darc room partners with London Design Fair
(UK) – Dedicated lighting exhibition to have strong focus on decorative lighting.
After the critical success of [d]arc room over the last two years, the event is now upping the ante by having its own hall at London Design Fair in the Old Truman Brewery as part of the London Design Festival in September.
London Design Fair attracts 30,000 visitors, with over half of those involved in interior design, architecture or retail. darc room will benefit from these impressive figures whilst adding its own dedicated lighting design audience, which was over 2,000 last year.
Taking place on 19-22 September, the show will continue with its unique exhibiting concept, showcasing the very best in lighting products, as well as having educational workshops, presentations and panel discussions covering all elements of decorative and architectural lighting – taking a closer look at lighting’s role in interior design and architecture.
Paul James, director of [d]arc room, commented: “I am delighted that darc room has found a new home at London Design Fair in the Old Truman Brewery for 2019. Whilst maintaining its own identity, darc room will benefit from London Design Fair’s impressive and diverse visitor numbers whilst also bringing a new, exciting lighting element to the design show.
“Our goal is to broaden the conversation to other designers who do not work with lighting every day but nevertheless are involved in the lighting specification process. Being involved in London Design Fair will allow our architectural and decorative lighting exhibitors to meet a wide range of designers and specifiers, not just those ensconced in lighting.”
Jimmy MacDonald, Founder and Director of London Design Fair, added: “As the Fair develops, servicing the needs of our growing trade audience becomes increasingly important, so we are delighted to be hosting darc room, a brilliant and concise lighting fair with over 75 international exhibitors.”
The unique exhibiting format of darc room makes it easy for companies to participate so take a look at the digital brochure and contact Stephen Quiligotti to exhibit.
3D-printed MoonLight launch
(Canada) - Partisans and Decimal collaborate to launch new lighting product at IDS Toronto.
Toronto-based architecture and design firm Partisans has partnered with global 3D-printed lighting platform Decimal to create MoonLight (.015), a new lighting product that made its debut at IDS Toronto.
In designing MoonLight, Partisans explored the formal process of employing bubbles to create voids within a traditional spherical pendant light. The result is a glowing orb reminiscent of a lunar landscape.
"Bubbles are elusive, impossible to grasp and complex to manufacture," says Partisans Co-Founder Alex Josephson. "In partnering with Decimal, we aimed to develop a design that could only be fabricated through 3D printing. With geometry that lends itself perfectly to the process, this product allows bubbles to moonlight as lunar lighting."
Each MoonLight features a 3D-printed shade and is illuminated using the latest LED technology, which can emit up to 70,000 hours of warm light. Measuring 12-inches in diameter, the laser sintered polyamide shade, takes on the appearance of sculpted porcelain when lit.
MoonLight is available for purchase through Decimal and select Canadian lighting showrooms.
www.partisans.com / www.decimalmade.com
Record visitor numbers for Lightovation
(USA) - Dallas Market Center sees 15% increase in lighting visitors.
By the third day of the show the number of businesses attending was ahead by 16% over the previous year with gains in each of the main buying categories reflecting the expanding Dallas customer base.
Analysed by geographic region the results were equally positive: the number of businesses attending from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas was up 26%, while more buyers from key regions were also attending: key states in the West up including California; the Northeast up 18% including New York and Pennsylvania; and the Southeast up 13% including a 106% increase in Mississippi, 39% increase in Georgia, and 11% increase in Alabama.
“This is a historic opening for our winter shows,” says Cindy Morris, Dallas Market Center President and CEO. “Motivated by strong holiday sales and seeking a broader range of inspiring best-sellers across all product types, buyers are choosing Dallas in record numbers. Thank you to our showrooms and sales reps for working together to deliver more customers. We have heard from numerous exhibitors that order writing has been tremendous and many of them have already surpassed their show goals.”
Dallas Market Center debuted more than 50 new and expanding showrooms during the January shows including established brands and emerging companies in home, gift, lighting and holiday/floral. In addition, more than 40 partnerships were announced with retail buying groups, trade groups and associations participating in the January shows.
Harris Harris introduces Wharf lighting range
(UK) - Sustainable design duo fuses classic glass elements with minimal metal work to produce sophisticated yet playful lighting range.
With a focus on craftsmanship and quality, the Wharf lighting collection is the latest addition to the growing Harris & Harris product range, designed in house by the Harris & Harris studio.
The starting point for the collection came from experimenting with light through different types of glass, the finish combination options of burnt FSC certified ash with brushed brass or natural ash with blackened steel were chosen for their pleasing contrast with one another. Black woven flex was chosen as the final touch.
“Reeded glass tubes provided a very interesting effect and the semi-transparent nature allows for an attractive LED filament-look lamp to be used," says Creative Director Alexander Harris. "The beauty of the lamps are the textures expressed through the rich palette of materials we have selected; such as the tactile reeds of the glass and the deep grain of the burnt ash, which we have presented in a contemporary and minimal way."
As with all products in the Collection, the Wharf lights contribute to the Harris & Harris ‘Designed for Life’ Foundation, helping those without food, water or shelter.
Iconic Albertslund Post relaunches
(Denmark) - Louis Poulsen reintroduces outdoor light in Mini and Maxi editions, featuring significant technical updates.
Now including several dimming options, Smart City compatibility and easy maintenance features, the Albertslund Post makes itself at home wherever ambient and glare-free light benefits people and spaces. From parks, pathways and harbours in urban neighbourhoods to university, hospital and company campuses where numerous buildings need to be connected in a seamless, easy-to-navigate network.
Originally designed by Architect Viggo Møller-Jensen, every element of the Albertslund Post is designed to shape light in an ideal manner for outdoor applications. The large round top shade reflects the light and directs it downward to the ground where needed.
A clear cylinder beneath the top plate is wrapped in the middle by a shielding ring to prevent glare. White-painted reflectors also aid in creating diffused, comfortable light distribution. The result is symmetrical, glare-free, downwardly-directed illumination that complements its surroundings as it brings comfort and guidance.
Plumen001 Launches at MoMA Design Store
(USA) - Plumen launches new 001 LED decorative lamp in US and Canada, raising the bar in contemporary design.
The 001 LED gives an exceptional light quality, is even more efficient, yet retains the iconic 001 lamp shape thanks to new technology devised by Plumen. The 001 LED unites form, function, and innovation; the perfect recipe for beautiful lighting and has been engineered to create a high-performance product in every regard.
A new patented LED construction replaces the previous compact fluorescent technology, meaning greater control, performance and longevity. The double-looped form designed by Plumen and Samuel Wilkinson remains, making it instantly recognisable. The lamp is now completely dimmable and has a lifespan of over 20,000 hours, equating to almost 20 years of average use.
The new inner-workings of the Plumen 001 LED allow for a sleeker form factor, which in turn means the lamp sits elegantly in many more fittings and shades. Materially it is all change; the Plumen 001 LED has a ceramic housing, creating a more premium finish that is also more environmentally responsible, while the illuminated tubes have a matt, bone-like finish. Neither aluminium nor mercury are used, and the lamp can be fully dissembled, ensuring it is 100% recyclable.
Plumen pioneered the world’s first energy efficient designer lamp with the original 001. It quickly became an icon of forward-thinking and problem-solving design after its 2010 launch. Cooper-Hewitt, MoMA (New York), The V&A (London) and The Design Museum (London) hold the original 001 in their permanent collections, a testament to its place in the contemporary design canon.
The new 001 LED is a continuation of Plumen’s passion for pioneering sustainable design for everyday use. Co-founder & Creative Director Nicolas Roope says: “Our goal is for sustainable design to be a natural choice and our lamps aim to inspire that change. We are proud of the huge effort that has gone into bringing the 001 LED to market. Our original 001 is a tough act to follow, but we believe this reincarnated 001 LED will become a new classic and a sound choice for anyone who enjoys beautiful design that doesn’t cost the earth.”
Karice Enterprises - Da Vinci Collection
Karice Enterprises introduces a unique lighting collection that brings to life centuries-old design methods.
The Da Vinci lighting collection from Karice Enterprises in Canada is inspired by one question: “If Leonardo were alive today, how would he incorporate 21st Century technology into his designs?”
Developed and manufactured in Surrey, BC, by father-son design duo Maurice and Jordan Dery, the Da Vinci collection demanded a reverence for history and a resurrection of centuries-old lighting methodology. Unlike anything the designers had created in the past, the collection’s theme revolves around machine gears, along with magnifiers that are used to intensify the light sources to mirrors, which then re-direct the light to the wall or floor.
Karice Enterprises was born in 1993 after Maurice grew tired of working for other people and while at first he concentrated on architectural metalwork for the hospitality industry it wasn’t long before he took Karice into the world of lighting.
“I was approached by Robert Clark of CLO Design in Seattle, Washington, who insisted I go into lighting,” Dery tells darc. “We had worked together for years in architectural design and fabrication and there was a market for custom lighting in restaurant chains – such as Milestones and Earls, so I made the move and it captivated me. Working with restaurant chains, conceptual sketches were supplied to me, which I would then engineer and design to be physical manifestations of the concept, while still being a fully functional fixture.”
As a child, Dery was always building and designing and had a knack for fabrication, albeit an industrial one. Born and raised in Edmonton Alberta, once Dery finished high school he followed in his father’s footsteps to become an iron-worker – advancing quickly, he was one of a few first year apprentices to climb the columns – a job usually reserved for the more experienced. While slinging iron and walking beams was a fun vocation, it was also dangerous and so he decided to switch professions to a machinist.
“In my own small way I have always related to Da Vinci,” Dery says. “He wasn’t just an ideas guy. He was a creator, a builder and it’s because of this that I have always related to him – I am both a designer and a builder. I was trained as a craftsman; I am an ironworker and a machinist. But at the same time, I have always been an inventor, with an unquenchable passion to create challenging, awe-inspiring pieces. Call it ‘functional art’ if you will.
“I have a mind for innovative, efficient engineering. For decades, that’s what people have come to me for. But at heart, I am a traditionalist. I have great respect for the past and the classics. I believe this is what we see when studying the life of Da Vinci. He wasn’t only a forward-thinker, he had a firm hand on the past, which is why he was so effective in helping bridge the gap between the Medieval and industrial worlds.”
Using the latest in lighting, machining and metalwork technology, the Da Vinci collection brings the Italian Renaissance back to life, in avant-garde form. “The Leonardo 1482 is like nothing ever seen,” Dery says. “It very much reflects the Renaissance era, but uses technology that wasn’t in existence even a few years ago. The same way Da Vinci used magnifiers and mirrors to project candlelight; we’re projecting energy-efficient LED light through a magnifier, onto a mirror, which then transfers onto a wall, ceiling or floor. The methodology is identical… the technology, 500 years apart.”
Honouring the Renaissance tradition required months of historical research from Dery, which was followed by extensive prototyping and development – beginning with the design and experimentation of the intricate gear components that form the core aesthetic of the collection’s feature piece, the Leonardo 1482. This piece poetically resembles a rising sun, borrowing heavily from Renaissance-era mechanics, and is appropriately named after the year Leonardo began designing and developing his inventions. Complementing the 1482 with correlating expression and in honour of ‘Vitruvian Man’, the Vitruvian table lamp speaks to the geometric purity and deconstructed anatomy this series reveals. To complete the collection, the Infinity 1519 is an avant-garde luminaire symbolising a setting sun – notably 1519 was the year Da Vinci passed away. The ringed capsule has a seemingly endless horizon, so the sightline is infinite. It can be displayed as a hanging pendant or suspended within a half-moon table lamp. Together, the corresponding pieces honour the story of history’s greatest designer – a mechanically minded, artisan inventor.
Be it nature or his industrial background, Dery’s designs always flow from something tangible in life. The Da Vinci collection makes use of brass and aluminium – brass for its undeniable old world look and aluminium because of its lightweight characteristics. Making sure the light is interactive was a big part of the design process and as such required moving parts – in Da Vinci’s day; he used spoked gears versus modern day involute gears.
“One of the challenges was trying to get the spokes on the wheels to mesh properly,” says Dery. “Unlike modern gears that mesh very well, we had many trials to get the gearing to function. The finish of the aluminium was a challenge also. Typically we might powder coat, or anodize the aluminium in our fixtures. This wasn’t a finish we were looking for, so a hand applied antiquing solution was used to give the look of old black iron straight from the forge.
“The brass was antiqued with a similar solution to give it that old world appearance. The illumination of the light is where the use of modern-day technology really came into play though.
“Uniquely designed COB holders had to be custom machined out of aluminium and brass. Using vintage styled magnifying glass, the COB shines up onto a magnifier, which is then directed to the mirrors. The main chandelier was the zenith of all these aspects wrapped into an elegant framework of world design and radiant modern technology.
“A simple pull of the brass chain moves eight spoked gears simultaneously to adjust the mirrors and re-direct the light onto the walls or the floor – all of this making it an elegant, interactive, and fully functional lighting fixture.
“At Karice, we believe as per Steve Job’s quote on design ‘Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told – make it look good – that’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. So it’s the same with lighting. Much design work must go into the process of creating a light.
“Back in the day, the lighting was all incandescent. The warm glow of incandescent is hard to replicate with today’s LED technology, although the LEDs are improving continuously. LEDs have been a game changer for lighting design. Without this modern innovation, the designs of today wouldn’t be possible. Giving more freedom into the form of the design lets us play with the new dimensions and aspects of the art of illumination. Everything we see and do is affected by light – our mood, our thought patterns, even how we interact with others. Lighting can make or break the ambience and design of a space. Lighting almost seems alive to us here at Karice. Consequently that’s where I end up drawing my design inspiration from, life itself.”
With the Da Vinci collection, Dery knew from the beginning and was clear in his mind – that he wanted to create something different from everything else in existence, something that had never been done before.
“I wanted it to be complicated, because I wanted to show the world that Karice can design and create lighting fixtures that are popular in today’s market – but not everyone can design and create the Da Vinci Collection. I wanted to show the modern world that lighting can be more than a light source on a stick.”
ANDLight
Vancouver-based design studio ANDlight has rapidly grown since its inception in 2013 – quickly making a name for itself as one of the hottest lighting studios in the industry right now.
Established in 2013, ANDlight is a collaboration between Lukas Peet, Caine Heintzman and Matt Davis, a team that came together at the end of 2012. Peet brings to the team international recognition with an award for Canada’s Emerging Designer, and a degree from the Design Academy of Eindhoven. He has been practicing design for the last ten years and has developed an aesthetic maturity through his experience. International manufacturers such as Roll & Hill, Umbra Shift, and Karakter have produced his designs.
Heintzman was trained in Industrial Design at ECUAD and Kunsthochschule Berlin Weissensee. He owns an expressive command for lighting’s technicalities and historic knowledge that aid’s the team in design. Davis brings to the table more than ten years of experience in the lighting industry and business management. Collectively, ANDlight is a manifestation of everyone’s passion for good lighting design and Davis’ entrepreneurial spirit and leadership in the business.
Peet and Heintzman sat down with darc to share their career history and how they came together to form ANDlight. Born in Vancouver, Peet grew up in a small resort town in the Rocky Mountains enjoying life in the great outdoors. With a childhood full of creativity, Peet refers to his father as one of his main sources of inspiration. Rudi Peet was a goldsmith and jewellery designer who allowed Lukas to realise his first artistic creations in silver in his studio. “For as long as I can remember, I wanted to work in a creative field and from the age of fourteen I knew I wanted to be an industrial engineer.”
After completing high school, he was accepted to the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands. “Living in Europe for four years as I attended school was almost like a second education for me, experiencing so many great European cities and countries,” he says.
After graduating, Peet returned to Canada to work for an architecture firm, working on Nike campaigns and retail projects in its concept locations, New York, London and Tokyo. He then began working on his own studio, lukas / peet design. While working on new designs, commissions and public art installations, his Rudi light (named after his father) was recognised and picked up by Roll & Hill in New York.
“Although I never worked on a light until after I graduated, I have found it to be an extremely interesting segment. I am fascinated by luminaires, as they are the only objects in our environments that can both alter and change the mood of a space but also change with the space throughout the day. They affect us and our surroundings more than furniture and beyond being functional they can alter the mood of our spaces.
“ANDlight came about when the three of us (Matt, Caine and myself) met through the lighting industry. We all have backgrounds in this industry and all had degrees of success in design, business and production, specifically in regard to lighting.
“When we met and became friends, we quickly realised we had three main building blocks for our own lighting company, (design, business and production). The style is derived from a focus on function executed though aesthetics and material.”
Henitzman adds to this, telling darc: “ANDlight came together when Lukas, Matt and I realised there was an opportunity in the lighting market for something new, and additionally Lukas and myself were looking for a creative vehicle, which would facilitate the production of our designs. The idea of a lighting business satisfied these needs and off we went and leased a small studio.”
Heintzman’s childhood mirrored a lot of Peet’s having grown up in Western Canada – also in a small mountain resort town, creating a strong appreciation for the outdoors inside him. Also wanting to pursue a creative career but unsure on what direction to take, Heintzman delved into numerous artistic outlets to find his way, including painting, photography and sculpture while studying the fine arts at school.
“I became interested in design because of the challenges and opportunities associated with it. I found emerging manufacturing techniques interesting but was also interested in finding ways to incorporate some of the creative processes and ideas I’d learned while studying art,” he explains.
On completing school, it became apparent to Heintzman the reality of attempting to work in industrial design in Vancouver. “By this point, I was interested in developing my design process for furniture and lighting; the majority of design work was for outdoor equipment and apparel, i.e. climbing gear and kayaks and technical outerwear as well. These opportunities were set within a corporate environment, which wasn’t of interest to me. Although, eventually this was one of the catalysts we used as motivation to create our own studio, to make our own designs.”
“Light itself is intangible, yet it affects how we are able to view and interact with the world. Its functionality gives us sight – essentially it creates space and adds emotive quality to architecture.
“On the other hand, humans are attracted to objects that intrigue them, so there is also value in creating an object that will be interesting, long lasting and admired for its entire existence. This is a nice challenge in designing for lighting as opposed to furniture. In lighting we need to find the balance between the physical and ethereal.”
Peet believes the products created by ANDlight are made to be “approached, touched and adjusted with the changing situations”. It is also important for the firm to deliver functionality and products that live within the user’s environment and experiences, and not pose as just objects beyond the reach “made possible by their solid yet refined construction.”
The designs’ uniqueness and visual characters also lend themselves to accessibility for audiences to play with personality and playfulness in their chosen environments.
Heintzman regards that when designing a fixture, it is important to imagine what the end use will be and find a good fit, whether it is imagined it will be used in an office space or over someone’s dining table, the needs will be different.
While most of Andlight’s fixtures fall into the decorative lighting category, overall he fundamentally believes lighting’s primary function is to be bright enough to use in an array of scenarios.
During the initial set up stages of the design firm, the trio worked to build the branding and image of ANDlight and refine their ideas about lighting, design and business. The following year brought major expansion for the company as they opened doors for business. Working alongside local Vancouver based retail partner Inform Interiors, the firm launched a successful brand in the November. International customers from North America, Australia and Europe appeared on their books, including Google, Shopify, MIT Boston, AAA, Kit & Ace and lululemon. Quick developments continued into 2015 when the design studio showed at Maison et Object Miami – the SLAB Light series was nominated for AZURE lighting design of the year and an office expansion to a larger floor plan was demanded as the firm grew.
The designers gained further industry recognition when Peet gave a lecture at Maison et Object in Montreal, with ANDlight Toronto launching at the IDS design show at retailer Klaus, alongside Tom Dixon and Lee Broom. The year 2017 marked the launches of the Spotlight Volumes ceiling / wall / table series and the Pipeline table / floor products. Both of these series, plus the SLAB family received new finish options. The first public showing of the brand was at the ICFF show in New York City during May 2017. Last year saw the team working on a variation of new offerings in technologies and form factors as well as the launch of the Orbit and Vine series.
“The studio doesn’t subscribe to a signature style, however the products that we release must satisfy the core beliefs of the brand, which are that the lights will be functional, reliable, approachable, unique, creative, refined and a little bit fun,” explained Heintzman.
“ANDlight designs and manufactures functional, refined, unique and approachable luminaires with a solid business infrastructure behind it to confidently offer sales and design support at every level of the design process, whether you’re an architect, designer or electrician. We love designing lighting and hopefully it is apparent in our products,” he adds.
When discussing the current state of the design industry, we asked Peet and Heintzman about the issues they are facing. “Personally, the biggest challenges lie in finding balance in the schedule – being involved as an owner, being responsible for daily operations as well as finding time to design and develop products is difficult. However, I hope that I’ve improved myself as my experience grows,” he explains.
“I think the trend should be to look less at the internet and social media and find other sources of inspiration. Make an effort daily to look less. In this day and age, it is difficult not to be influenced and inundated with media, which undoubtedly spreads the trends like wildfire – these things are short lived, unsubstantial and debased. Regarding industrial design, I have always been influenced in emerging technology and how to make it more approachable, so perhaps this can be a new trend.”
Peet adds: “I wouldn’t say any particular part is frustrating, as design is ultimately trying to solve problems and all problems are frustrating. it is how you use design to solve these problems that are the most rewarding. For me, solving a problem that addresses all
aspects of the product are the most rewarding. When production, material choice, scale, function, quality, final price and shipping have all been considered and solved.
“Due to the mass consumption of imagery in the last few years for better or worse, the biggest trends seem to be fast paced and wide spreading. To this extent I feel we are losing diversity within the industry and only the ones who shout the loudest are heard.
Having said that, I also feel like the awareness of design has never been stronger.
“3D printing, I feel, has been the best and worst. It is such an interesting, capable technology and process, but I sadly see it being used in the wrong way. It should be seen as a new tool and not the only tool.”
For Heintzman, in terms of technology and design, one of the best developments in the industry has been LED, as it has opened up numerous opportunities. It allows for greater energy efficiency, exploration of form, factor, use of new materials for lighting and provides interesting potential for powering. I think there is is still lots of room for creative innovation in the area, which can bring good to the world,” he reflects.
Looking ahead, the new year brings the next chapter in the studio’s growth internationally as they work on product development for their inaugural launch at Euroluce, Salone del Mobile in April.
“There is always great importance placed in functionality, but there is also a very important role in the emotive quality and personality these objects can have and bring to a space – loosely said, it’s important to consider a ‘lighter’ aspect while carrying out all the serious illuminating,” comments Heintzman.
“A good design should address function and aesthetics with considerations in material, production techniques and scale,”concludes Peet.
Mida - Slamp
Mida is a lamp with an exclusive magnetic system, inspired by the world of haute couture jewels.
A series of precious gems encrust an almost invisible centre, and polished cabachon are geometrically scattered across a floral corolla with iridescent tones. Mida is available in five colour combinations, Multicolour, White/Platinum, White/Gold, Amber, and Rose, and comes as either a wall or ceiling light.
Guillaume Bottazzi launches first lighting collection
(France) - Famous artist and painter Guillaume Bottazzi, presents first lighting collection Evanescence, designed to contribute to sense of wellbeing.
The sober design of the Evanescence collection of lights serves an elegant, poetic vision. These creations give us space to breathe and embody the artist's connection with Japan where he has worked in since 2004.
This collection uses baked, transparent inks and is available in five designs from a range of around 70 products, including suspended lights, integrated lighting, ceiling, and wall lights.
Lambert & Fils opens gallery
(Canada) - New gallery, Corridor aims to foster cultural exchange and enrich Montreal’s creative community.
The gallery will host exhibitions, talks, and exchanges by influential designers and artists from Montreal and around the world. It is also a testing ground for new concepts as well as a project site for the Lambert & Fils LAB.
“Many of us at Lambert & Fils come from fine arts backgrounds. Corridor gives our team space for lighting and product design. We get a chance to work alongside the guest artist’s creative vision and flex our own creative muscles in new ways,” explains Samuel Lambert, founder of Lambert & Fils.
Corridor's first installation, 'Feu de Camp', was created by Adrien Rovero explores of shape and materials to imagine a new lighting installation inspired by boy scouts and childhood imagination.
Refuge Lamps - LJ Edition
The Refuge Lamps are the natural evolution of the ever-popular Le Refuge. Available in a variety of colours they feature giant palm leaves and a marble base. Designed by Marc Ange, who's objects, places and furniture pieces are all balanced between real and unreal, perfection and mistake, harmony and chance.
