Luna Springs — Architectural Outdoor DMX Wash Lighting

Staff can control and operate the LED washlights from a phone or tablet app for easy use

Pro Technical was engaged to deliver architectural outdoor DMX wash lighting for Luna Springs, Birmingham. The brief required even façade illumination, flexible colour control for event programming and robust weatherproofing suitable for long-term external use. Scope items included a lighting layout, photometric validation, a DMX addressing plan and a handover pack documenting as‑installed drawings and approved parts for future servicing.

Delivering external DMX wash lighting at a city‑centre entertainment venue presented several concurrent constraints. The installation had to withstand an exposed outdoor environment, which required specifying fixtures with high IP and corrosion‑resistant fixings. Local planning and light‑spill restrictions limited aiming and beam selection. The available power capacity and the physical distribution routes for both power and control cabling constrained where luminaires could be mounted and how DMX signal zones were organised. Finally, planned run lengths for control cabling exceeded conventional DMX‑512 recommendations in places, creating a signalling‑integrity challenge for larger façade zones.

Design deliverables produced for the project included photometric studies to validate lux and uniformity, a lighting layout with aim points and beam angles, a power schedule and a DMX addressing plan. Where long runs were anticipated, the design documented options such as Art‑Net/sACN over fibre or shielded Cat‑cabling as alternatives to point‑to‑point DMX‑512. Fixtures were specified with replaceable drivers and serviceable fittings; aim points and beam angles were chosen to reduce hot spots and comply with light‑spill conditions recorded during the site survey. All documentation included as‑installed CAD drawings and a schedule of approved parts to support spare‑part provisioning and future servicing.

A logical control zoning strategy to separate full‑façade washes, feature highlights and event zones so scenes could be triggered independently. The system is controlled by DMX protocol. The control of the system is enabled by a touch panel controlling an Onyx lighting program installation.

Equipment choices were driven by the documented environmental and control constraints. The project specified external LED wash fixtures with IP ratings appropriate for exposed façades and replaceable drivers; final brand selection and part numbers were recorded in the as‑installed parts schedule. Chauvet is listed in Pro Technical's verified knowledge as a commonly considered performance lighting brand; the design process referenced available outdoor product families where manufacturers met the project's ingress‑protection and serviceability requirements. The as‑installed documentation also included a power schedule and information on surge‑protection at distribution points.

Installation work packages were prepared with specific risk assessments and method statements for working at height, scaffold or MEWP use, and safe access. Cable containment routes were defined to segregate power and data in accordance with best practice. Electrical installation followed UK regulations (BS 7671) for fixed wiring and included labelling of circuits and DMX runs. Fixings and brackets were selected for the façade substrate and specified with corrosion resistance appropriate to the local environment. Deliverables on completion included as‑built CAD drawings, insulation and continuity test results and a handover pack with operation and safety notes for venue staff.

The commissioning phase used the project commissioning checklist to verify DMX continuity, scene fidelity and lamp intensity ranges. Commissioning also tested power sequencing and inrush mitigation to ensure no nuisance tripping on site distribution boards. Final commissioning deliverables included test reports, a scene library export and a signed handover confirming completion of snagging items.

Pro Technical recommended a maintenance regime tailored to an external wash installation: scheduled cleanings to remove grime, periodic inspection of seals and gaskets, checks of fixings and coatings, and monitoring of DMX network health and firmware updates. The handover pack contained spares lists and firmware versions to support quicker repairs. Pro Technical also outlined a spares strategy for driver and LED module replacements based on manufacturer lead times and provided options for a maintenance agreement combining periodic site visits with remote monitoring where appropriate.

Pro Technical can extend this project work with ongoing Pro Service & Repairs support, spare‑parts provisioning and site‑based maintenance agreements. For venues requiring integrated sound, video or pixel systems, Pro Technical provides multi‑discipline design and installation services and can expand control architectures to include AV control systems and digital signage.