enthusiastic. The LED luminaires have also proven themselves in the holiday homes. Their warm light is very pleasant and a distinctly cosy atmosphere can be created thanks to the fact that the luminaires can be dimmed. The technical progress is not for nothing. For over twenty years, the Stuttgart-based Nimbus Group around company founder and managing director Dietrich Brennenstuhl has been developing and producing innovative luminaires that are the result of integral product development. In the case of the LED luminaires, factors such as lighting technology, optics, intelligent electronics and thermal management are united in timeless luminaires that feature a purist design.
>> 4 Fig. 1 In the middle of grassy dunes in Hörnum on the island of Sylt: the two semi-detached holiday houses clearly signal modernity, with regard to both the interior design and the lighting. Fig. 2 The staircase is lit in the right light with the Mike India luminaires that are installed close to the floor. These are flush wall-mounted luminaires with a power consumption of only 8 Watt. This corresponds to a 100 Watt halogen lamp. Their light shines downward, 100 percent asymmetrically at an angle of 45. Fig. 3 Not one conventional luminaire is to be found in the two semi-detached houses. The height-adjustable Linie C pendant lamp floats above the dining table. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. Abb.33
>> 5 Fig. 4 The rain shower attachment and the luminaires speak one formal idiom. The square Module Q36 Aqua ceiling luminaires were specially developed for wet rooms and outdoor areas. Fig. 5 The Module Q36 and Module Q 64 luminaires are also used above the washbasins. Warm, earthy hues dominate in both the bathroom and the living area. Fig. 6 No-nonsense design and high-grade furniture determine the character of the house. To match them, the wall-mounted Spirito Santo luminaire was chosen for the living area, and ensures variable, indirect lighting. Fig. 7 A luminaire profile made of silver anodised aluminium measuring only 5 millimetres is the characteristic of the purist Linie C pendant lamp. It shines its light 100 percent directly. It is suspended on a conductive transparent foil conductor and a wafer-thin stainless steel cable. Fig.4 Abb. 2 Fig. 6 Fig.5 Abb. 1 Fig. Abb.73
>> Press release Interior views in Stuttgart: Living with warm white LEDs The inhabitants of a single-family house in Stuttgart wanted both beautiful and efficient lighting. They found what they were looking for in LED luminaires from the Nimbus range. The decision as to what light to install was also to be taken during interior finishing of the four-storey house constructed by a house building company, which its later inhabitants had already chosen in the shell construction phase. At that time it was still possible to influence interior finishing details and materials, including not only the light, but also the flooring. The interior designer and master joiner Ursula Maier suggested installing LED luminaires, throughout the house, in fact. Previously, she had been familiar with LED light from single luminaires and so the house project was new terrain for her in this respect. She encountered unrestricted interest on the part of the future inhabitants, a family of five. As far as they were concerned, the design aspects were just as important as energy efficiency questions. Data and facts: year of construction 2007/2008, building type: single-family house, floor space approx. 300 m², location: Heumaden near Stuttgart, interior design and interior finishings: Ursula und Sarah Maier, Stuttgart, LED luminaires from Nimbus Group, Stuttgart. Lighting lab as an aid to decision-making Why LED? Ursula Maier is convinced that something has to change in relation to light and therefore energy. And the builder-owners and later inhabitants also got fully involved in the still new lighting system when it came to living spaces. The mock-up, i.e. the exhibition and lighting lab of the Stuttgart-based Nimbus firm, was a great aid to reaching a decision. In the associating lighting lab, abstract things suddenly become very vivid. Here, builder-owners can not only obtain a three-dimensional demonstration of the differences between conventional current consumers and efficient LED luminaires. It also becomes clear that the warm white light of the LED luminaires is now certainly competing with the classical incandescent bulb, and is thus presenting its credentials for living spaces also. The secret is to combine LED light with the suitable surfaces, says
>> 7 Ursula Maier as she explains her choice of material for the floors, for example, warmly-hued wood is wonderfully suitable. Thus, vulcanised oak was used throughout the house. Vulcanisation makes the wood dark. This results in fantastic reflection with the LED light, says the interior designer enthusiastically. A whole series of Nimbus LED luminaires was installed in the house perched on a slope. For the proverbial basic lighting, the Zen wall luminaires fitted close to the floor can be found in every room in the house, serving to point the way, especially at night. Thanks to the luminaires low power consumption, they can illuminate steps, bathrooms and hallways even when everyone is sleeping. If one of the inhabitants moves around the house at night, the Zen luminaires suffice fully for orientation. Installation as easy as child s play and variable lighting Module Q 36 or Module Q 64 luminaires are fitted on the ceilings, and the flat square ceiling luminaires feature 36 or 64 light-emitting diodes. Ursula Maier is thrilled about the low installation height of these luminaires and thus the fact that fitting them is child s play and no problem at all. Drill a hole. And it makes no difference whether the Q 36 or the Q 64 is connected later, install the luminaire and that s all! At eye level, the Spirito Santo luminaires also exude their light on the walls. Thanks to the fact that the luminaire head swivels forward by up to 90 percent, these luminaires are highly suitable for variable and indirect lighting of objects in the room or for accentuation by lighting in the room. Besides the aforementioned luminaires, lighting strips submerge the bathroom and the parents bedroom in atmospheric light. In the bathroom, a satined Plexiglas screen with light sources behind it visually links the rear wall of the shower to the WC and bidet area. In the bedroom, the wall behind the head end of the bed is designed in this way. As a result, all those involved are sporting highly satisfied faces. After visiting the house above the river Neckar, the head of the house building company said that he had, never seen anything so beautiful. The effect being that Ursula Maier was able to book two residential building projects as new orders. Puzzling over the question of what light to use is now a thing of the past.
>> 8 Fig. 1 LED light, combined with suitable surfaces: vulcanised oak was laid in the newly constructed single-family house in Stuttgart s Heumaden district. This generates interesting reflections with the LED light. Fig. 2 Fitted near the floor, the Zen wall luminaires provide the house s basic lighting. Especially on the staircase, they point the way for visitors, also during the night, without needing much energy. On the walls, the Spirito Santo luminaires also emit their light Fig. 3 Besides the Spirito Santo luminaires, lighting strips submerge the bathroom in atmospheric light. Fig. 4 Thanks to the fact that the luminaire head swivels forward by up to 90 percent, Spirito Santo is highly suitable for variable and indirect lighting of objects in the room or for providing accentuated lighting Fig.1 Abb. Fig.21 Abb. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. Abb. 4 3
>> 9 The luminaires used Fig. 1 Q 36 Aqua. Ceiling or wall surface-mounted luminaire with an extremely low mounting depth of only 10 millimetres for outdoors and wet rooms. Fig. 2 Modul Q 36 from the extensive Q series. With a height of only 10 millimetres, this wall and ceiling luminaire is superflat. Its characteristic tapered holes prevent glare. Fig. 3 Spirito Santo. LED wall surface-mounted luminaire made of aluminium with luminaire head that swivels forward continuously variably. Front with a silver anodised finish. Highly suitable for variable and indirect lighting of objects. Fig. 4 Mike India. Classical wall flush-mounted luminaire made of brushed stainless steel and installed near the floor for floor lighting with a power consumption of only 8 W. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Abb. 1 Fig. 3 Fig. 4