Light fittings from WE-EF LIGHTING Pty Ltd played a major role in the successful upgrading of the Carrum foreshore precinct in the City of Kingston (Victoria).

The City of Kingston decided in 2012 to upgrade this seaside suburb precinct and create an innovative and enjoyable area for residents and visitors. Comprising of a new pedestrian breezeway link from the Patterson River through to the Carrum foreshore precinct, the project included a combination of elevated timber boardwalks and conventional paths, a children’s playground, an open deck with lavatories and shelters as well as the upgrading of the car park and access road lighting.

Three entities, the Urban Initiatives (landscape architect), 2B Designed (lighting designers) and the City of Kingston’s Parks Department collaborated on the project. WE-EF provided light fittings for the breezeway, car park and roadway areas.

David Bird from 2B Designed explained that the Council provided a very open brief, confirming only the elements and limitations of the project with a request to create something magical that would attract residents as well as visitors.

According to Kire Bogoevski from 2B Designed, his inspiration for the lighting design came from the bioluminescence sparkle found naturally along many coastlines. He created this effect using random LED marker lights supported by tight pools of illumination on the boardwalk through the breezeway between the clubhouse and lavatory block. The washing of the breezeway with ‘Kingston Blue’ uplighting helps to create the illusion of swimming under water. The deck area around the playground is silhouetted with additional blue light grazing the sand, further adding to the near-water experience.

Residents in the neighbourhood were consulted prior to redesigning the car park and roadway lighting, with a mock-up set up to confirm the design details as well as obtain their approval. A key design objective was to ensure that the fittings and poles had minimal visual impact on the residents by day. Inbuilt motion detectors ensure that the illumination is sufficient (P11C) when there is traffic in the car park, and reduced (P3) at all other times during the evening.

High-quality LED fittings from WE-EF, the VFL540 street and area lighting luminaires, were chosen for the project due to their low maintenance requirements and superior lighting characteristics.

The finish on both the aluminium poles and the luminaire fittings integrates well with the natural ambience of the Carrum foreshore. WE-EF uses marine-grade aluminium with a low-copper content for all poles and pole mounted fittings, in addition to its unique 5CE superior corrosion protection system to ensure longevity and reliability in extreme environmental conditions. 'Timber-clad' aluminium poles have also been installed in the playground area to aesthetically connect with the timber boardwalk and furniture along the breezeway.

The overall landscape and lighting design has met the Council’s objective of revitalising the Carrum foreshore and making it more appealing to residents and visitors alike from the perspectives of greater safety, usability and sustainability.