Three Bridges, Hawick
sensitive illumination of flood defence footbridges
Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, has undergone a major transformation through the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme, which includes approximately 5,600 m of new flood defence walls and three replacement footbridges: Lawson, Victoria and Mansfield. The new, raised bridges form key links in the town’s active travel network, improving connectivity while enhancing resilience to future flood events.
Lighting Integration Ltd invited us to develop a coordinated lighting scheme for all three bridges, based on their architectural design and the client’s requirements for safety, visual comfort and environmental sensitivity. The brief called for uniform, low‑glare illumination of the walkways with almost zero light spill beyond the bridge structures to protect nearby residences and riverside ecology.
Working over the River Teviot introduced constraints around construction access, weather and flood conditions, and strict controls on light spill to protect the river corridor, which sits within a sensitive ecological context. The combination of precise asymmetric optics, low mounting height within the handrail and careful aiming allowed compliance with a “near zero” spill criterion at 1 m from the parapet while maintaining appropriate walkway illuminance and uniformity for pedestrian safety.
The scheme is built around the Pictor 48 asymmetric handrail luminaire integrated into 48.3 mm circular hollow section (CHS) handrails, machined and supplied by Briton Fabricators Ltd. The asymmetric optic projects light across the deck surface while sharply controlling upward and outward spill, enabling a safe, even lit environment.