Smithfield Square is a community at the heart of Dublin 7. Created as a bustling cultural quarter, Smithfield Square is a vibrant area on Dublin’s northside. Right on the Luas Line, the square boasts high-end apartments as well as commercial property.

As a large historic market square space in Central Dublin, the brief was to provide general illumination and create a landmark. Neil skinner help develop custom designed 25m tall special masts. Included within the mast were ceremonial gas flame burners and high output narrow beam projectors, mounted in a linear arms 5m above the ground which project up to the reflective sails above. These magnificent sails are 3m square and are used to reflect the light softly across the space.

2021 Photography by James Mathews www.everestphotography.ie

The prestigious UK Atomic Energy Authority visitor centre in Oxford: a UK Government scientific research facility, which required support from us for the lighting elements of a major planning application.

The site sits on the edge of a brightly illuminated area, however there are also significant rural and dark sky areas to the east and west of the site, as well as a recently surveyed area of trees with an active bat population. Isolux contour maps were included within the lighting report, with special consideration for where equipment would be placed throughout the site, and what specific equipment would be used.

There is plenty of activity and traffic in and around the site, with car parks, security checks, pedestrian access, and cycle routes all requiring illumination. Links to the railway station and congregation zones also had to be factored in. Each area required a considered lighting approach, whilst limiting the impact of artificial light spillage and pollution.

Working in close collaboration with architects Ridge and landscape architects LDA,  we produced a lighting design concept and full detailed lighting design package for the exterior entrance and landscapes – plus a lighting strategy planning document, which formed part of the overall planning application which was coordinated by Ridge.

We’re proud to have supported this complex planning application – which was approved.

A village tennis club with three courts needed to add a floodlighting scheme for club tournaments, and it needed to meet Lawn Tennis Association requirements. They had previously had multiple planning applications refused due to the perceived light pollution the proposal would create.

At SKR, we reviewed the project to find a solution. The club is located on the edge of a rural village, and it needed a precise scheme approach for its lighting plan to limit the light spill, as there were neighbours who lived very close to the courts who would be affected.

The final solution we came up with was to light two out of three courts at any one time, and to use lower columns and better floodlighting with exact light cut-off requirements.

With these measures confirmed, we were able to demonstrate a much lower perceived light pollution impact on local wildlife, and neighbours as well – and with this in place, the scheme was passed by the local authority.