BP, Oglivy 2007
Solutions:
- Lighting Technology
- Cosmetic Enclosures
- Mechanical Design
- Electrical Design
- Electrical Interaction
- Safety/Regulatory
- Site Installation
01 A Living Laboratory for Green Ideas
BP started with an everyday gas station in the heart of Los Angeles and gave it a green makeover – design, materials, and energy consumption. The vision was a “living laboratory” where BP could test ideas for other stations.
02 A Daring Challenge
BP challenged M3 to design and implement a unique and dynamic lightshow that gave the appearance of the station ‘breathing’. This was to be coupled with interactive lighting changes to indicate a customer arriving and exiting the pump.
The critical program challenge was to design a robust lighting package within a hazardous environment following an aggressive timeline. No industry precedent had been set for customizing a UL certified fuel dispenser in this way. M3’s ability to test, design, build and certify this new industry standard set an innovation benchmark – in record time and with a clean discrepancy report.
03 Designing The Interactive Experience
M3 designed and created fuel dispenser elements and fixtures to enhance the polished aesthetic of the station through a set of dynamic brand touch points with the measured used of color and supporting artwork. This was accomplished, in part, through sensors embedded in the ground to detect approaching and parked vehicles as they filled up with fuel. The interactive lighting on the fuel dispensers included LED fixtures on the right and left sides of the dispenser unit and between the center columns above the purchasing area. A space for color blast flood lights was designed into the valance of the dispenser to project oscillating colors onto the faceted underbelly of the canopy.
04 Realization and Results.
M3 brought the “impossible” vision to life February 2007 – a mere 5 months from contract sign-off to installation and certification. Not only were the pumps completed, certified, and installed on time; M3 delivered a zero-compromise design that fully supported the initial vision of Helios House. In order to deliver the customer experience, M3 Electrical Engineers designed and developed custom logic control boards to interface with CK programming and a suite of magnetic sensors.
05 Why M3?
M3’s integrated approach drove to a successful delivery of a visually powerful light show customized for BP’s “laboratory” fuel station, Helios House. The ability to draw from in-house experts in industrial design, engineering, regulatory, and electronics set M3 Design apart as the optimal design team to make Helios House a reality—with a zero compromise design. M3’s “all-hands-on-deck” approach allowed us to take this project from concept, to design, all the way to installing the dispensers on-site—the M3 team was there guiding every step to ensure quality and perfection. It is M3’s ability go from concept to reality that allows clients to see value in how we work. M3 marries creative problem solving and logical approaches needed to make our clients successful. It is M3’s goal to make our clients shine…and we where literally able to do so with this lighting solution at Helios House.
