Office for National Statistics, Newport.

A review of how statistics are collected identified the need to modernise the approach, which has resulted in ONS’s ambitious Data Science programme. Essentially it involves capturing fresher, richer and more precise data which is then used to produce accurate statistics.  

At the same time, ONS aspired to provide workspace that could sit comfortably in the market. VINCI, responsible for the management of the site, was already planning to start the reception refurbishment as a standalone project and spotted the opportunity to roll both projects into one.  

Vinci were the main driver in designing the space, understanding how people use the workspace, breakout areas, meeting rooms and lecture theatre, feeding that information back into the design brief. The client was very interested in the design, appreciating how lighting can be used as a vehicle to connect various parts of the project. 

In the reception area, lighting was used as a device to tie what was essentially 3 separate spaces into one – the Linear Recessed Leck fitting subtly achieved this. There was also a need for a fitting that could light the double height space that would be viewed from above as well as below. The large suspended ring-shaped luminaire Ouse was used here.  

The Data Science area has 2 distinct spaces -the double height rotunda that accommodates a large open office space and meeting rooms. This large space had similar requirements as reception – To keep the continuity of the design, the ring-shaped luminaire Ouse was used again.

The space boasts an abundance of day light and the client’s vision was to achieve very comfortable lighting to contribute to staff’s wellbeing. The Erie suspended was used throughout the whole floor plan of the Data Science Campus to distribute indirect light. At a first glance, the Erie doesn’t look like a luminaire at all. Thanks to its uniquely shaped diffuser, the Erie is a pioneering lighting system that produces comfortable low glare lighting, specially designed to be used in offices with a restricted ceiling height. The Data Science Campus is the largest office space we’ve worked on which uses only indirect light. 

The Eire was also used as a continuous system in the meeting rooms. With the smallest module being 500 mm, an interconnected system can be designed quite specifically to meet your exact requirements.

In the stairwells and circulation areas, the large ring-shaped luminaire Ouse was used. It effortlessly ‘floats’ in the space and the bold black finish makes the fitting stand out. The result is a visually engaging scheme making the ONS campus a very attractive and stimulating workplace. The lighting has been delivered within the ambitious 6 month construction time to the satisfaction of the client, the visitors, and people who are using the space on a day to day basis. The project won the GO Infrastructure Project of the Year Award and the GO Award Wales 2017/2018.