Russell Garden Mews

This project involved the conversion of an existing garage into a contemporary home workspace, designed by Studio 30 Architects.

A key challenge of the brief was the lack of natural daylight within the space, which required a carefully considered lighting strategy to support visual comfort, wellbeing, and everyday usability.

 

The architect initially approached us following the discovery of our architectural daylight window concept, which became a central feature of the lighting design. To complement this, we proposed a circadian lighting approach, combining the daylight window with tunable white lighting throughout the space, allowing the light to support different times of day and patterns of use.

 

A strong emphasis was placed on glare-free, indirect illumination, ensuring the space felt calm, comfortable, and visually balanced rather than over-lit. Integrated linear lighting played a key role here, with concealed detailing used to wash surfaces softly and avoid visible point sources. High colour-rendering, full-spectrum LED light sources were specified to maintain accurate colour perception and a natural daylight quality during working hours.

 

As the day transitions into evening, the lighting gradually shifts towards warmer tones, supporting relaxation and reducing visual stimulation. Simple scene overrides were provided via wall switches, allowing the client to instantly select modes such as Day, Evening, or Cosy, depending on how the space was being used.

 

Lighting control was delivered using a Casambi-based system, providing seamless dimming, colour temperature adjustment, and intuitive user control without the need for complex interfaces.

 

To support decision-making and ensure confidence before installation, we worked directly with the architect’s SketchUp 3D model, using it to produce detailed lighting simulations and 360-degree visualisations. These allowed the client to experience the lighting concept virtually and sign off the scheme prior to final supply, commissioning, and handover.

 

The result is a flexible, glare-free workspace that feels naturally lit throughout the day, supports circadian wellbeing, and comfortably transitions into a warm, relaxed environment in the evening—exceeding the original expectations for what was once a daylight-limited garage space.