Aiming to be one of the world's top ten facilities of its kind, the VCCC takes sustainability seriously, embracing opportunities to increase energy efficiency and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

With sustainability in mind, Australia's leading manufacturer and distributor of premium residential and commercial lighting, Gerard Lighting helped VCCC achieve its sustainability goals by offering functional, efficient lighting that meets the needs of the versatile health care facility.

Gerard Lighting alongside Downer Group was tasked with developing and delivering a range of suitable lighting products, as specified by the project's engineers and architects. Required to match the architecture and aesthetics of the advanced hospital and research facility, as well as to meet the strict requirements of the building's AS1680 Interior Lighting Standard - Gerard Lighting ensured the chosen lighting systems were compatible with the state-of-the-art building management system to deliver appropriate light levels to staff, patients and visitors in a pleasing and efficient manner.

Gerard Lighting, together with one of their architectural lighting specialist Inlite, offered a blend of fluorescent and LED lighting products for the project and supplied a variety of bespoke commercial, architectural and medical luminaires - customised according to the specific requirements of the project and each individual application.

All of the downlights installed utilised energy efficient LED solutions to maximise performance and service life whilst minimising power consumption, outages and maintenance expense. The benefits of using DOT downlights included high quality aluminium reflectors and high performance CREE LEDs to maximise output and distribution. Many of the luminaires including the cleanroom luminaires and extruded forms were redesigned to incorporate monitored emergency lighting modules to improve efficiencies in installation and minimise ceiling perforations particularly in a sealed and clean hospital and laboratory environment.

Healthcare lighting has been one of the core focus areas for Gerard Lighting. Recognising the importance in providing quality and sustainable lighting to healthcare facilities, research by Gerard Lighting has revealed how constant lighting can drastically improve care quality and reduce anxiety experienced by patients¹. Lighting can benefit both staff and patients by providing comfortable levels of light to help influence health and wellbeing. A well-illuminated workplace can improve productivity and energy levels across the working day. Using different colours, dimming and control of light can enhance the visual environment and help patients and families feel more comfortable and relaxed in what can be very stressful place and time.

¹ https://specify.gerardlighting.com.au/about-us/healthcare-lighting-solutions

Lighting control systems have also been beneficial for healthcare facilities, allowing staff to adjust lighting to cater for individual needs, such as dimmable lighting for recovery and bright lighting for patient care activities and monitoring.

"Over 38,000 luminaires were used in patient wards and treatment areas, research laboratories, circulation and breakout spaces, car parks and exterior zones. These luminaires were designed and chosen specifically to suit each individual application and environment. In each respect it was critical that the light fittings could be easily cleaned, were robust in build and incorporated DALI dimmable control gear, LED lamps or light engines to maximise service life and minimise power consumption and maintenance," says Ben Mills, General Manager at Gerard Lighting.

Installation and customisation in sensitive areas such as the research facility was a challenging aspect of the project explains Mills. Gerard Lighting also provided light fittings in MRI rooms bunkered several stories underground. To protect the MRI scanning equipment, physicians and patients and to align with the requirement of a 'metal free product zone', non-magnetic luminaires were built and installed in these rooms.

"Gerard Lighting was involved very early in the selection of luminaires for the project with the electrical services engineer and Downer Group to ensure a compliant and sustainable solution was delivered that met the expectations and stringent requirements of the client. Taking into consideration all elements, aspects and requirements of the project, the Melbourne based project team, in direct communication with engineering and category in Sydney, assisted in the design, build and supply of 250 different models and variations of luminaires to site whereby 75 per cent of these fittings were manufactured here in Australia," says Mills.

Once all fittings were installed, Gerard Lighting, Downer Group and Grocon engineers spent two weeks overseeing a detailed light level survey of the hospital to ensure its compliance with the respective lighting standards and levels required by the hospital.

A now iconic piece of Melbourne architecture, the VCCC is both a world-class facility for the education and treatment of cancer patients, as well as a design masterpiece.

For further information on Gerard Lighting visit www.gerardlighting.com.au

Images supplied by Peter Bennetts, Courtesy Plenary Group.