Commercial lighting & shading · Central London
Commercial Lighting and Shading for Central London Workplaces
Lighting and automated shading designed as one system: daylight managed, glare controlled and every scene simple to use, for offices, hotels, restaurants and premium retail across Central London.
Design & specification • Control & commissioning • Central London workplaces
On this page+
- Overview
- Lighting & shading as one system
- Workplace lighting design
- Specification & calculations
- Emergency lighting
- Lighting control
- Automated shading & glare
- Light on camera
- BMS, AV & room booking
- Working with your team
- Commissioning & training
- Where this applies
- Who we work with
- Deliverables
- A simple start
- Tell us about your project
- Central London coverage
- FAQ
In a workplace, light is not decoration; it is infrastructure that staff, guests and customers experience all day, every day. AVC Integrations is a design-led building-services consultancy that designs lighting and automated shading as one coordinated system for commercial premises across Central London: offices, hotels, restaurants, hospitality venues and premium retail.
Why lighting and shading belong together
Two systems, one experience of light
Every commercial interior receives two kinds of light: the daylight the facade admits and the electric light the fit-out provides. The people inside experience them as one thing. A glazed office in the City of London can be glare-blind at nine and gloomy by four; a west-facing restaurant fights low sun through every early-evening service. Whether the space feels comfortable, and whether screens are legible, energy is used sensibly and the interior looks the way it was designed to, depends on how well those two kinds of light are managed together.
Designed separately, they work against each other. Blinds stay permanently down and the lighting runs at full output all day. Perimeter desks empty every sunny afternoon. Emergency fittings arrive late and land wherever the ceiling allows. Meeting-room controls defeat visitors and staff alike. None of these are product failures; they are coordination failures, and they are avoidable at design stage.
Our role is to design the complete package, lighting design, specification and calculations, emergency-lighting coordination, lighting control, automated shading and the wiring behind all of it: as one scheme, coordinated with the architecture, the interior design, the facade and the electrical installation. Because we understand both design and delivery, the scheme is drawn so it can actually be built, commissioned and maintained.
The complete package
Lighting and shading as one coordinated design
Every element below can form part of a single coordinated appointment: each developed with the others, and all of them developed around the architecture, the interior design and the practicalities of construction and maintenance:
Lighting design
layers of light matched to how each space works
Specification & calculations
illuminance demonstrated, fixtures scheduled, budgets protected
Emergency lighting
coordinated with the scheme, not scattered across it
Lighting control
occupancy, daylight, schedules and scenes, kept simple
Automated shading
glare and solar gain managed at the facade
Wiring & containment
circuit and control layouts contractors can price
Integration
BMS, AV and room booking speaking one language
Commissioning & training
tuned in the finished space, handed over properly
Architecture & interiors
the intent every decision must serve
One light strategy · daylight and electric · one point of coordination
Every appointment is tailored to the premises, the project stage, the available information and the consultant team already in place. No element is automatically included, the agreed scope defines the package.
Lighting design
Light designed around the work, not the fittings
Good workplace lighting design is not the selection of attractive fittings. It starts with what happens in each space: focused desk work, collaboration, presentation, dining, browsing, arrival, and builds layers of light to serve it: general illumination for the working plane, task light where detail matters, and accent light for architecture, joinery, art and merchandise.
In an office, that usually means even, comfortable light across open-plan floors, calmer breakout and focus areas, and meeting rooms that adapt to what is happening in them. In hotels and restaurants, it means atmosphere that shifts credibly from breakfast to last orders, warmer, dimmer, more directional as the day moves on, while back-of-house stays bright and practical. In retail and showrooms, it means accent light that presents the product and ambient light that flatters the customer.
Colour temperature, how warm or cool the light appears, and colour rendering, how faithfully it shows materials, food and skin tones, are chosen deliberately for each space, then held consistent so the interior reads as one considered environment rather than a catalogue of fittings.
Specification, calculations & wiring
A scheme contractors can price and build
A lighting concept only becomes a project when it is specified properly. Where the project needs them, we prepare lighting calculations that demonstrate illuminance: in plain terms, how much light actually lands on desks, tables, counters and circulation routes, together with uniformity and glare checks, so comfort is evidenced on drawings rather than hoped for after fit-out.
Fixture selection follows the same discipline. Luminaires are chosen for optical performance, glare behaviour, colour quality, efficiency, dimming compatibility and availability: then coordinated with the ceiling design, structural constraints, air-conditioning grilles, sprinklers, sensors and access requirements, so the reflected ceiling plan resolves every trade in one drawing rather than four competing ones.
Behind the visible scheme sits the electrical layer: lighting circuit and wiring layouts, control cabling, containment routes and distribution requirements, prepared so the electrical contractor can price and install without interpretation. This work is coordinated with the wider commercial electrical infrastructure , distribution, containment and capacity, so lighting decisions never outrun the installation that has to power them.
Emergency-lighting coordination
Life safety that respects the ceiling
Emergency lighting is a statutory requirement in commercial premises, and it is where many otherwise careful fit-outs come apart: the life-safety layer is designed late, by someone else, and lands on the ceiling as a scatter of mismatched fittings and exit signs.
We coordinate emergency lighting with the main scheme from the start. Escape routes, open areas and high-risk points are addressed within the lighting layout; emergency fittings are selected to sit discreetly within the ceiling design, integrated within the main luminaires where the products and the design allow; and testing and monitoring arrangements are considered while the wiring is still on paper, so routine testing does not become a monthly disruption.
Statutory responsibilities sit where the project's appointments place them, with the designers, contractors and building operator each holding their defined duties. Our contribution is coordination and clarity: drawings and schedules that make the emergency provision easy to price, install, certify and maintain.
Lighting-control design
Control that saves energy and stays simple
A lighting-control system earns its place twice: in the energy it avoids wasting and in the everyday simplicity it gives the people using the building. Our control designs cover zoning and circuit strategy, occupancy and absence detection, daylight-linked dimming near the glazing, time schedules for trading and office hours, and scene setting for the spaces where light needs to change with use.
Occupancy and daylight-based control can reduce energy use, lights dim or switch off when rooms are empty or daylight is sufficient, and is increasingly expected in workplace fit-outs and pre-letting requirements. We are deliberately careful with claims here: the real saving depends on the building, its occupancy and how the system is commissioned, which is why zoning and commissioning are treated as design matters, not afterthoughts.
The governing principle is simplicity. A receptionist, a restaurant manager or a visiting presenter should be able to operate the space without training: a few well-named scenes on a clear keypad, sensible automatic behaviour in the background, and manual override where people expect it. We design the control platform around the operator, and we keep maintainability, parts, programming access and future support, in view when the platform is specified.
Automated shading & glare control
Managing daylight at the facade
Automated blinds are how a commercial interior negotiates with the sun. Lowered at the right moment, they cut glare on screens, moderate solar gain before it becomes a cooling load, protect interiors and merchandise from fading, and keep the desks and tables nearest the windows usable all day, often the best seats in the house, and too often the first abandoned.
We design and specify the complete shading layer: blind types and zoning by facade orientation, fabric selection, explained in plain terms of how much view survives and how much light and heat is admitted: pocket, side-channel and head-box details agreed with the architect and joinery, and motor, power and control wiring layouts the electrical contractor can install without guesswork. Where the scope includes it, automation can respond to sun position and daylight conditions, so the facade manages itself and occupants only intervene when they want to.
Coordination is the point. Shading decisions touch the facade contractor, the window-treatment specialist, the fit-out team and the lighting-control design, and a blind pocket missed at design stage is an expensive argument on site. We put those details on drawings early, while they are still cheap to move.
Presentation & video-call quality
Rooms that perform on camera
Hybrid working has made lighting quality visible to clients who never set foot in the building. A camera exposes what eyes forgive: windows that silhouette participants, overhead downlights that hollow faces, colour temperatures that drift from room to room. For businesses that meet clients on screen, this is presentation quality in the most literal sense.
Designed together, lighting and shading solve it. Light is placed to reach faces as well as tables, the window is managed by the blind rather than avoided by the seating plan, and a single scene sets the room for a call. We coordinate this work closely with the audiovisual design, camera positions, displays and microphones, and it is covered in depth on our Zoom and Teams room page.
Integration
Lighting, shading, BMS and booking, one conversation
In a modern commercial building, lighting and shading rarely stand alone. Lighting-control systems can exchange information with the building-management system: time schedules, monitoring, energy reporting and coordinated responses with heating and cooling, which we cover on our BMS and building automation page. Room-booking and AV systems can bring a meeting room to the right state the moment a booking begins, and return it to standby when the room empties.
Integration succeeds or fails at design stage. We define what talks to what, over which protocols, and who is responsible for each side of every interface, then record it in schedules the specialists and contractors price against. The alternative, discovering on site that two systems were never asked to cooperate, is a familiar story we exist to prevent.
AutoCAD, Revit & team coordination
Coordinated with every discipline on the project
Lighting and shading sit at the crossing point of half the project team: the architect's ceilings and facade, the interior designer's finishes and atmosphere, the fit-out contractor's programme, the electrical contractor's installation and the facade or window-treatment specialist's products. We produce AutoCAD drawings and coordinated Revit models, participate in BIM coordination, and issue the reflected ceiling plans, schedules, builders' work information and wiring layouts that let each of those parties work from the same resolved design.
The practical benefits are concrete: earlier identification of spatial conflicts, fewer unresolved details, clearer tender information and genuinely comparable contractor quotations, less improvisation on site and better protection of the design intent. Where the project needs the full breadth of building services, lighting and shading can form part of a coordinated commercial MEP design : one consultancy, one coordination, one point of responsibility.
Commissioning & user training
Finished when it works, not when it is installed
A lighting and shading system is only as good as its commissioning. Scenes are tuned in the finished space, with the real furniture, finishes and daylight, not the ones on the drawings. Occupancy timings are set so lights do not abandon a quiet reader; daylight sensors are calibrated so dimming is imperceptible; blind limits and groupings are aligned so the facade moves as one.
Where commissioning is included in the appointment, we coordinate that process and the handover that follows: operators and front-of-house staff shown how the scenes work, facilities teams given the zoning, programming and maintenance information they need, and record documents issued so the system can be supported and adjusted for years without archaeology. A system the operator understands is a system that keeps working as designed.
Project applications
Designed for the spaces London works in
Open-plan offices
comfortable light and managed daylight across whole floors
Meeting suites & boardrooms
scenes for presentation, hybrid calls and everything between
Receptions & client suites
first impressions set by light, not left to chance
Hotels
front-of-house atmosphere with back-of-house practicality
Restaurants & bars
service-period scenes staff recall with one press
Premium retail & showrooms
accent light that presents, ambient light that flatters
Galleries & exhibition spaces
controlled daylight and precise electric light
Listed & heritage workplaces
modern control within protected interiors
Occupied-building upgrades
phased replacement with the business still running
The same thinking, daylight, electric light and shading designed as one system, is applied to private homes on our residential lighting and shading page.
Who we work with
One design, six audiences
Office occupiers & landlords
Comfortable, energy-conscious floors that work for the people in them and for the asset, lighting and shading that supports letting, retention and everyday productivity.
Hotel & restaurant operators
Atmosphere that is consistent every service, scenes staff actually use, and systems the maintenance team can support without a specialist on speed dial.
Architects
Lighting integrated with the ceiling, structure and facade, coordinated reflected ceiling plans and details that protect the architectural intent.
Interior designers
Fixtures, colour temperature, blind fabrics and visible devices curated with the interior scheme, not imposed on it, aligned, consistent and reduced to what the eye should see.
Fit-out teams & main contractors
Clear, coordinated, priceable information: circuits, controls, blinds and builders' work resolved on drawings before they become site queries and variations.
Facilities managers
Sensible zoning, documented programming, accessible equipment, planned testing and proper training; a system that is maintainable from day one.
Design deliverables
What your appointment may include
Deliverables are agreed to suit the project scope and stage; the appointment defines exactly what is produced. Depending on that scope, a package may include:
Lighting & shading design brief
Existing-installation review
Lighting strategy
Lighting layouts
Illuminance calculations
Luminaire schedules
Fixture selection & coordination
Lighting circuit & wiring layouts
Emergency-lighting coordination
Lighting-control strategy
Control zoning & channel schedules
Keypad & interface layouts
Scene descriptions
Shading strategy & zoning
Blind & fabric specifications
Shading wiring layouts
Integration schedules (BMS / AV / booking)
AutoCAD drawings
Coordinated Revit models
Reflected ceiling coordination
Builders' work requirements
Tender information
Contractor quotation review
Installation reviews
Commissioning coordination
User training & record information
A simple start
Your project, made clear
- 01
Share your project information
Complete the enquiry form below and send whatever exists today: floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, fit-out concepts, facade details or photographs of the space.
- 02
Optional discovery call
If helpful, we arrange a short Microsoft Teams call to understand the premises, the occupancy, the programme and what is driving the project. Entirely optional.
- 03
Scope and fee proposal
After reviewing your information we prepare a clear written proposal: recommended scope, deliverables, assumptions and professional fees for the design appointment.
- 04
Survey and design brief
If appointed, we arrange an appropriate site survey, including the daylight and glare conditions the design must answer, and establish the detailed requirements with you and your team.
- 05
Design and coordination
We develop the lighting, control and shading design, coordinate it with the architectural, interior, electrical and facade information, and communicate with the relevant specialists throughout.
- 06
Construction-stage support
Where included in the appointment, we assist with tendering, contractor review, installation reviews, commissioning, scene tuning, user training and handover.
Start by sharing a few details below. Complete only the fields relevant to your project.
Start the conversation
Tell us about your project
Share as much or as little information as you currently have. If drawings are available, upload them and we can begin by reviewing the project.
Where we work
Lighting and shading across Central London
We design commercial lighting and shading across Central London, with much of our work concentrated in:
We also take on projects in Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Victoria, Holborn and Midtown, Clerkenwell, Shoreditch, King's Cross, Paddington, the South Bank and Canary Wharf. These are areas where we undertake projects; our office is in Croydon, and we work across London and the South East.
Central London's commercial buildings bring their own lighting conditions: deep floor plates beside fully glazed facades, neighbouring buildings that steal or bounce daylight, listed interiors with protected ceilings, landlord requirements, occupied floors above and below, and programmes measured against rent-free periods. Much of the value of a coordinated lighting and shading design lies in resolving exactly these constraints before they reach site.
Questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
What does commercial lighting design involve?+
It begins with how the space is used: desks, meeting rooms, front-of-house, dining, retail display, and layers light accordingly: general illumination for the working plane, task light where detail matters, and accent light for architecture, joinery and merchandise. Around that sit the practical disciplines: illuminance calculations, fixture selection and coordination with the ceiling, circuit and wiring layouts, emergency-lighting coordination and the control system that binds everything together. The result should feel effortless in the room and be straightforward for contractors to price and install.
What lighting levels does an office need?+
Illuminance, the amount of light landing on a surface, measured in lux, is the usual starting point. Around 500 lux at desks is a widely used design benchmark for office work, with lower levels for circulation and breakout areas, but the right figure depends on the tasks, the users, the daylight available and the design guidance adopted for the project. Where the project needs them, we prepare calculations so lighting levels are demonstrated on drawings rather than discovered after fit-out.
Can you coordinate emergency lighting with the lighting design?+
Yes. Emergency lighting is often treated as an afterthought, and it shows, mismatched fittings scattered across an otherwise considered ceiling. We coordinate emergency provision with the main scheme from the start: escape routes and open areas covered, fittings selected to sit discreetly within the ceiling design, testing arrangements considered, and the information contractors need shown clearly on the drawings. Statutory responsibilities sit where the project's appointments place them; we design so those obligations are straightforward to meet and to evidence.
How do occupancy and daylight-based controls reduce energy use?+
Occupancy sensors switch or dim lighting in spaces nobody is using: meeting rooms, stores, back-of-house corridors, while daylight-linked control dims fittings near windows when natural light is already doing the work. Both can reduce energy use and are increasingly expected in workplace fit-outs. The actual saving depends on the building, its occupancy patterns and how the controls are commissioned, which is why we treat commissioning as part of the design rather than a final formality.
What is scene setting, and is it useful outside boardrooms?+
A scene is a preset combination of lighting levels: and, where fitted, blind positions: recalled from a single button: presentation, town hall, dining service, close of day. In restaurants and hotels, scenes let staff move front-of-house from lunch to evening consistently, without anyone adjusting individual dimmers. In offices, scenes make meeting rooms usable by people who will never read a manual. Well-named scenes on a simple keypad are the difference between a control system that is used and one that is bypassed.
Do automated blinds make a real difference in an office?+
In a glazed Central London building, yes. Automated shading manages glare on screens, moderates solar gain and keeps perimeter desks usable through the day rather than only when the sun is elsewhere. Coordinated with daylight-linked lighting control, blinds and luminaires work as one system, so the space stays comfortable without occupants fighting the facade. The design questions, fabric selection, side channels, motor and power provision, control zoning, are resolved on drawings with the facade and fit-out teams, not improvised on site.
Can lighting and shading integrate with our BMS and room booking?+
Yes, where the project calls for it. Lighting and shading controls can exchange information with the building-management system for time schedules, monitoring and energy reporting, and with room-booking and AV systems so a meeting room prepares itself when a booking begins. Integration is defined during design, protocols, points and responsibilities agreed between the relevant specialists, rather than negotiated on site between contractors who have never met.
Can you improve lighting for video calls?+
Yes; it is one of the most common requests in current fit-outs. Cameras are far less forgiving than eyes: a bright window behind a participant turns them into a silhouette, downlights directly overhead put their faces in shadow, and mixed colour temperatures make skin tones look wrong. The remedies are design decisions: light on faces rather than only on the table, shading that manages the window, and a scene that sets the room correctly with one press. We coordinate this closely with the audiovisual design.
Can the work be phased in an occupied building?+
Often, yes. Many commercial lighting and shading projects happen around a working business, floor by floor, out of hours or alongside a wider phased refurbishment. Design decisions influence how disruptive the work is: circuit and control zoning, containment routes and the sequence in which areas are switched over. We plan this with the fit-out team, the electrical contractor and building management so the programme is realistic before anyone prices it.
Do you supply and install, or design only?+
AVC is a design-led consultancy that also delivers and commissions systems on selected projects. Many clients appoint us for design, specification and coordination only, with installation tendered to electrical and specialist contractors; our drawings and schedules are prepared so those tenders are genuinely comparable and buildable. Where delivery or commissioning is included, it is agreed explicitly in the appointment scope rather than assumed.
What information should we send with an enquiry?+
Whatever exists: floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, facade or window details, fit-out concepts, photographs of the space or simply a description of the problem, glare, gloom, complexity or age. Early-stage projects without complete information are welcome; part of our role is helping define the brief. The enquiry form on this page accepts secure uploads of PDF, DWG, RVT, IFC and common document formats.
Begin with light that works for the business
Whether you are planning a fit-out, refreshing a tired installation or trying to make an over-glazed floor comfortable at last, we can help define and coordinate the lighting and shading your premises, and the people in them, actually need.