Skip to content
CONTACT

St Johns Court – Communal Lighting Replacement for Portsmouth City Council

th

Industry

Local Council

The Client's Vision

The brief was clear: replace all existing lighting with a modern, energy efficient system that could be monitored and maintained remotely. The works needed to be carried out with minimal disruption to residents and staff, and full documentation was required for the ongoing management of the new system. Health and safety was a top priority throughout, as the building remained occupied for the duration of the works.

Meeting the Brief

The finished result hit every point. The new Thorlux SmartScan system gives the council full oversight of emergency lighting across the building, with faults flagged automatically and testing managed remotely. Energy use is lower. The building is brighter and easier to navigate. And day-to-day maintenance is simpler and less disruptive.

Lighting Design, Emergency lighting

7 years
Length of time working for this client.
41
Number of flats
1976
Built in
250+
Number of lights changed

D Squared have worked with us for over 4 years now and have been great in assisting us with our projects when we have needed them.

Jay Ricketts

Director of JLR Group.

The guys at D Squared have completed a number of electrical jobs for my business. We've been very happy with the price, workmanship and speed of completed work. Happy to recommend them as a company.

Dan Williamson

Director

Have used D Squared twice now for various electrical jobs and would highly recommend them. They are efficient, tidy and courteous. Definitely 5 star service.

Jessica Winter

Property Owner

Great work! Very professional and great value for money!

Duane Bradshaw

Director - Broadway Coffee Roasters UK

Screenshot 2025-07-10 at 14.18.49

About the Client

St Johns Court is a residential building in Stamshaw, Portsmouth, providing supported living for older residents. Managed by Portsmouth City Council, the site includes shared corridors and a communal lounge, all of which were due for a lighting upgrade.

We were brought in as principal contractor to carry out the replacement and worked alongside the council’s M&E team and Thorlux Lighting to deliver the new smart lighting system.

The Challenge

We were replacing every light and switch across three floors of a live assisted living building. Corridors had to stay safe and accessible, and residents needed to know exactly what was happening and when.

Some ceilings were asbestos coated, which meant certain areas had to be handled with extra care and by trained staff. We also had a tight four week programme, so every day mattered.

The Solution

From the start, we followed our Integrated Management System to ensure safety, scheduling and quality were properly managed. We held a full pre-start meeting with the council and Thorlux to agree how we would run the job — covering access, updates, signage and daily communication.

Each day, our site manager met with the building manager to walk through the plan. Our 10 Point Customer Promise guided the whole process with clear updates, trained operatives, good housekeeping and proper sign-off.

Our works included:

  • Removing all old lighting and switches

  • Installing Thorlux SmartScan LED fittings

  • Making redundant wiring safe and sealed

  • Installing a scene plate in the communal lounge

  • Adding fused spurs for the Thorlux Gateway

  • Testing as we progressed

  • Coordinating final commissioning with Thorlux

As a licensed contractor, we safely handled asbestos-related works using trained and certified operatives. Dynamic risk assessments were completed on site and signed off by the project manager as needed. Barriered zones, clear signage and one-to-one support for residents kept everyone safe and informed.

All works were delivered under our NICEIC, CHAS and Constructionline accreditations and in line with current regulations.

“The work has been carried out to a high standard. The team on site were helpful and considerate, and the residents were happy with how everything was managed.” — Portsmouth City Council Building Surveyor

The Results

The lighting across St Johns Court is now safer, brighter and fully automated. The new Thorlux SmartScan system gives the council complete visibility, allowing them to monitor and test the emergency lighting remotely so no more manual checks or disruption to residents.

All works were tested and signed off, and then handed over fully documented and certified. Maintenance is now simpler and more reliable, with fewer site visits and less disruption.

The job was delivered on time. Delays to Thorlux commissioning were flagged early, managed clearly and resolved without issue. A few minor product issues were sorted quickly at no cost to the client.

Most importantly, the work was carried out without incident, complaint or compromise which reflects the way we plan, communicate and stick to our standards on site.

Ready to get started?

Call to action