IT specialist Netscout adopts employee-centric SSL in new Texas office

Eureka Lighting has supplied a solid-state lighting (SSL) project at a new Netscout headquarters building in Allen, TX with lighting and interior design handled by Corgan. IT-specialist Netscout espouses the mission “guardians of the connected world” and charged Corgan with a design that encourages employees to connect, innovate, and deliver on the mission. Eureka fixtures were critical in a number of collaboration spaces delivering light quality and an employee-centric experience including LED-based luminaires with acoustic muting features.

The 145,000-ft² Netscout facility features the increasingly popular open concepts that use space around the facility to encourage collaboration — what Corgan coined “layered work zones and meeting spaces.” One downside of such designs is the noise that can result from different groups working in close proximity to one another. Collaboration in open spaces only works well if the design allows accurate and undisturbed communication.

Indeed, the Netscout project was intended to deliver what Eureka called an employee-centric design — an interesting and broader description than the widely-used “human centric lighting” moniker. The idea is quality lighting and a comfortable and productivity-encouraging workspace. That’s where acoustics come in. We noted after LightFair International this year that a number of exhibits featured LED luminaires with positive acoustic benefits. One example is the Eaton (now Cooper Lighting) Shaper Sense luminaires we covered in our LightFair feature article.

In the Netscout project, Eureka supplied the Mute luminaires that are depicted in a nearby photo. The products are mounted in pendant configurations in a number of areas, including what Corgan calls “front porches,” implying collaboration spaces. The luminaires are constructed using twelve acoustic panels that are made from recycled plastic bottles. Eureka offers the panels in a variety of colors. Moreover, the company supplies a laboratory acoustic report that documents the noise-canceling capabilities of the design.

The lighting was also designed for eye comfort. The Mute fixtures eliminate glare completely and focus a uniform beam on a controlled area.

Even in larger areas the lighting is employee centric. For example, conference and break tables are lit with pendant Sail luminaires. The fixtures utilize a folded metal reflector structure. The light sources in the Sail luminaires are small OLED panels that are inherently diffuse with no glare. “Sail is a very artistic and structural fixture,” said Jill Ibison, interior design project manager and vice president at Corgan. “It is a beautiful accent to the exposed ceilings and techy features that highlight the break rooms.” Generally speaking, OLEDs remain fantastic light sources that just cost too much.

The employee-centric concept is carried to the exposed ceiling where Voxel pendant fixtures are installed corridors. “Voxel was a perfect pairing to the industrial space,” said Ibison. “It’s a petite fixture that does not distract from the architecture around it. And it has good lumen delivery with low wattage.”

Eureka’s announcement did not mention the WELL Building Initiative, although Corgan does have WELL credentials on its resume. We have published several articles on WELL, and the impact on lighting as well as other building systems. Indeed, WELL addresses acoustics and other phenomena that impact employees in addition to lighting. With or without certification, it seems that Corgan and Eureka have delivered an employee-centric interior for Netscout.