PROJECT DETAILS
SCHLUTER SYSTEMS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, USA
Installed Products
Schluter Systems got exactly what they asked for in their new distribution center, office, and training facility in Dallas–Fort Worth, TX. This 500,000 sq ft facility supports Schluter Systems’ customers throughout the Central US, providing improved service levels and shipping lead times, as well as on-site training for basin, bath, and tile contractors and design professionals.
“Education is a big part of our success. It’s in our DNA,” said Schluter Systems CEO and President of North America, Marco Ludwig. Schluter trains about 10,000 customers every year in the US, primarily at their Plattsburgh facility and in hotel ballrooms across North America. This new facility’s training center provides optimal lighting for hands-on training and demos and is equally as important as creating a positive impression for visiting architects and designers.
Zumtobel’s CLARIS evolution pendants in a white finish provide a clean, modern look, filling the training center with light. Superior glare control (UGR < 16 ) makes CLARIS easy on the eyes and the batwing uplight distribution creates a smooth ceiling glow even at short suspension lengths. The training center lighting had to be flexible. When evaluating small fittings and tools, customers need high levels of light. Attractive lighting is needed for meetings where the presentation is streaming to other locations, but it must remain clear of the screen during AV presentations to the group in the room. “People feel comfortable staying in the training center for extended sessions due to the open and spacious feel,” Ludwig said.
Both visitors and employees enjoy the cafeteria space during their breaks because of the ONDARIA pendants. This type of high-end statement lighting provides a more relaxed environment, perfect for socializing as it transforms the cavernous space with a more intimate “ceiling plane.” Ludwig describes the Schluter brand as “fairly technical, high-end, and quality-driven,” which is demonstrated throughout the facility, thanks largely to interior architect Chris Bruck and his team from Alliance Architects.
Workspaces
It was important for Schluter Systems to provide employees with a highly productive and safe working environment in both the office and warehouse areas. The facility provides office workers with private offices, collaboration areas, and a semi-private feel in the open office areas. Partitions and glass dividers ensure generous, relaxed spacing around individual employees. Ludwig, who evidences more lighting savvy than your average CEO, required that overhead lighting “open up” the space and accommodate the partitions with no additional task lighting in the cubicles.
MELLOW LIGHT IV recessed luminaires help to balance that direct, task lighting requirement with gentler, diffuse lighting. The split diffuser optic provides a uniform appearance and eliminates strong shadows. Low luminance at high viewing angles prevents glare, both direct and reflected, while 90 CRI LEDs (standard) boost color rendering in the space.
The warehouse spaces are definitely the heart of the new facility: “Probably the most important aspect, especially from the lighting perspective,” Ludwig emphasized. A process optimization consultant helped supply an initial layout for warehouse racking and lighting, with the focus on picking, packing, and loading onto trucks. The large inventory in this warehouse is intended to minimize order-fulfillment and shipping times for Central US customers.
“But as our portfolio is expanding, and also as certain products become more or less successful, we need to relocate products in the warehouse on a regular basis—in order to maximize efficiency.” Ludwig further explained that refining and reconfiguring the rack space is key to both efficiency and accuracy.
“The lighting, obviously, has to follow those changes from a productivity perspective and, most important, from a health and safety perspective.” OSHA and other lighting codes, supplemented by Schluter’s internal safety protocols, are among the highest priorities in this busy warehouse. Small, dime-size fittings must be picked accurately, but large shower enclosures and vapor barriers can be bulky and very heavy. “It’s important to optimize for both easy access and safety,” he said.
Quality lighting from Zumtobel’s TECTON Linear Trunking System and CRAFT Medium High-Bay Luminaires provides a comfortable, safe environment, and the system is infinitely reconfigurable. Where racking is reconfigured several times a year, it can be extremely costly and time-consuming to rewire and remount 277V lighting. TECTON Trunking provides long, continuous rows up to 195 ft and tool-free mounting of luminaires. Power supplies and lighting controls are integrated into the trunking, offering three switchable legs and two dimming control wires. Plug-and-play CRAFT luminaires feature superior optics for glare control, in both narrow-beam for shelving and wide-beam for traffic and packing areas. Powder-coated internal cooling ribs conduct airflow up through the luminaire for optimal cooling, and discourage dust deposits.
“We always have optimal light output for each warehouse area. It’s very easy and super-quick to change the setup of the lighting system, without the need for costly rewiring and electrical contractors,” according to Ludwig.
TECTON’s easy initial installation was also attractive. “You just install a single power line for the whole run of fixtures: you don’t need to bring full-voltage power to each fixture. That saved a lot on installation costs and helped us get into the warehouse far quicker than with a regular lighting system,” Ludwig said. “Even under very demanding and difficult COVID circumstances, we were able to meet our timeline with Zumtobel’s help.”
After a year, he reports that Schluter is growing rapidly with the support of the new facility, and that management “couldn’t be happier” with the facility and the lighting. “The employees like the space we’ve created for them. And customers—even architects—are impressed with the tour.”
Basically, without help from an electrician, we just use a lift to change the lighting configuration. It gives us the flexibility that we need on a regular basis.
Schluter Systems CEO and President of North America Marco Ludwig
Owner: Schluter Systems
Architect: Alliance Architects
“Education is a big part of our success. It’s in our DNA,” said Schluter Systems CEO and President of North America, Marco Ludwig. Schluter trains about 10,000 customers every year in the US, primarily at their Plattsburgh facility and in hotel ballrooms across North America. This new facility’s training center provides optimal lighting for hands-on training and demos and is equally as important as creating a positive impression for visiting architects and designers.
Zumtobel’s CLARIS evolution pendants in a white finish provide a clean, modern look, filling the training center with light. Superior glare control (UGR < 16 ) makes CLARIS easy on the eyes and the batwing uplight distribution creates a smooth ceiling glow even at short suspension lengths. The training center lighting had to be flexible. When evaluating small fittings and tools, customers need high levels of light. Attractive lighting is needed for meetings where the presentation is streaming to other locations, but it must remain clear of the screen during AV presentations to the group in the room. “People feel comfortable staying in the training center for extended sessions due to the open and spacious feel,” Ludwig said.
Both visitors and employees enjoy the cafeteria space during their breaks because of the ONDARIA pendants. This type of high-end statement lighting provides a more relaxed environment, perfect for socializing as it transforms the cavernous space with a more intimate “ceiling plane.” Ludwig describes the Schluter brand as “fairly technical, high-end, and quality-driven,” which is demonstrated throughout the facility, thanks largely to interior architect Chris Bruck and his team from Alliance Architects.
Workspaces
It was important for Schluter Systems to provide employees with a highly productive and safe working environment in both the office and warehouse areas. The facility provides office workers with private offices, collaboration areas, and a semi-private feel in the open office areas. Partitions and glass dividers ensure generous, relaxed spacing around individual employees. Ludwig, who evidences more lighting savvy than your average CEO, required that overhead lighting “open up” the space and accommodate the partitions with no additional task lighting in the cubicles.
MELLOW LIGHT IV recessed luminaires help to balance that direct, task lighting requirement with gentler, diffuse lighting. The split diffuser optic provides a uniform appearance and eliminates strong shadows. Low luminance at high viewing angles prevents glare, both direct and reflected, while 90 CRI LEDs (standard) boost color rendering in the space.
The warehouse spaces are definitely the heart of the new facility: “Probably the most important aspect, especially from the lighting perspective,” Ludwig emphasized. A process optimization consultant helped supply an initial layout for warehouse racking and lighting, with the focus on picking, packing, and loading onto trucks. The large inventory in this warehouse is intended to minimize order-fulfillment and shipping times for Central US customers.
“But as our portfolio is expanding, and also as certain products become more or less successful, we need to relocate products in the warehouse on a regular basis—in order to maximize efficiency.” Ludwig further explained that refining and reconfiguring the rack space is key to both efficiency and accuracy.
“The lighting, obviously, has to follow those changes from a productivity perspective and, most important, from a health and safety perspective.” OSHA and other lighting codes, supplemented by Schluter’s internal safety protocols, are among the highest priorities in this busy warehouse. Small, dime-size fittings must be picked accurately, but large shower enclosures and vapor barriers can be bulky and very heavy. “It’s important to optimize for both easy access and safety,” he said.
Quality lighting from Zumtobel’s TECTON Linear Trunking System and CRAFT Medium High-Bay Luminaires provides a comfortable, safe environment, and the system is infinitely reconfigurable. Where racking is reconfigured several times a year, it can be extremely costly and time-consuming to rewire and remount 277V lighting. TECTON Trunking provides long, continuous rows up to 195 ft and tool-free mounting of luminaires. Power supplies and lighting controls are integrated into the trunking, offering three switchable legs and two dimming control wires. Plug-and-play CRAFT luminaires feature superior optics for glare control, in both narrow-beam for shelving and wide-beam for traffic and packing areas. Powder-coated internal cooling ribs conduct airflow up through the luminaire for optimal cooling, and discourage dust deposits.
“We always have optimal light output for each warehouse area. It’s very easy and super-quick to change the setup of the lighting system, without the need for costly rewiring and electrical contractors,” according to Ludwig.
TECTON’s easy initial installation was also attractive. “You just install a single power line for the whole run of fixtures: you don’t need to bring full-voltage power to each fixture. That saved a lot on installation costs and helped us get into the warehouse far quicker than with a regular lighting system,” Ludwig said. “Even under very demanding and difficult COVID circumstances, we were able to meet our timeline with Zumtobel’s help.”
After a year, he reports that Schluter is growing rapidly with the support of the new facility, and that management “couldn’t be happier” with the facility and the lighting. “The employees like the space we’ve created for them. And customers—even architects—are impressed with the tour.”
Basically, without help from an electrician, we just use a lift to change the lighting configuration. It gives us the flexibility that we need on a regular basis.
Schluter Systems CEO and President of North America Marco Ludwig
Owner: Schluter Systems
Architect: Alliance Architects
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