Nimbus shines in experimental Residential Module Nimbus luminaires are lighting up an experimental residential module that meets all the criteria of sustainable construction. It has been designed to serve future generations as a "material stock". Our resources are becoming increasingly scarce, a fact which the construction world also has to face. The UMAR (Urban Mining & Recycling) experimental unit recently opened in Switzerland shows how things may develop. It is a residential module made of separable, reusable, recyclable or compostable materials. For the lighting, the designers opted for various Nimbus LED luminaires, which support the sustainability philosophy behind the experimental residential unit. The UMAR experimental unit is embedded in the NEST research and innovation building on the campus of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). Individual research and innovation modules are implemented in the basic structure according to the plug-and-play principle. They act as real-life test laboratories. One of these units – the Urban Mining & Recycling Experimental Unit (or UMAR for short) – was designed by the architect and engineer Werner Sobek together with Dirk Hebel and Felix Heisel from KIT. UMAR is experimenting with construction using completely reusable, recyclable or compostable materials and products that can be separated and returned to their respective material cycles without leaving behind any residue. The key idea is that future buildings will not only provide a place to live and work but, at the same time, will also serve as a material stock for the next generation. The designers also wanted to realise aesthetically pleasing architecture and create a correspondingly high-quality interior. The materials used include a new type of insulation panel made of mushroom mycelium, innovative recycled stone, recycled insulation material or leased carpets. Nimbus supports the Sustainability Philosophy The planners decided to approach Nimbus to realise the lighting for the building. Nimbus is regarded as a pioneer in the development of energy-efficient LED luminaires and has once again cemented its reputation as an innovative force with the development of its battery-powered, cableless luminaires. That made the company an ideal partner in terms of supporting UMAR's sustainability philosophy in the field of lighting. As Nimbus founder and CEO Dietrich F. Brennenstuhl commented: “Being a pioneer in the field of LED technology, Nimbus has always had great interest in the economical and efficient use of energy and raw materials, so we were of course delighted to be given the opportunity to be involved in the project and design the lighting in the experimental unit." Cableless Luminaires play an important Role in the Unit The experimental unit will act as a "real-life test laboratory" and will be occupied for a specific period by two students. It is lit by over 50 Nimbus luminaires from the Roxxane Home Short, Roxxane Fly, Roxxane Leggera 52 CL and Roxxane Leggera 101 CL ranges as well as by the Cubic 49 ceiling luminaire. These six different luminaires cover all of the unit's different lighting needs. It is the Roxxane Leggera CL, the cableless Winglet CL and the compact Roxxane Fly in particular that allow exceptional flexibility and smart use of light. The latter can be placed absolutely anywhere; it can also be mounted on a wall or magnetically attached to metal surfaces. The concept of batterypowered, cableless luminaires is based on the idea of being ableto take them wherever they are needed without a cable and without the need for laborious installation work. The standard versions of the luminaires in the Roxxane range have a coated surface. Variants without the coating were especially developed for the unit. The Roxxane Home Short, which is actually intended as a wall luminaire, was modified so that, with the aid of a special bracket, it could be used as an app-controlled flexible ceiling luminaire. At 19:00 on 17 October, the concept of the experimental residential unit will be presented at the Nimbus Group's Mock-Up in Stuttgart, where it will form part of aed Stuttgart's series of evening events entitled "Take. Make. Repeat. Über die Zukunft des Bauens." (On the future of construction). Further information: https://www.aed-stuttgart.de/aed-programm.html Stuttgart, September 2018 Reprint free of charge / File copy requested Captions: 01 The UMAR (Urban Mining & Recycling) experimental unit is embedded in the NEST research and innovation building on the campus of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Dübendorf (CH) and is situated on the building's middle level. UMAR is experimenting with construction using materials and products that can be separated and returned to their respective material cycles without leaving behind any residue. The lighting was realised using Nimbus LED luminaires. Photo: Zooey Braun 02 The UMAR experimental unit sees itself as a real-life laboratory and comprises three rooms. Two students will live there for a specific period. As one can see, it is possible to conserve resources and create appealing architecture at the same time. An app-controlled variant of the Nimbus Roxxane Home Short luminaire has been used on the ceiling. Photo: Zooey Braun 03 Construction products processed in series are used in the interior. The various materials can be separated and returned to their various material cycles without any residue. All of the Nimbus luminaires used in the unit were produced without the surface coating they have in the standard version. Photo: Zooey Braun 04 The materials used in the interior of the experimental unit include innovative recycled stones and leased floor coverings. A battery-powered, cableless Roxxane Leggera CL has been placed on the desk but can also be simply taken over to the bed when required. This new interaction with light fits in with the experimental yet homely character of the unit. Photo: Zooey Braun 05 Recycled insulation materials and a multifunctional solar thermal system have also been used. The cableless Winglet serves as a floor-level and wall luminaire. It can be placed in the desired position without laborious installation work. Photo: Zooey Braun, Nimbus 06 The opening of the UMAR experimental unit in spring 2018 attracted a lot of attention. It was an exciting experience for the visitors to see what building and fitting out with completely recyclable and compostable materials can look like. Photo: Ando Grimm, Nimbus 07 A variant of the Roxxane Home Short was developed for the UMAR experimental residential unit that is used on the ceiling and does not have the coating present on the standard version. Photo: Nimbus 08 Nimbus's Roxxane Leggera CL table luminaire is battery-powered and cableless. It provides light exactly where it is needed and allows a new kind of interaction with light. Photo: Nimbus 09 Roxxane Leggera CL as a cableless and battery-powered floor-standing luminaire. Nimbus has a number of ranges of cableless luminaires in its portfolio to cover all kinds of lighting tasks in a building. Photo: Nimbus 10 The strictly geometrical Cubic LED ceiling luminaire generates uniform general lighting and blends in with the surrounding architecture. Photo: Nimbus 11 The cableless Winglet can be mounted on the wall without laborious installation work and is charged in a Basket Charger. It enables users to realise a high-quality lighting solution without a great deal of work either in an existing building or, as here, in an experimental residential unit. Photo: Nimbus 12 Roxxane Fly was the first of its kind and has already won many aficionados: a battery-powered LED luminaire that can be folded together into a flat square and attached to metal surfaces by means of a magnet. Photo: Nimbus ABOUT THE NIMBUS GROUP The Nimbus Group was founded by the architect Dietrich F. Brennenstuhl in 1988. It is different from most other enterprises and being different has helped the company to explore new avenues. Nimbus was the very first company to place its faith in LED technology, thus giving itself a global lead over the competition. The company has realised around 15,000 LED projects since 2006 and can now call upon a wealth of experience: its spectrum ranges from fitting out houses, doctors' practices, schools and boardrooms through to company headquarters like the Unilever head office in Hamburg, the ADAC headquarters in Munich and the head office of the WTO in Geneva. The same innovative ability also finds expression in the Rosso and Rossoacoustic brands of highly flexible shading and room-partitioning systems; this is particularly apparent in the integrated acoustics solutions, which were developed using the latest findings from science and research. The brands in both fields – light and acoustics – have joined forces in pursuit of innovation. Together with leading research institutes, the Nimbus Group is developing acoustically effective LED lighting solutions and further new products aimed at optimising office design. The Nimbus Group has also lived up to its role as an innovator with a whole new range of luminaires: they consistently embody the idea of battery-powered cableless light that is available whenever and wherever it is needed. With their top-quality, appealing design, the lightweight and effortlessly rechargeable luminaires fit in perfectly with the company’s philosophy. The Nimbus Group is a member of the renowned "German Design Council" foundation and a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). You will find further information about the Nimbus Group at: www.nimbus-group.com Stuttgart, September 2018 Reprint free of charge / File copy requested