NEW FIXTURE HIGHLIGHT- Berlin (BER)

Got Zeitgeist? The New Berlin Fixture for the Modern Age

When you’re looking for clean lines, and a strong bold look, check out the Berlin.   The Berlin (BER) is a truly versatile fixture, providing Direct and Indirect illumination, suspended T5/T5HO fluorescent lighting.  The photometrics of the Berlin are really impressive.  Maximum direct foot candles, without glare, and an up-light component that opens up the room alleviating the cave effect often associated with other direct suspended fixtures.

Designed to accommodate 2 efficient or high output T5 lamps, the Berlin’s direct illumination features Parabolic Aluminum Louvers with a specular high reflectivity finish. The louver is installed in the fixture by spring tension, allowing easy access.  Lamp replacement is tool-free making maintenance easy and less costly.  The indirect light is provided by a smooth opal acrylic lens which lies in groves of the extrusion and acts as a dust cover.

The bold look of the Berlin is available in 2 dimension styles; 9.5” wide for 1-lamp application and 12.75” wide for 2-lamps application. The housing is extruded minimum 1.5mm thickness aluminum profile with natural aluminum appearance.  The ends are constructed of steel, electrostatic powder coated to match the housing finish.  You find beauty and durable quality in a sleek package.

Foresight believes you shouldn’t have to waste time sourcing mounting hardware and cable components.  These units are shipped complete with canopy kits including 4’ aircraft cables and clear metal braid electrical cord (50”) for turn-key installation.

When you “look under the hood” you’ll find the highest quality UL approved/recognized electrical components.  The electronic programmed rapid start ballast provides long life to the lamps.  Available Universal voltage (120-277V) and 347 voltage input options means this fixture is the perfect solution for any commercial application.  If you need dimming, you can order the Berlin with a dimming ballast. 

Modern and functional are key principles of the Foresight Berlin Fixture.   Check out the fixture specification sheet and photometric files for your next commercial project.

PERSONNEL PROFILE- Owner Murray Saxe

(an article written by Pamela Stowers)

Murray Saxe, owner and founder of, Foresight Lighting, has an eye for opportunity and a drive for success that has lead him to grow, Foresight Lighting, into a focused and thriving lighting fixture company.  Murray graduated Sir George William University with a Commerce degree and spent his early career as an accountant.  It wasn’t long before Murray was looking for other avenues to advance his career and earn a living to support his growing family.  He credits a family member, an electrician, for giving him the idea of  lighting products as a business.  Starting with commodity, fluorescent lamps, his  business grew into a full electrical and lighting wholesale distributorship.

The real turning point for Murray happened in 2003 when he identified a niche opportunity providing T5 fixtures to the local display market and opened Foresight Lighting.  Murray realized that he could offer an attractive solution to the furniture and display makers by providing a local source for T5 lighting fixtures, whereas they had been importing these from the West Coast of the US or overseas.  Foresight’s first location was opened in Ville Lasalle, a suburb of Montreal   Canada, with a small office area and a few pallet located in a metal fabricators warehouse.  Utilizing the metal bending source and assembling onsite, Foresight started to build a solid reputation for quality products and on time delivery.  The company added an imported under cabinet system called “T5 Interlink” to his offering.

Murray credits his wife Janet for naming the company, Foresight Lighting, and says “We were looking ahead and hoping for a bright future for the business and our family; The name fit.” 

Murray expanded the product offering by adding architectural and decorative linear fluorescent fixtures, T5 Highbay fixtures up to 10 lamps, decorative sconces and recessed fixtures.   Just a few short years later Foresight expanded into a larger space in Ville St-Laurent  (2007) with offices for a growing administrative staff and a full warehouse and assembly area.  Foresight has recently moved into an even larger space to accommodate the growing business and expanding product lines.

One of the most important decisions Murray has made for his business was to bring his son Jonathan onboard in2005.   Murray has a real pride in his son’s abilities and says working together has been a real joy.  “He brings fresh ideas and understands the modern business principles in a fast changing industry,” praises Murray, “Jonathan is progressive and methodical;  People recognize his business talent when they work with him.” 

Murray and Jonathan share a key business philosophy: Taking care of the customer is the number one priority.  He claims his customer service focus and the idea of making things right comes from his years as a wholesale distributor.  Murray says, “I encourage the customer to tell me about any problem they have.  The customer shouldn’t have to worry; we’ll always do our best to make it right.”

When asked where Foresight will be in 10 years, he says he hopes that growing gradually, purposefully and never losing sight of the customers’ needs will put Foresight in a position to become an important supplier to the Canadian and North American market.  “I want the company to be needed by our customers and seen as a key supplier and partner,” explains Murray, “And at the core of it, I want Foresight to provide a good living for the people who work for us.”

CASE STUDY- Club Sportif Cȏte de Liesse Aces Their Lighting Make-Over

Client:              Club Sportif Cȏte de-Liesse

Industry:          Racquet & Fitness Facility
Location:         St-Laurent, Quebec
Year:                2011

Club CDL needed to improve their lighting in their 200,000 square foot tennis facility and optimize their energy usage.  Foresight Lighting’s Oslo 15- T5 Highbay provided the perfect solution.  In addition to a brighter environment and happy patrons, Hydro Quebec is evaluating the final project stats and considering the project for a 100% subsidy based on light level and energy savings parameters.   “We’re very pleased with the light quality and financial performance of the Foresight lighting system from every prospective,” states Club CDL’s Executive Director Jason Prizant.

Project Background

“When we took over Club Sportif Cote de Liesse in 2008, our goal was to make this one of the finest, most comprehensive fitness clubs in Montreal,” said Jason Prizant, the club’s executive director.  The 200,000 square foot facility boasts nine indoor tennis courts, squash and racquet ball courts, as well as full fitness machines and weight facilities.

8305 Cote de Liesse Rd in St-Laurent, a 200,000 square foot Butler style facility built in the 1970’s, is located just off Autoroute 520 near the 13 in a mixed commercial/industrial area catering to aeronautics and electronics companies.  While the facility provides a rounded fitness experience, the primary use of the space is for racquet sports, which occupy more than ¾ of the overall indoor space.  The indoor courts are housed under the wide-span structural system with ceilings up to 38-ft at the peak.

The existing lighting system consisted of 270 1000W Metal Halide fixtures mounted indirectly at a height of 17-ft.  The lighting was not performing well for the Club and patrons were unhappy with the amount of light provided for their tennis play.  In addition, the overall space accounted for 70-75% of the Club’s energy cost and wasn’t optimized for efficiency.

In early 2011, the Club Sportif CDL decided to invest in several renovations and upgrades including the court lighting.  Foresight Lighting was requested to prepare an evaluation of the lighting system and recommendations for the new system.

Project Solution

In the case of Club Sportif CDL, Foresight Lighting proposed a T5 Highbay solution to replace the existing Metal Halide fixtures.  The new system would consist of 493 6-lamp 324W T5 HO Highbay fixtures, replacing 270 1000W metal halide fixtures.  The efficient Foresight highbay fixture utilizes an energy saving electronic ballast that provides over 100% luminaire efficiency vs less efficient metal halide magnetic system.  The overall system energy savings is greater than 100,000 Watts. 

Hydro Quebec Energy rebates provided for a $90K subsidy against the $250K project cost based on the original project submission.  This afforded a favorable return on the $170K investment of 2-1/2 to 3 years. However, the actual saving realized after the project was completed is potentially significantly higher.  Hydro Quebec is evaluating the project for 100% subsidy due to the final project statistics for light levels and energy savings after installation.

The new system also provided nearly twice the amount of available light on the courts and improved the playing environment significantly.  “This lighting will change how people see the ball, and how well they play,”  Prizant said, adding that, “this is a substantial enhancement to our facilities.”

Foresight Lighting Fixture Used

Oslo 15- 6-lampT5HO HighBay