The SWICA headquarters in Winterthur is a modern new building with ten staggered hexagonal platforms that create open and flexible working environments. Around 700 employees enjoy contemporary workspaces in a building covering approximately 10,000 m² that was designed in accordance with the Minergie standard for comfort, efficiency and climate protection. The architecturally integrated lighting provides glare-free, energy-efficient light, thereby promoting a pleasant working atmosphere. Sustainability and modern design combine here to create a place that offers space for the future.
The lighting follows the architectural concept and supports the clarity of the open-plan layout. Lights were positioned in such a way that they mirror the hexagonal structure of the platforms and emphasise the flowing course of the room without interrupting it. The continuous ceiling enables homogeneous lighting across all floors – reduced, functional and atmospheric at the same time. The light creates orientation, encourages interaction and emphasises the architectural goal: Openness and structure as one.
The luminaires were positioned exactly between the louvres – architecturally integrated, technically precise. This approach keeps the ceiling calm and glare-free and the room can be flexibly furnished. The light lines run across the entire field in the louvre axes, despite complex requirements such as motion detectors, emergency lighting and sprinklers. The result: a clear ceiling appearance and consistent lighting. The interplay of diffuse and directed light creates harmonised lighting moods for focused work and informal meetings. The transitions between the storeys are also glare-free with separately dimmable lights in the sloping areas. Light follows the architecture, creating orientation, atmosphere and structure.
Sustainability is a top priority at SWICA. The building was therefore planned in accordance with the Minergie standard (the Swiss building standard for comfort, efficiency and climate protection). The lighting is characterised by highly efficient profile luminaires. Motion and presence detectors control the lighting, which is reduced to a dimmed level when not in use in order to save energy. During the tendering process, it was important to choose a partner who not only commits to sustainability in production, but also in logistics and sales.
| Jennifer Sippel, Managing Director & Project Manager, nachtaktiv GmbH |
My inspiration lies in daylight – in the changing times of day and seasons and the effect they have on us humans. Artificial light touches in a different way: As a pure, valuable source, it becomes powerful where story, emotion and light merge into one. One of my mantras is: “Inspire and get inspired.” Appreciation for fellow human beings and project partners creates trust, and trust is often the beginning of the best developments. Sometimes it takes some impulse from outside to abandon one’s own tunnel vision. And it is precisely where the comfort zone ends that the really surprising things can happen.
