The new Discovery Centre for Science & Earth History
USA - The Institute for Creation Research (ICR)’s new Discovery Centre for Science & Earth History in Dallas is benefiting from an advanced, integrated lighting control system from Strand. Specified by The Lighting Practice, the system seamlessly combines the needs of multiple exhibit zones, user requirements and technologies.
The control system exploits Strand’s ability to integrate entertainment and architectural lighting in one, seamless system. It combines Strand’s powerful NEO Rack playback controller (with a second as backup), which is responsible for playback of the exhibits’ show lighting, with Strand’s flexible, scalable Vision.Net platform, which looks after the various area lighting zones.
The system includes a mix of individually addressed track lighting units, in-grade uplighters in the exhibit floors and various accent luminaires highlighting the individual areas. This variety of fixtures and control protocols across multiple zones, combined with the need for staff to access lighting pre-sets, made the control specification a particularly demanding challenge.
The Strand system controls a variety of luminaire types, while also allowing visitors to operate the lighting of certain exhibits, highlighting specific areas and sequences. In addition, it meets the need for staff to access lighting pre-sets in each area.
“These luminaires use DMX512 to allow for individual control so that we can balance illumination levels in each of the spaces,” says Jon Hoyle of the Lighting Practice, “while some of the architectural lighting fixtures require 0-10 Volt dimming control.”
(Jim Evans)

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