{"id":114504,"date":"2017-08-25T12:02:41","date_gmt":"2017-08-25T10:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e52.nl\/?p=114127"},"modified":"2017-08-25T12:02:41","modified_gmt":"2017-08-25T10:02:41","slug":"smart-light-eindhoven-brings-breda-city-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/smart-light-eindhoven-brings-breda-city-prize\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart Light from Eindhoven brings Breda city prize"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eindhoven wants to become a smart society. But how does that work? What\u2019s going on in a society like that? Are\u00a0there any good examples to\u00a0learn from? DataStudio Eindhoven explores the transition a city\u00a0has to go through to actually become such a smart society. Each week, we present a new contribution on E52. This week: Lux Lab is adding smartness to the city of Breda –\u00a0Read all the articles here<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Smart Light: Eindhoven rightly has the name, but this time it\u2019s Breda that is going to take credit. Thanks to a smart light project of the Lux Lab in Eindhoven<\/a>, Breda has recently won the <\/span>Falco Award for the Best Public Space in the Netherlands<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this summer, the official opening of the new multicoloured smart street lighting in the renovated Willemstraat in Breda took place \u2013 the road from the station to the city centre. That makes Breda the first European city to provide its classic street lighting of full-colour options, which can also be controlled remotely and with sensors.<\/span><\/p>\n

We spoke with the creator of this light grid, Ellen de Vries of the Lux Lab in Eindhoven. In this project, she was collaborating with several departments of the municipality\u00a0of Breda and Livingprojects Breda. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Ellen de Vries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cLight has a major impact on people\u201d, says De Vries. \u201cBefore the arrival of led, we were limited to have the light on or off in the public domain, now led allows us to vary spheres and light intensities through the evening and night. It offers the possibility to tune light to the needs of people, both inside and outside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u2018smart\u2019 part of this system is especially in the system it is built on, according to De Vries: \u201cIt is an open platform where anything is possible. You could compare it to an operating system of your phone, an Android or iOS, where all sorts of apps and other features run. Besides, it\u2019s a private network, which means there is no earnings model, we\u2019re not dependent on a supplier and there are no problems around privacy of data.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Lux lab developed the vision \u2018breathing light\u2019 for the public space. Breathing light is light which is tailored to the needs of people at a certain moment. De Vries: \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t only include light in relation to human activity. The light can also move along with other factors such as the seasons that change throughout the year, the identity of a city, the weather or the reported mobility.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The colours of the city and the green change throughout the seasons. In summer, the foliage of trees gives a more fresh impression. Under the trees, it may appear dark. Trees with leaves absorb a relatively large amount of light. With the high and low luminaires in the Willemstraat, there is the possibility of making the trees visible and enlarging the space or just creating intimacy under the trees. In summer it may be desirable to apply a higher light level than in autumn and winter when the trees have no leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

But also per day or even per hour, different time slots can be used, each giving a different light experience. De Vries: \u201cOne moment, an intimate and warm atmosphere can be made and another time it can be exuberant and festive. And when night falls, we can show that the city is going to sleep by bringing the light level to a low neutral position, with as little light pollution as possible for human, flora and fauna.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The timeslots are not compelling. “In an extension of Smart City, it is also possible for the administrator to tailor public lighting to the specific needs of a user, online or with sensors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Could Eindhoven still learn something from the experiences in Breda? De Vries: \u201cWhat\u2019s special is that here I have been able to realise what I have wanted for years, that I can program with a video. That is not possible at, for example, Strijp-S, where there\u2019s an installation with which you can only do something with the lighting by programming extensively. Algorithms are great, but in my opinion, there is still a lot to learn about light in the public domain before it can be useful. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are so many steps in between, it causes innovation to stagnate. In fact, I combine my experience and knowledge from theatre (atmosphere and influence of audience), Philips (product development and lighting design) and scientific research that I am part of and temporary projects in which I explore the possibilities for light.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Breda is happy with it now. The first prize of the election for the Best Public Space in the Netherlands was proudly received. Breda defeated 22 other municipalities. The jury, led by Peter de Bois (architect, urbanist, Office4UrbanreSearch), looked at the criteria ‘use’, ‘space’ and ‘uniqueness’ and their added value for the urban area. Their conclusion: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018The Green Carpet of Breda, a design of the municipality of Breda, is a self-evident part of the north-south connection in the city. This is a reward for the long-term vision of the municipality of Breda, to fundamentally improve public space on a large scale. The inspiration for the design comes from the classic layout of the Willemstraat in the 19th century and gives all the space to the pedestrian. You almost ignore it, but it feels good. That\u2019s what you aim for as a designer.\u2019<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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