Between the city and the ocean

The residents of the City of Stirling, a suburb of Perth, have a perfect beach right on their doorstep where they can sunbathe, swim and surf. However, when the weather conditions are less than perfect, there is an alternative to swimming in the sea – Scarborough Beach Pool. Located just behind the dunes, Scarborough Beach Pool is an extensive pool landscape with several swimming pools, sunbathing lawns, platforms, and a number of shops and restaurants in the entrance building.

Financed with local, state and federal grants, the City of Stirling created Scarborough Beach Pool as an exceptionally attractive recreational facility, housed in a consistently sustainable building. The architecture, which was designed by the Christou Design Group, blends seamlessly into the topography of the location between the beach and the city. Environmentally-friendly construction was given top priority, demonstrated by the fact that the pools are heated with geothermal and renewable energies. The outdoor pool has been awarded six stars, the highest level in the certification system of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

Needless to say, the lighting for the Scarborough Beach Pool also had to meet the high standards set by the architecture and the Greenstar rating. The lighting solution was developed in close co-operation between Christou Architects, the electrical and lighting design office ETC, the City of Stirling, energy consultants and WE-EF sales partner H. I. Lighting. When selecting the luminaires the challenging operating conditions very close to the sea and the swimming pools had to be considered. The WE-EF luminaires were chosen on account of their sophisticated 5CE corrosion protection system as well as their energy efficiency and photometric precision.

Six different luminaire types from WE-EF were selected for the project. RFS530 catenary luminaires that illuminate the areas around the pools play a key role. They have been modified to be particularly flat surface-mounted luminaires for use on the roof soffits around the pools. With a powerful luminous flux (up to 6,000 lm) they ensure good visibility and safety.

The paths are illuminated with WE-EF bollards, positioned along the edge of a terraced lawn and flanking the rear access ramp. Area lighting on the upper viewing platform is provided by RFL530-SE street and area lighting luminaires. At the entrance building, with its bold sweeping floor plan and wooden cladding, recessed ceiling downlights provide the lighting for the entrance to the restaurants and shops on the upper floor, while surface-mounted wall luminaires with two-sided light output add highlights on the north façade. Finally, inside the building, FLD131 projectors have been mounted on the walls of the lift lobby to provide general functional lighting.

WE-EF luminaires are characterised by durability and efficiency, and they are an important element of the ecological construction and operating concept of the Scarborough Beach Pool. A further advantage is that they come with the necessary interfaces ex-works for integration into digital lighting control systems. This was important in this project because the light in the buildings and around the swimming pools is dimmed and switched on and off, depending on the level of daylight and the presence of people, in order to tap further energy-saving potential. 

The lighting concept recently received official recognition with an award at the IESANZ (Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand) Lighting Design Awards.