Lutron Athena for CAT A, CAT A+ and CAT B Fit-Outs

Good office lighting supports the way the space is used, from open-plan work to a presentation or an evening event. Lutron Athena can bring zones, scenes and schedules into a coordinated commercial design, with a clear handover between landlord and tenant teams.

We start by reviewing the landlord’s base-build installation and the tenant’s proposed rooms. CAT A, CAT A+ and CAT B describe different fit-out stages; the project documents establish the precise scope and responsibilities.

What changes between CAT A, CAT A+ and CAT B?

Use this as a conversation starter, not as a specification. The definitions and division of work vary from building to building.

A CAT B design may retain much of the CAT A installation. Equally, a new layout may need different zoning or additional cabling. Check what is already there before promising either a simple upgrade or a complete replacement. For a wider explanation of fit-out labels, M Moser's CAT A and CAT B guide is a useful starting point.

Draw the boundary before choosing the system

Ask the landlord and tenant teams to mark the same reflected ceiling plan. A short responsibility schedule should name who supplies, installs, programmes, tests and supports each part of the controls. In particular, agree:

• the lighting zones now and after any planned room divisions;
• the luminaire and driver schedule, including the control interface required by each fitting;
• switches, occupancy and daylight sensors, local override and out-of-hours operation;
• any agreed connection to blinds, AV, the building management system or the building network;
• access for commissioning, fault-finding, future alterations and software support.

We agree who will commission the interfaces and maintain the final operating record. That keeps base-build controls and tenant alterations connected in one clear handover.

Where Athena fits the project

Athena is a commercial lighting-control system with options for lighting, sensors and other coordinated building functions. That does not mean every office needs every feature. Start with the way people will use the space: perhaps simple local control in meeting rooms, a sensible evening schedule in shared areas and an agreed route for changing settings later. Then select the equipment and interfaces that suit the actual fittings and project brief. Lutron's Athena information and current technical documents are the place to verify the proposed components and their UK availability.

For an existing installation, we review the equipment, access and compatibility, then develop the controls around the proposed layout. The driver schedule, network and commissioning plan are coordinated as part of that work.

Agree a handover that still works six months later

At handover, we test the rooms as people will use them: entering, working, presenting and returning out of hours. We record scenes, sensors, schedules and interfaces, and provide operating information, access arrangements and a route for later changes. The responsible project team coordinates the separate emergency-lighting design and testing.

We review operating outcomes against the building’s brief and baseline. CIBSE’s lighting-control guidance supports the design and handover process; our Athena energy guide explains the measurement approach.

What to send us for a useful first conversation

If you are planning an office fit-out, send the current and proposed layouts, the lighting and driver schedules if available, details of any existing controls, and the landlord/tenant scope. A programme and the right project contact help too. We can then discuss whether Athena is suitable, which interfaces need checking and what to resolve before installation. Talk to London Electricals about your Athena project.