Arup Manchester 

Driven by rapid company growth, Arup expanded its Manchester office on the 6th floor of Piccadilly Place, anchoring the project with a landmark, sustainable lighting remanufacturing initiative.

Overview

Arup’s Manchester office expansion at Piccadilly Place highlights a landmark lighting remanufacture and sustainable refurbishment project. Driven by rapid organisational growth, Arup expanded its footprint to the 7th floor while completely renovating its existing 6th-floor space. As pioneers in sustainable development, Arup prioritised reducing embodied carbon by restoring and repurposing existing furniture and equipment. This initiative not only delivered significant environmental benefits but also allowed Arup to lead by example for its clients.

The Challenge

As part of its commitment to gold-standard sustainable design, Arup partnered with The Regen Initiative to upgrade its existing TC-L fluorescent office luminaires to energy-efficient LEDs.

The two companies collaborated to design, prototype, and on-site test a custom retrofit solution that maintained strict optical performance. To elevate light quality and replace an outdated DALI system, The Regen Initiative brought in Tridonic to integrate smart wireless controls.

Off-site remanufacturing and out-of-hours installation by Challenger Lighting Services minimised disruption to Arup’s daily operations. The final upgrade of 214 fixtures delivers a circular economy solution that slashes carbon emissions, while Tridonic’s basicDIM Wireless controls allow lighting levels to be precisely tailored to Arup's specifications.

Luminaires

In addition to upgrading the 2x55W TC-L recessed downlights, the building's smaller 2x26W TC-L downlights were also successfully converted to high-efficiency LED technology. To optimise energy savings and operational flexibility, all newly installed fixtures were integrated with Casambi wireless control nodes. This building-wide upgrade not only drastically reduces energy consumption and maintenance overhead but also establishes a fully programmable, future-proof lighting network capable of smart scheduling, automated dimming, and daylight harvesting.

LED Conversion modules

To ensure maximum quality control and operational efficiency, all conversion kits were pre-assembled and fully tested offsite. This rigorous pre-commissioning phase guaranteed that each unit was completely warranted and certified before being shipped to the location.

To eliminate any impact on daily operations, all on-site installation work was managed by authorised Regen Initiative contractors outside of standard business hours. Thanks to this strategic scheduling, the project achieved a seamless transition with zero disruption to the staff and the daily working environment.

LED Conversion modules

The refurbishment of Arup’s office at Piccadilly Place, Manchester, led by The Regen Initiative, has been heralded as the gold standard in eco-friendly workspace transformation. By prioritising the reuse of existing infrastructure over complete replacement, the project delivered significant energy and carbon savings while proving that deep sustainability can be achieved with minimal disruption.

Key Project Highlights & Achievements

  • In-situ LED retrofit: Instead of replacing entire light fixtures, the team converted existing TC-L fluorescent fittings to high-efficiency LED systems directly on-site.
  • 72% energy reduction: The upgrade achieved a massive 72% energy benefit, drastically lowering the building's operational carbon footprint and utility costs.
  • Zero-disruption installation: To prevent workplace downtime, the entire installation was completed out of hours over just a few nights, leaving the office fully functional for employees during the day.
  • Optimised lighting quality: Light levels were precisely balanced across the floor plate to enhance visual comfort, reduce glare, and support worker well-being.
  • Upgraded emergency systems: The building's emergency lighting was modernised using Autotest technology, which automatically runs required safety checks and simplifies compliance reporting.
  • Wireless controls: A smart wireless control system was integrated to allow for dynamic dimming, daylight harvesting, and flexible zoning.

Project Performance Metrics

  • 5,554 kg/CO₂e Avoided
  • 47.5% carbon avoidance in remanufacture
  • 277 Luminaires remanufactured
  • 72% Energy Savings across the project
  • In-situ LED retrofit of T5 fluorescent to LED 
  • On site installation Light levels maintained
  • Every retrofit gear tray tested and warranted