Exterior lighting offers stylish accent to award-winning retirement residence

It was a first for the Canadian Property Awards. The 2018/2019 winner of “Best Residential Development Canada” was the builder of a retirement home in Cap-Rouge, Quebec. EMD-Batimo earned this prestigious title by creating spacious, bright apartments, unique assisted-living suites, and numerous modern amenities for Chartwell Retirement Residence.

Seniors living in the elegant, five-story facility can take advantage of a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen, beautiful library, arts and crafts room, gym, yoga studio, and golf simulator. The residence also includes a landscaped courtyard with walkways, an outdoor garden, bistro and casual seating, and a shuffleboard court.

Julie Couillard, president of JC Éclairage, was hired by EMD-Batimo to develop the lighting scheme for all indoor and outdoor spaces. As expected, choosing the appropriate illumination for the exterior areas was an essential element in the design, with a keen eye to safety and security for the seniors.

Couillard chose Luminis’ Maya MA10 to illuminate the games area in the courtyard. MA10 fixtures installed at 180° are mounted on each of three poles, positioned along the shuffleboard and petanque courts. The MA10 optic, with its Type IV distribution, effectively directs light down to the game surfaces, but with no noticeable residual glare back to nearby resident windows. Residents can safely enjoy their evening activities under a warm, comfortable illumination.

Luminis’ Maya MA30 bollard fixtures are installed along walkways and around seating areas in the courtyard. The 42” high luminaires provide a stylish accent to the space, as the custom wood grain finish complements the nearby wooden flower boxes. The choice of Type II lighting distribution here provides broad, even coverage of light for garden visitors as they stroll around the courtyard or sit for a chat.

Design requirements were very specific for the exterior lighting aesthetic, so Couillard appreciated that the MA30 was available in the wood grain finish.

“Original specifications from the architect called for wooden bollards, but I was concerned about the shorter lifespan and higher maintenance of using real wood,” said Couillard. “Finding Luminis’ MA30 in a ‘wood-look’ aluminum alloy enabled me to stay true to the design intent while offering a much more durable solution.”

The same MA30 bollard luminaires also line the pathways adjacent to the facility’s main entrance. Couillard chose Type V distribution for fixtures in this location to provide wide coverage for the larger walkways approaching the front door. Residents and visitors can safely navigate the well-lit sidewalks as they arrive and depart the building.

EMD-Batimo has subsequently received additional accolades for the Cap-Rouge location in international competition. Back home, though, the most important critics are Chartwell and its residents, and feedback has been very positive on the exterior lighting selected by Couillard.

“Luminis provided a high-quality lighting solution, in a variety of Type distributions, so we could deliver light exactly where it is needed,” said Couillard. “And both EMD-Batimo and I are thrilled that we could maintain the award-winning design aesthetic with beautiful fixtures that will also stand up to the rigorous Quebec winters.”

PROJECT NAME: Chartwell Retirement Residence (Chartwell l’envol residence pour retraités)

LOCATION: Cap-Rouge, Quebec, Canada

CATEGORY: Exterior Lighting

PROJECT COMPLETION: August 2019

CONTRACTOR: EMD-Batimo

SPECIFIER: JC Éclairage

PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephane Groleau