The Leaf at Assiniboine Park Conservancy: Case Study from Salex

April 13, 2023

The Leaf: Project Details

Architect:  Architecture49, Corbett Architecture, KPMB Architects
Lighting Design/Specifier: Mulvey & Banani Lighting
Manufacturers:  Anomet, Stanley Lighting, VISO

The Leaf is an indoor horticultural attraction at Assiniboine Park Conservancy in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Visitors get to experience four distinct biomes; the Hartley and Heather Richardson Tropical Biome, Mediterranean Biome, Babs Asper Display House, and the Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden.

Hartley and Heather Richardson Tropical Biome

Salex was honoured to work on the lighting design with Mulvey & Banani Lighting. There were some unique challenges faced through this project. The Stanley LED Lighting product chosen had  an ultra-narrow 2.5 degree beam luminaire, one white light that produced 736,000 cd center luminosity and the other an RGB luminaire that produced 311,000 cd center luminosity. The light was directed to a specially selected reflective surface to produce predictable lighting without an IES file. To achieve this outcome, our team mocked the condition in a warehouse and measured the lighting effects on a grid, providing enough data for an AGI program. 

Lighting Technology at The Leaf

After testing several reflective materials, the decision was made to use the Anolux-MIRO® Scattergloss by Anomet. The Anolux-MIRO® Scattergloss surface for the reflectors in the Assiniboine Leaf Biome provided soft, diffused total light reflection of 94%, with homogeneous and uniform reflected light without preferential direction and increased brightness at lower incident values, without glare. Selected for the scattergloss’ surface ability to provide soft and uniform illumination across a large area at a great distance, these reflectors help to showcase the natural beauty of the lush plant material.

The specular embossed Anolux® Hammertone surface of the reflectors in the Butterfly Garden provide bright diffused light reflection of 87%, with different angles of the embossed edges providing bright and diffused reflection simultaneously across the entire spectrum of light.  Selected for the hammertone’s ability to mimic the varying pattern of the sun, this surface enhances the wonders of the butterflies in their habitat. Viso Lighting manufactured the framework and assembled all the luminaires, LED drivers, and reflectors to insure an easy and seamless installation!

Mediterranean Biome
Babs Asper Display House
Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden
A Living Classroom

More information available here

Related Story

Liteline Celebrates Expansion of Territory – Salex SW New Representative in 2023

In an ongoing effort to provide our partners with the best quality product, service & support, we are excited to announce the territory expansion of Salex SW as our agent representing Liteline’s specification and project business in the London/Windsor Region of Southwestern Ontario. 

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • Dec 4, 2025 - Wow Lighting and Controls Announces New Partnership with Eterna Light

    Wow Lighting and Controls Announces New Partnership with Eterna Light

    Wow Lighting and Controls is excited to welcome Eterna Light to their lighting family! A Canadian manufacturer based in Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec, Eterna Light specializes in high-end architectural luminaires for commercial, hospitality, and retail projects. Their broad lineup includes downlights, cylinders, track lighting, and advanced backlighting solutions, all designed to bring flexibility, performance, and timeless… Read More…

  • Dec 3, 2025 - Magic Lite Announces the Promotion of Jennifer Penton to Chief Operating Officer

    Magic Lite Announces the Promotion of Jennifer Penton to Chief Operating Officer

    Magic Lite is proud to announce the promotion of Jennifer Penton to Chief Operating Officer (COO)! Jennifer brings a strong personal connection to Magic Lite. With a PhD in engineering and early experience working in the Magic Lite warehouse as a teenager, she has grown with the company from the ground up. Over the past… Read More…


Design


New Products

  • EB Horsman: Philips LED Lamps & TLED Tubes – Efficient Lighting Solutions for Any Space

    EB Horsman: Philips LED Lamps & TLED Tubes – Efficient Lighting Solutions for Any Space

    Looking to upgrade your lighting with high-efficiency LED solutions? Philips offers a wide range of LED lamps and TLED retrofit tubes that deliver energy savings, long life, and professional-grade illumination for commercial and residential projects. Philips LED lamps provide consistent brightness and excellent color rendering, making them ideal for offices, retail environments, warehouses, and homes.… Read More…

  • Omnilumen: Metalumen – Rail 2 Acoustic Direct/Indirect (RM2DU-ACL)

    Omnilumen: Metalumen – Rail 2 Acoustic Direct/Indirect (RM2DU-ACL)

    When designing lighting for a space, why not consider solving an often-overlooked issue in that space – noise. Metalumen’s Rail 2 Acoustic is now available with direct/indirect distribution, while quietly adding light to your environment with sound-dampening properties. The Rail 2 Acoustic RM2DU-ACL is constructed with ezoBord sound-absorbing baffles making it a 2-in-1 solution that… Read More…