DW Windsor has supplied its stylish low voltage Garda LED illuminated handrails to enhance the appearance of eight stairways and five bridges at Manchester University Art and Design Building.

The specification for the stairways, by consulting engineers Arup, was to achieve lighting levels of 100 lux at floor level, with full 3-hour emergency output and DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliance. To achieve this, architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios identified the Garda handrail as meeting both aesthetic and technical requirements. The flexibility of the system to suit the bridge and stair structure was a further benefit.

The Garda system supplied for the project uses asymmetrical optics to concentrate the light where needed; bathing the stairwell and bridges in a warm white light (3000K).

To ensure the clean lines of the handrail were not interrupted, the transformer enclosure and emergency battery back-up unit are sited beneath the floor panels at the top of each staircase and bridge. Power is fed discreetly into the Garda LED handrails via square sectional brackets at the end of the Garda handrail. The system is low voltage, requiring only one power supply per run of handrail, thereby reducing installation costs as well.

In using LED light sources in the Garda handrails, the University has minimised the energy consumption of the lighting and also reduced maintenance costs due to the long life of the LEDs.