CITYLAB 4.0
Bruntwood SciTech | Citylabs 4.0, Oxford Road, Manchester
Citylabs 4.0, part of the Bruntwood SciTech campus in Manchester, was designed to support a wide range of life sciences and healthcare businesses. This meant the lighting control system needed to be flexible enough to adapt to various tenant needs—from office layouts to highly specialised research labs.
The flexibility had to extend across all types of space preparation, as different areas were delivered to varying stages of fit out: some were completed to full tenant specification, others to a base build standard, and some left as shell and core for future customisation. This meant our solution had to accommodate multiple ceiling types, service exposures, and lighting designs—all while ensuring long-term adaptability.
OUR APPROACH
We developed a flexible and future-ready smart lighting control system tailored to the different fit-out conditions across the building:
- In areas with exposed services and high ceilings, we installed a hardwired system. This worked seamlessly with the architectural design and ensured future reconfiguration would be simple and cost-effective.
- In fitted-out office and laboratory zones, we specified SPV.92 (9-port LCMs) to suit the structured ceiling layouts and varied lighting circuits typically required in lab environments.
- Our team collaborated closely with KNG and Hilson Moran to balance project specification with practical system choices that would deliver performance, energy savings, and ease of expansion.
OUR SOLUTION
The system included SPU.6-C0 presence and daylight sensors, which were seamlessly integrated into the luminaires in areas with exposed services, helping to reduce visual clutter while maintaining accurate detection.
We also provided full BMS integration and MQTT software, enabling smart building connectivity and future-focused data integration.
THE RESULT
The delivered solution gives Bruntwood SciTech a smart, energy-efficient lighting system designed with flexibility at its core. Tenants benefit from presence detection and daylight dimming features that reduce energy usage without compromising comfort. The building’s lighting infrastructure is now fully integrated into the wider BMS, ready for future enhancements, fit-outs, or tenant changes—without major rework or system disruption. This project reflects how adaptable smart controls can support dynamic, high-tech environments like Citylabs 4.0.
”“This was a technically detailed project that really played to our strengths in flexible, scalable control. Our ability to work across varying layouts and integrate with wider building systems meant we could deliver a smart lighting solution that works now—and will keep working as the space evolves.”
Jack Woolmer,Northern Sales Manager at Simmtronic