Visual comfort for Spanish students
The Instituto de Empresa (Institute of Business ) is a recognised Madrid-based business school and is considered one of the world's 10 best schools. A year ago, the IE was absorbed by the SEK University, which is housed in the ancient Santa Cruz la Real Convent which dates back to 1218 and will be known now as the IE University.
Reforms starting in 2009 and continuing through 2014 will make the IE University one of Europe's leading educational institutions. According to general manager Miguel Sagües, "we aim to make the IE University the Oxford of the South".
The Santa Cruz la Real de Segovia Convent is currently in a poor state of conservation. Through this project, Serrano Suñer arquitectura is renovating the ancient facility and adjacent areas into a space rightly equipped for a university. This will be a university complex where historical tradition will coexist with the modernity of its facilities, new technologies and numerous valuable architectural features.
ETAP has helped to achieve this objective with its K5 and K9 emergency lights, which fully blend with the building's architecture and require only minimum maintenance due to their EST+ self testing system that performs regular checks on the condition of the lamp, battery and electronics and guarantees that everything is in perfect working order. Overall lighting in the classrooms is provided by EAP U5 luminaries that combine the utmost performance and visual comfort. In the window areas luminaries are fitted with ELS sensors to make the best of natural light and further reduce consumption.
The challenge of converting this historical space into a smart building adapted to the numerous technological needs of the 21st century has been successfully achieved in compliance with the strictest energy saving and safety standards.