Safety is paramount at any school, and for Blomfield Special School in Whangārei, it takes on even more significance, with children there having mobility and cognitive disabilities, making a clear exit pathway in the event of a fire, absolutely vital.
One of the most important parts of this is lighting, and Vision Engineering Services Ltd (VESL) was engaged to provide emergency and exit lighting, artificial lighting and overall power design for the school’s recent swimming pool renovation.
The team at VESL is led by experienced electrical engineer, Vish Banannagari, who came into the project thanks to a stellar reputation from previous work done for Avail Pacific, the company undertaking the renovation at Blomfield Special School. The project began with drawings and a fire report from architectural designer and project manager, Danny Hancox, with the fire report providing the emergency pathway required.
The next step was to bring in the electrical and lighting experts. Vish and his team from VESL carried out comprehensive site inspections to identify existing luminaire numbers and arrangements, the layout of the existing distribution board and the existing cabling routes within the swimming pool block, to ensure what was there, was suitable. Two concept design options for illuminating the swimming pool were then presented, and a plan for emergency pathway lighting.
The recommendation to engage Vish paid off, with Danny praising his professionalism, thoughtfulness, and his ability to design electrical services for the more unique features of the job, including a large HVAC system, radiant heaters, and pool hoists, used to assist the students into the pool. “Vish was a breath of fresh air,” says Danny. "If I'm engaging a third party consultant, he'll be first on my list.”
If you are looking for an expert who pays attention to detail, then Vish is your man.