Augenti Matrix
A linear recessed fixture, the Matrix is equipped with secondary optics for different light distributions, which is useful for raising the lighting of façades. It has architectonical or frosted glass elements for a diffused distribution that, together with the glare control, make it suitable for pedestrian paths. Available in LED with fixed or dimmable output (Dali, 1-10V, Push) or in tunable White/RGBW for DMX-RDM.
Astro Concrete Kos
A simple round or square geometric shape, Astro’s Kos downlight has a beautiful polished concrete finish. The Concrete Kos is individually cast by reinforcing raw concrete with weatherproofing additives, producing a robust and authentic product with natural imperfections and its own unique finish. Kos is perfect for blending into any architectural setting and can be ceiling mounted in both interior and exterior spaces thanks to its IP65 rating.
A.A.G Stucchi Senzafine
Senzafine is A.A.G. Stucchi system with all that you need to make an endless light line possible inside Multisystem tracks. The system is provided with various lengths, that match perfectly one to other, thus avoiding any visible junction of light. The different available opticts opal/microprismatic/UGR<19/lenses together with the various colour temperatures guarantee a wide choice and the maximum freedom in your lighting projects.
Khatod Cosmos Lenses
The low profile Cosmos lenses for COB LEDs with LES range from six to 22mm, and come in three sizes: 50, 70, and 90mm. They offer a full range of beam angles and meet MR16, PAR30, AR111 requirements. The frosted finish of the narrow beams makes the light flux smooth, diffused and very homogeneous. Perfect for luminaires in different kinds of environments, living spaces and any interior rooms, the lenses are easy to install, either using their holder or alone by exploiting the mechanical parts of the lighting fixture.
Eaton to spin off lighting business
(USA) - Eaton’s spin-off lighting business will include brands such as Zero 88, iLight and Greengate, alongside the manufacturer’s Airport Lighting business.
Eaton has announced its intent to pursue a spin-off of its lighting business, creating an independent, publicly traded company.
Included in the spin-off are UK brands Zero 88, iLight and Greengate, alongside Eaton’s global Airport Lighting business and Mains Lighting and Intrusion Systems operations, which primarily operate out of Europe and the Middle East.
The Crouse-Hinds Industrial Lighting business and Life Safety Division’s Emergency Lighting product lines in Europe, the Middle East and Africa will remain with Eaton.
Simon Sparrow, Managing Director of Eaton Lighting Systems, said: “We are excited about this announcement for several reasons. It better positions the lighting business to respond to evolving industry and customer needs, it enables lighting to compete more effectively across its diverse end-markets, and it enhances Eaton’s ability to focus investments in its core business.
“Over the next few months, Eaton will be working to finalise the spin-off and ensure a seamless transition for employees, customers and valued business partners. In the meantime, however, it’s business as usual.”
Eaton’s lighting division is one of the largest global lighting businesses, with more than 5,000 employees, and sales of £1.7 billion in 2018.
John Martin
After announcing his retirement following a 50-year career, in which he spent the last ten years working as Public Policy Consultant for the IALD, arc spoke with John Martin on his career highlights, and the increased profile of the lighting industry over the last decade.
How did you get into lighting?
I am not a lighting professional by training or experience. Starting in 2008, I served as a public policy consultant to the IALD. The skills required for that role included an appreciation of the importance of lighting design and an understanding of lighting technology, but it was actually better for me not to be a practicing lighting professional. That way, I did not bring my professional slant to any of the controversies or policy discussions in which the organisation was involved.
Can you give us a brief overview of your career to date?
Since I have just officially retired after 50+ years as a working professional, it’s difficult to be brief. The short list of my professions includes: teaching, legislative aide, education lobbyist, electrical contractor, corporate training director, and my work for IALD.
You were IALD’s Public Policy Consultant until the end of last year - what did this role involve?
As IALD’s Public Policy Consultant, I worked on several fronts to support lighting design and lighting designers. While the role evolved considerably over my tenure, the key elements remained constant: establish relationships with other organisations, work with governments and government officials at all levels, monitor governments for actions that could affect either lighting design or the business of lighting design, seek opportunities to raise awareness of the importance of lighting design, and communicate the impact of laws and regulatory proposals to IALD members.
How has the lighting industry changed and developed during your time with the IALD?
Three changes stand out over the past ten years: the rise of new technology (solid-state lighting); the consolidation and changing markets for manufacturers; and the growing public awareness of the impact of light and lighting on human health, productivity and comfort.
At IALD Enlighten Europe last November, you spoke of the ‘terrific progress’ made in raising awareness not only of the IALD but of lighting regulations around the world. How has the IALD been working to raise such awareness?
During the past ten years, the IALD has increased its visible involvement in policy issues in many ways: building relationships with other design- and construction-related organisations around the world, from the ILD and SLL to the IES in North America and Australia, Lighting Europe in the EU, as well as architectural societies, entertainment lighting associations such as PLASA or PEARLE and interior design associations; placing IALD volunteers on energy-code-writing groups wherever possible; and working with government officials in the EU, USA, Australia and elsewhere to raise the profile of the IALD and architectural lighting design in general. IALD’s ‘secret sauce’ has been our volunteers, members of the IALD who articulate the value of their profession, and who are able to analyse regulatory and legislative proposals to determine their impact on the practice of lighting design.
What will this increased awareness mean for the lighting industry as a whole? What impact has it had so far?
I hope that the increased awareness of lighting design helps the lighting industry become more visible (pardon the pun) to other design professions and to regulatory bodies. At the same time, we are entering a period in which light and lighting are more in the public consciousness than ever before; the combination of technological change (SSL) and increasing awareness of the importance of light in human health mean that lighting-related policy issues are no longer confined to energy efficiency, which has been the case for the past 40+ years. The growing issue of legal conflicts related to light pollution and the different ways in which these are tackled from a regulatory standpoint globally, is also showing the relevance of good lighting design. To date, the impact is that IALD has gained an official role as a “spokes-organisation” in places as diverse as Australia, the EU, and the U.S. State of California. In addition, IALD is playing a consulting role for organisations such as the International Well Building Institute (IWBI), authors of the WELL rating system.
Congratulations on your retirement! How do you plan on spending your retirement?
Professionally, I continue to be involved with the California Energy Alliance, an assembly of disparate organisations - from manufacturers to design professionals to labour unions - that are working together to improve California’s state-level energy regulation, which is widely seen as a leading indicator of how similar regulations will evolve in other U.S. States and at the national level. Personally, grandchildren and travel are already keeping me busy!
What would you say has been the highlight of your career to date?
I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to work with IALD members from around the world over the past decade - they are uniformly interesting people, often insightful business owners, and imaginative thinkers. I have worked with IALD members from at least a dozen countries, which has itself been an education for me!
Finally, what do you think the future holds for the lighting industry?
Larger manufacturers will continue to consolidate and seek new revenue models, which in turn will put continuing pressure on independent lighting designers. In many arenas, “lighting as a service” will become a dominant business model. Smaller manufacturers and lighting designers may well make common cause to provide their own variations on the “lighting as a service” model. The policy importance of lighting in buildings will no longer be about the energy used for lighting. Increasing awareness of the power and importance of light may lead to an increasing demand for better lighting from building occupants and the public at large. The continuing debate will be, “Just what is ‘better lighting’?” As the cliché goes, ‘stay tuned for developments’!
Bright Side Studios launch immersive exhibition
(UK) - Bright Side Studios collaborates with award-winning, contemporary dance choreographer, the late Janis Claxton, to create an immersive exhibition this March.
A leading creative technology company in Edinburgh, Bright Side Studios, is working with Studiotech to create an immersive exhibition designed to put the audience at the heart of creating their own experience.
a Human Connection is inspired by its work in 2016 when Bright Side Studios and Janis Claxton won a Curiosity Award, supported by Creative Scotland, designed to allow collaborations to stretch artists and creative technologists and to find new ways of opening up the arts to new audiences.
Over the course of two weeks in the King’s Theatre rehearsal space, Bright Side Studios directors Susanna Murphy and Cristina Spiteri worked closely with choreographer Claxton and her dancers to explore the intersection between gaming, motion capture technology and dance. Their hope was to create an interactive environment, which reacted in real time to movement and put the participant in charge.
The use of Point Cloud allowed Claxton and the dancers to see the results as they worked and motion capture suits stored immense amounts of data that Bright Side Studios used to create a representation of the physical movement and a live interactive environment.
The result at that time was AbstrACTION, which was featured on BBC Taster and was released on Google Play, as well as being showcased at Future Play, for the Edinburgh Festival.
Working in partnership with lighting and technology specialist Studiotech, to ensure that technology is used to its full potential to make the interaction between the human body and lighting as natural as possible. They have now created an experience that encourages connection and plays on the visceral effect of movement using dynamic lighting solutions from Traxon Technologies. Award winning composer Pippa Murphy, a long term collaborator with both Bright Side Studios and Claxton, created a soundscape for the exhibition.
The exhibition, which has a theme of love running through it, showcases creative lighting technologies and ideas such as projection mapping, kinetic technology and human data integration. a Human Connection is sponsored by the international lighting technology company, OSRAM.
Murphy and Spiteri commented: “Being curious and passionate, experimenting and playing with technology can lead to incredibly innovative work and working with Studiotech and Traxon Technologies we have created an exhibition, which immerses the visitor to create a stunning experience for them. Janis sums it up best, as ever, with her words, “it’s all about love."
The exhibition will run 21 March t0 21 April 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Scottish Parliament Debating Chamber, UK
KSLD’s work on the Scottish Parliament Debating Chamber has earned the Scottish firm a lot of plaudits. We spoke with Kevan Shaw, founder of KSLD, to learn more about the new lighting scheme.
In the heart of the Scottish Parliament building in Holyrood, Edinburgh is the Debating Chamber. Located directly above the Main Hall, it is purpose-built to meet the needs of the Parliament, the public and the media.
The modern space, finished in oak, sycamore and glass, provides an impressive centrepiece for Enric Miralles’ vision for the new Scottish Parliament.
The chamber is dominated by an impressive roof structure. Made from reinforced steel and oak laminated beams, the roof beams are held in place by 112 unique stainless steel nodes or connecting joints, made in Aberdeen. This means that there is no need for supporting columns in the 1,200sqm space.
A huge window, made up of 1,000sqm of laminated glass panels, spans across the west wall of the chamber. Each panel has a sycamore veneer layer, sandwiched in horizontal strips between two layers of glass, and features distinctive cut-out shapes that were intended by the architect to signify people and as such, give a human scale to the chamber.
Despite being a relatively recent building - it was officially inaugurated in October 2004 - the existing lighting in the Debating Chamber was reaching the end of its life and, because of the use of metal halide lamps, was now obsolete.
As a result of this, Kevan Shaw Lighting Design (KSLD) was brought in to replace the previous lighting and create a new scheme. The Edinburgh-based designers’ aspiration for the project was to “create a lighting design solution as rare in concept as the architecture itself, while achieving all possible innovations to support parliamentary business.”
Because Scottish Parliamentarians cannot sit without being broadcast continuously, the chamber is effectively a TV studio during parliamentary business. Such demands, combined with the architectural features within the chamber, meant that the previous lighting arrangement was not fit for purpose as Kevan Shaw, founder of KSLD, explained: “The idea in the original scheme was to use three-point lighting across all the seats, but there were limitations in this because of the balcony in the back; people at the back who were speaking looked like cardboard cut-outs because they were front lit against a dark background.
“It was also a pain to maintain; you couldn’t get to the fittings, and because they were metal halide lamps, they were only getting a year out of them before they lost output.
“The way the lighting worked was pretty poor as well. Because of the large, west-facing window, there were real problems with sunlight coming in, casting shadows everywhere, blinding everyone and making the cameras go doolally.”
KSLD’s brief, therefore, was to review the former metal-halide lighting and daylight ingress to improve glare and uniformity for the Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and the broadcasting team. The introduction of new HDTV cameras also meant that the lighting had to be upgraded to fulfil broadcasting standards. Because of the demands of the space, the only window to complete the work was during the summer recess - a period of just six weeks.
This meant that Shaw and his team were faced with three options: install LEDs into the existing fixtures, replace point for point what was already in place, or create an entirely new scheme. After a series of site trials and time-lapse daylight studies, in which KSLD mapped out exactly how sunlight passed through the chamber, Shaw determined that a radical concept would better suit the parliamentarians, the broadcasting team and Miralles’ original architecture, rather than an LED retrofit.
A key facet of this “radical” concept was the introduction of custom-made suspended luminaires, created in collaboration with Mike Stoane Lighting, that cast soft but high light levels of light, suitable for broadcasting, while simultaneously celebrating the architectural structure previously obscured by hundreds of pole-mounted spotlights.
The leaf-like shape of the bespoke fittings not only connects the interior of the chamber to the nature outside, but it also reflects the plan-form of the chamber itself, therefore locking it into the architecture. The leaf motif gives the fixtures an additional, distributive sense, as they appear to float across the ceiling of the chamber, as if caught on a passing breeze. However, despite the apparent random configuration of the fixtures within the complex ceiling structure, in both layout and height, they achieve the required lighting distribution. The additional uplighting provided by the new fixtures means that, where previously only the parliamentarians were lit, the new scheme now illuminates the whole volume of the space.
The fittings are further connected to the architecture of the chamber through light guide extractors within the stepped acrylic wings of the ‘leaves’. These extractors appear as abstracted figures, each representing the number of sitting MSPs, and are derived from the recurring graphic silhouette that features elsewhere in the architectural language of the chamber.
KSLD has a long history of working with Mike Stoane Lighting, and Shaw was delighted at the lengths to which the Scottish manufacturers went to ensure the highest quality in the bespoke fixtures.
“We have worked with Mike Stoane Lighting since they started, so we know them all very, very well, and they went above and beyond the call of duty, under some very trying conditions, especially the time-frame,” he said.
“This was a super picky project, and there were things that came up in the construction of the fixtures such as blemishes in anodising, blemishes in the acrylic finish, as they were all engineered in pieces, that weren’t acceptable. And there seemed to be one thing after another that caused these quality issues, but these issues, instead of landing at me, were being caught by Mike Stoane - they were telling me about it and they were sorting it, whereas a lot of manufacturers don’t do that.”
The fittings were also created with a degree of robustness, factoring in a redundancy, should any aspect of them fail during parliamentary proceedings. “Each fitting has two strips each side, four strips in total, and each line has a power supply, control gear and an LED strip. There are four of these in each fitting, so there’s a redundancy in place,” Shaw explained.
“Essentially, it means that if you lose one of them, it’s actually very difficult to tell. Although you’ve taken 25% of the light out of the fitting, it’s not visually apparent. So if they lost a section, or even a couple of sections in the course of a week, then over the weekend when the parliamentarians are not sitting, they can get up to fix it.”
Additional backlighting was also added, with spotlights and linear fittings from Mike Stoane Lighting, Alpha LED, Lightnet and LightGraphix carefully installed into the existing timberwork, removing the “cardboard cut-out” appearance of the backbenchers.
Control-wise, KSLD replaced the original scheme with Lutron-controlled DALI lines, as Shaw elaborated: “The original scheme was just switched. We had all the power lines in the ceiling, and we repurposed these to become DALI lines with minimal re-wiring, because in six weeks, we couldn’t rewire the whole thing.”
Further redundancy measures were implemented into the DALI controls as well. “Everything is programmed so that if the system fails, if the wiring fails, instead of failing to off, everything fails to on, so every step of the process of what could fail has been thought through, to prevent failure causing disruption to the chamber,” Shaw explained.
The need for scene setting or dimming within the chamber was paramount, and detailed examination of thermal performance and pre-programmed timed operating states through DALI dimming control, on the basis of planned patterns of use, allowed KSLD to calculate the LED and fitting life of 25 years - a target that they were aiming for.
Further to the new lighting scheme, KSLD designed and installed a series of louvres on the window. Constructed of sand-etched acrylic, these simple, fixed louvres are the end result of extensive tests and trials where Shaw and his team created a digital mock-up of the chamber and, using a time-lapse study of the way that sunlight interacts with the space, were able to create a system that reduces the problematic additional glare, while still allowing natural light to enter the chamber.
While KSLD worked with the parliamentary corporate body, a committee of employees and parliamentarians, and Lee Boyd Architects, who have a continuing role in managing the architectural issues and the work that has to go on within the building, the lighting designers were given a free rein in creating the new scheme - after an extensive consultation process, but the results have been greatly received by all involved, as Shaw elucidated.
“We had the parliamentarians, represented by the corporate body, the broadcasting department, the events team - when there’s nobody sitting in the chamber they do walkthrough tours - and we had the tourism team to keep happy. But it has been really exceptionally well accepted by everybody, to the point where tour guides now actually talk about the light fittings; they tell the story of the shape of it, the story of the parliamentarians.”
Indeed the chamber has also garnered a lot of attention on the industry award circuit, getting shortlisted for the 2018 [d]arc awards / architectural, and winning first prize at the Codega Awards. However, Shaw remained humble about the awards success, instead saying that he prefers a different sort of praise.
“It’s nice to get awards and external recognition, they’re not the most important things.
“I actually got an email from an MSP saying how much they love the new lighting. Most of the time, people notice lighting because they don’t like it, but to get to the point where people notice what’s not a really in your face scheme, it’s quite a major thing. And the fact that it’s become part of the story of the chamber, that to me is more valuable than getting awards.”
Mayflower Theatre, UK
As part of a new £7.5million refurbishment, 18 Degrees has created a lighting scheme that celebrates the beautiful architecture of Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre, while creating a comfortable environment for theatregoers.
The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, the third largest theatre by capacity in the UK outside of London, last year marked its 90th anniversary with a new, £7.5million refurbishment.
The renovation project, taking place in a twelve-week window starting in June 2018, was extensive, with the theatre seeing a completely new colour scheme introduced throughout. The radical transformation has seen the Grade II listed theatre move from its previous green colour scheme to a regal red and gold, intended to represent the heritage of the building.
The restoration also saw most of the auditorium seating refurbished or replaced, while the orchestra pit was moved to below the stage area, and accessibility into and around the theatre has also been improved.
London-based lighting design practice 18 Degrees was appointed as lighting designer for the project as, following consultation with architects Foster Wilson and theatre consultant Charcoalblue - both companies that 18 Degrees had previously worked with - lighting was identified as a key element within the refurbishment. Not only to bring the theatre forward in terms of technological advancements, but also to complement the new interior look and feel, creating a comfortable environment for theatregoers.
Speaking on the initial design brief, Christopher Knowlton, Director at 18 Degrees, said: “The Mayflower Theatre CEO Michael Ockwell was very clear that under the original lighting he couldn’t read his programme. With the colour of the auditorium being taken to a martini red, there was a concern that the low lighting levels would become even lower.
“The overarching project goal was to improve the audience experience. The theatre’s 1920s lighting design was much unchanged since its installation, leaving the auditorium dimly lit and consuming significant energy. In some areas patrons were finding their seats and reading programmes in just 1 lux.
“We set out to create a well lit environment where navigation and accessibility was improved and architecture celebrated.”
Layered into this were enhancements to the circulation lighting used within performances to ease wayfinding, and lighting some of the architectural details within the space that hadn’t ever been lit before. This included elements such as the dome and sun rises, with the new lighting, provided here by Universal Fibre Optics and Lumino respectively, revealing the gold leaf, and providing texture to the auditorium’s rich new colour palette.
To create the new environment and pay tribute to the heritage and architecture of the theatre, 18 Degrees’ design approach was to provide layers of light that would present the auditorium beautifully, yet have subtle variations in function. This was realised through general, comfort, decorative and accent lighting - a response to the performative nature of the space.
General illumination was provided by the installation of more than 200 new Lucifer Lighting downlights. Carefully integrated into the historic fabric of the building, after gaining permission from English Heritage, who oversaw the restoration works, this light created a soft, even illumination to the space, improving distribution and increasing the illuminance during general, day to day use. This means that heritage lighting now only needs to be used for performances. Dimming, distribution and illuminance levels were all carefully plotted, along with extensive onsite testing for performance and colour rendering.
All heritage lighting within the venue was retained - a key component of the design plans - as 18 Degrees decided to refurbish and repair the fixtures, replacing the old halogen lamps with Global Design Solutions LEDs. The use of LED lighting throughout provides increased functionality, while ensuring a more conscious approach environmentally for the venue, leading to a longer term, more efficient lighting solution.
For these heritage fixtures, the original 1930s cabling was concealed within the architectural fabric of the building. Accessing this would mean breaking into the Grade II listed building, so instead 18 Degrees continued to use this wiring with new LED lamps and drivers especially designed for this application.
New comfort lighting, in the form of nearly 300 new LEDFlex linear lights integrated into the end of row arm rests and handrails, provides low levels of light during the performance to allow for improved visibility when accessing the walkways. Totally concealed, these linear lights only offer illumination into the aisles, while the low level of light ensures that patrons are not lit or distracted while watching a show.
The final component of the new lighting scheme was the newly designed orchestra pit. Split into two mechanical lifts, concealed seats within the pit can be raised or lowered to provide an additional four rows of seating, if needed. Due to the pit’s close proximity to the stage, beam control was critical, as Knowlton explained: “As the lighting was located eighteen metres overhead, it led us to design a series of apertures to project narrow beam LED theatre lanterns to illuminate and zone the area accurately.”
Controlling the many new lighting fixtures and scenarios in the auditorium meant the need for a new state-of-the-art control system to ensure that the lighting could be controlled individually or in groups. Working with Charcoalblue and ETC, 18 Degrees designed and commissioned a control system where every light can be individually controlled, either via touchscreens and buttons, or via the lighting control desk.
“The lighting control on this project represented a huge paradigm shift for the theatre,” Knowlton elaborated. “Previously lighting was controlled from a number of dimmers controlled via DMX. A small number of addresses would be used to call up elements such as decorative fixtures or downlights.
“The new all-LED system required many more specialised drivers, taking the original DMX addresses to 365. This allows every light to be individually controlled, which is both a benefit and a challenge. For a receiving house theatre like Mayflower, giving an incoming company that many DMX addresses to control would be highly impractical, so a solution was developed with ETC where the Paradigm Control System can operate with only a small number of DMX addresses when accessed via DMX. When the theatre is not in performance mode, a touch screen and wall stations around the auditorium are used to control the lights for day-to-day operation.
“At the start of the process, there were a lot of people asking who would ever use all those addresses and what for? By the end of the project, we had found an ever-growing number of opportunities to use the house lights as part of the theatrical experience.”
Because of the vibrant new colour scheme, 18 Degrees had to carry out a series of tests to ensure that the new lighting complemented the deep red interiors.
Knowlton continued: “People often forget that colour is really about relative contrast, so even when the theory is telling you something should work, it’s not until you see it for real that you can tell if it works.
“In an auditorium, light levels are often very low, and dimming between 0-30% can dramatically change the appearance of colours. It was therefore decided that we would test all materials and paint finishes under the lighting conditions that we would have in the theatre. This process meant the whole team spent a lot of time looking at samples in a dark room with the selected downlights.”
The lighting design firm’s close, collaborative relationship with Foster Wilson also helped to yield positive results. “Foster Wilson were great to work with, developing a palette of materials and finishes that were tested under the exact lighting conditions in the theatre with the new lighting to ensure that we all agreed on the finishes under the correct lighting, so there were no surprises when the lights were switched on for the first time,” Knowlton said.
“When you work with collaborators that understand each other’s practice, it’s so rewarding, and I think the results show how successful this can be.”
Indeed the end result shows the remarkable success of the renovation, with the new lighting design perfectly complementing the deep, luxurious new red colour scheme. The space feels fresh, yet with a warm, comforting sense of heritage, while the beautiful architectural elements are wonderfully celebrated.
Knowlton is equally pleased with the final product, on both a practical and aesthetical level: “The lighting design functions really well. We have reduced the energy consumption on a day-to-day basis, while at the same time providing higher light levels that are more equally distributed.
“In such a large space it would be easy to flatten the space with so much light. However, the integration of lighting into seating and features prevent that from happening, allowing the building to have an identity of its own, while allowing each show to sit comfortably within.
“The lighting supports the space and its function: a response to the architectural form rather than an imposition on an old building.”
However, while Knowlton is pleased with the new lighting scheme, he said that it was the reaction from those working at the theatre that he’ll remember. “There was a beautiful moment where we got control of the lights for the first time and could really show off what we had done,” he said.
“The BBC had been in earlier in the day to film their restoration documentary and the stage curtain was lowered. All of the staff who had not been allowed into the building site for twelve weeks were ushered onto the monochromatic black stage when the curtain was raised and they got a first glimpse of the new colour scheme and lighting. For some it was quite emotional - a testament to the way the theatre is run by passionate members of a huge team.
“Mayflower Theatre and the people who bring it to life made it very hard not to fall in love with this project. The Mayflower plays a huge part in local community life, and to have even a small role in regenerating the space has been an honour.”
Jorge L. Hernandez
Dividing his time between teaching and his architectural practice, Miami-based Jorge L. Hernandez speaks to arc about his exhibit at the Venice Biennale, focusing on the integral role that lighting plays within architecture, both physically and spiritually.
While the architecture headlines are regularly dominated by the latest designs for the newest, ultra-modern, up-to-date buildings, there are some in the industry that prefer to pay tribute to the great works of the past.
One such architect is Jorge L. Hernandez. Based out of Miami, USA, Hernandez is both a professor and practitioner of architecture, balancing his time between his eponymous architecture firm, opened 32 years ago, and teaching at the University of Miami.
“I’ve always had one foot in the classroom and one foot on the sidewalk, so to speak,” said Hernandez when asked of his dual career paths. “I often get asked ‘which one would you keep, and which one would you give up, if you had to?’ And I always answer the same way, which is you don’t know what you don’t know - I don’t know another reality.”
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1956, Hernandez emigrated to Miami in 1962, and completed his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami in 1980. He then went on to the University of Virginia, where he studied design and architectural history and completed his Master of Architecture. Following graduation, Hernandez was asked by the Dean of the University of Virginia to stay on and teach, which he did for two years, before moving back home to join the faculty at the University of Miami as a professor of Architecture - where he still teaches to this day.
Owing to his multiple commitments, Hernandez’s architectural practice remains relatively small at ten people. As such, a lot of his work is done collaboratively, as he explained: “On larger projects, I’m brought in to do the conceptual work, then stay on in a supportive role to ensure that the design is faithfully executed. I don’t want a firm of 120 people. I want to still be able to go in and out of the classroom.”
Despite the firm’s small size, it hasn’t limited the type of project that Hernandez has worked on, although he concedes that over the course of the last 30 years, the majority of his portfolio has been residential projects. That said, he has been able to develop a diversity of projects, including the design of a new courthouse in Williamsburg, Virginia, a number of religious structures, including churches and synagogues, ensembles of large urban buildings in Miami, and the renovation of an historic municipal building into a museum.
This renovation ties into one of Hernandez’s main passions - heritage work. Something he has implemented across both aspects of his career. “I’ve been very involved in heritage work across the years, as an advocate and architect; and that work has opened other doors,” he explained.
“I’m very interested in cross-pollinating the academic work and the professional work by exposing the students to heritage stewardship. I’ve travelled with my students to many places, for example to Santiago de Cuba, to work on churches that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. The twelve colonial churches and their corresponding plazas form a framework around which the city of Santiago was built. We nominated these to the World Monument Fund Watch, and we’re now working on a 300-year-old synagogue in Curaçao.
“Heritage work is rich by nature, and by definition cross-disciplinary. In engaging real world exercises, students learn by the application of knowledge. When appropriate, I try to position the student at the boundary between academic work and professional experience.”
Because much of Hernandez’s work is based on heritage projects, it’s hard to determine whether he has a ‘signature style’ - a term that he isn’t particularly fond of - however, working on such a range of projects from different eras has had a profound impact on Hernandez himself, and on his work as well.
“I dislike the word ‘style’ in its current usage. We seem preoccupied in labelling architecture before the perspective garnered by time has been understood. When you work in heritage, you’re exposed to many different architectural expressions,” he explained. “In the face of excellence, regardless of what period, you start to see a commonality in the dedication to detail, the logic of construction and innovation, which happens across the ages as a function of problem solving by imagination.
“We can learn from this, even though we might not be in the same place and time. If we keep delving deeper, studying works of heritage, peeling off layers and getting at the core of its idea, then the buildings of the past are always informative and alive. I’d like to think that relationship of architecture to time and its passage has very much influenced my work.”
This approach means that for Hernandez, architecture is more about context, and building something that will last, rather than about implementing a particular signature aesthetic or appearance repeated with each project. “It’s more about a comprehensive notion of sustainability and fit, where one decision now will have a ramification well into the future.
“I call it proactive stewardship: our actions now are a form of stewardship because you’re taking care that a building can be looked after with minimal investment for a long time.”
Hernandez’s assertion that we can always continue to learn from architecture, no matter its age, is a further element that fuses his professional work with his teaching. He believes that “if nothing else, an architect should be humbled before a building that dates back 100, 200 or more years and needs care so yet another century can be added to its life.”
However, it’s not the only message that he tries to instil in his students, as he elaborated: “It’s really important to reduce everything to the point of fundamentals, which is another way of saying to get to the radical essence, the origin, the idea of a project, so that what you start with can be sustained over time.
“I’m interested in the ethical concerns that govern the act of building today, and how those concerns can guide the students’ development. At the same time I always try to find their voice and encourage it.
“I try to guide them to that space of understanding common principles as seen from individual vantage points. So by the time they’re at graduate level coursework, I’m coaching them to hear their own voices more clearly, develop their own ideas and become more aware of their individuality in the collective search for answers.”
This interaction with younger minds is a great source of joy for Hernandez, not only in shaping their future but also to provide new perspectives for himself.
“People ask me how I split my time. The good thing about entering the classroom, whether with first year students or graduate students, is that their minds are supple and open. And I believe the nature of studio teaching, of architectural education, is not strictly a hierarchal model at all. So if you think through problems together, you work in dialogue, the experience is a collaboration, which is good for them, and really wonderful for me.”
Throughout Hernandez’s work, while there is no overriding ‘signature style’, the role of lighting, and in particular the use of natural light, remains prevalent. Hernandez ascribes this to his childhood in Cuba, and the large, Bauhaus-esque residential tower, built by his grandfather and two great uncles, in which his family lived.
“In my memory, the light was always crystalline there, and having lived most of my life in the tropics, it’s hard to avoid an awareness of the quality and power of light. Very early on in my work I started thinking about light in architecture, and it’s one theme that will continue to be important.
“I think of light as a chisel that can hollow out the voids of a great edifice with laser sharp penetration, constructing the beautiful voids of architectural space. Light is a feature that, regardless of style or character or context, regardless of which inflection the occasion calls for, is a constant in architecture. It ties us to a place, in the grand scheme of things. When I travel now, I’m very aware of what the light is doing at the time of year, of day; when I look at buildings I’m always analysing how natural light is handled and manoeuvred.”
Hernandez’s approach to light was evident for all to see at the 2018 Venice Biennale, where he, alongside close friend and long time collaborator, photographer Carlos Domenech, was selected to exhibit as a part of ECC’s Time Space Existence exhibition. Although each chosen separately, the pair decided to collaborate on one joint space. Divided into three ‘chapters’, the first featured a selection of Domenech’s work entitled City of Shadows, the second, created by Hernandez, was called Architecture is Made of Light, while the final ‘chapter’, Light Box, was more collaborative, featuring the heritage piece that Hernandez, Domenech and the University of Miami worked on together regarding the recuperation of the colonial churches in Santiago de Cuba following Hurricane Sandy.
The narrative for Hernandez’s Architecture is Made of Light installation was divided into three separate sections, as he explained: “The first engaged the physical aspects of light, not just visually, but also corporally, sensually, by the wondrous incorporation of light in all sensory ways that architecture participates in.
“The second idea looked at light being the intellectual agent of architecture, which leads to the ‘light as a chisel’ analogy, in that it hollows out space, which is the centre point of architectural composition.”
The third section focused on the spiritual concept of light, as evident in works of heritage. “In being mindful of places that human communities have built, we realise that stewardship is a form of engaging in a very intimate relationship with others across time,” he continued. “When restoring an old building, you decipher the designer’s thoughts, restore the craftsmen’s skill, understand the community’s values, discover the patron’s intent, participate in the history of the generations of occupants, and more. Heritage work involves care which connects to others across time and space, that is its spiritual dimension.”
This spiritual dimension of light is an area that Hernandez feels is more apparent in some projects than others, and is something that can be harnessed and celebrated, particularly in sacred work, “because of the metaphor of light and divinity, regardless of faith”.
“Whether you’re talking about a mosque, a church, a synagogue, a temple, there has always been this analogy of light and divinity in sacred space. In that case, the association is obvious, and rich, and you have a wealth of material to play with.”
There are times though when it is not as clear, like in the case of the Williamsburg courthouse, a commission secured from an international competition entry. Hernandez explained: “There was an interesting requirement in the program brief that stated a preference for natural light in the courtrooms, but discouraged the use of windows for security reasons. It seemed like the Riddle of the Sphinx.
“Solving that problem is what gave rise to the architectural solution of bringing an unseen source of top light via three shared light wells into five courtrooms distributed on two separate levels. Inside the courtrooms, the soft, filtered light became an allegory for justice.”
Since creating the installation at the Venice Biennale, Hernandez revealed that he is now much more aware of “seeing how every commission can promote a novel handling of light”.
“The question is how to appropriately fit the handling of light with the purpose, place and meaning of each commission.”
This approach, of considering light as an integral part of architectural design, as a “chisel” that opens up a space, is something that Hernandez believes should be shared amongst his fellow architects. “This is among the ethical concerns, the question we must continue to ask. How do we build by equitably sharing our inherent cultural heritage and the heritage of nature’s resources? And I think the search for the answer is true not just for light, but in all ways where architecture participates in our natural resources. As architects, we have a responsibility when interacting with the Earth, and everything that brings with it, those are occasions for elevated thinking.
“In my work, very directly it’s been my tripartite study of light, but it has also included concerns with efficiency, and the use of surface, winds and local weather patterns, recycling, frugality, abundance, tradition and all without necessarily predicting the absence of joy in architecture. The list is endless.
“That’s the big picture, that’s what we have to figure out as architects, and more than architects, as communities.”
Oodi Central Library, Finland
Oodi, the new central library for Helsinki, stands centrally in the cultural district of the city as a gift for Finland’s 100th anniversary of independence. Created by ALA Architects, the firm also designed the lighting scheme alongside Rejlers Finland.
ocated opposite the Finnish parliament, the site for Oodi, Helsinki’s new central library, was chosen specifically because literature and education are regarded to be as important to Finnish society as politics is. The United Nations named Finland the world’s most literate nation in 2016, as well as being among the most enthusiastic users of public libraries; the country’s population borrows an average of 68 million books a year.
As part of the Helmet network (Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries), the Oodi offers far more than just book loans. Creative spaces with glass walled rooms for visual projection artists, media suites, children’s areas, a cinema, recording studios, areas for hosting exhibitions and even 3D printers are all available to the people of Helsinki.
Oodi, translated as ‘ode’ in English, is a three-storey open plan structure, created by ALA Architects, a Finnish design firm that won the opportunity to design the new public building in an annonymous competition open to international designers.
Niklas Malhberg, architect and Oodi project team leader at ALA Architects, described the firm’s initial involvement: “In 2012, we entered the first phase of the open international and anonymous architectural competition between the 5th January – 16th April. At the end of 2012, the second phase of the architectural competition began on 21st November, where six candidates (out of the original 544) were selected by the jury. The winner was announced in 2013, and it was our project, titled Käännös.
“Our multidisciplinary team started the process to execute the building in 2014; construction started on 1st September 2015 and was completed in 2018.
The project was presented in the Mind-Building exhibition at the Finnish Pavilion in the Venice Biennale 2018 before opening its doors on 5th December.”
The building is divided into distinct levels that are split into different active spaces. The ground floor is an extension of the exterior Kansalaistori square, drawing visitors in to an open and clean space. The first floor is home to a host of workable spaces and the top floor is nicknamed book heaven.
The book heaven is a bright and airy floor that is filled with natural daylight through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and skylights that perforate the undulating roof.
With the changing role of a library for current and future generations, ALA designed a modern and energy efficient building that utilised local building materials to sustain local climate conditions. A sweeping curved canopy is clad with 33mm-thick Finnish spruce planks that extend the façade into the exterior square, creating shelter for public events in front of the library. The upper surface of the canopy, located adjacent to the café, provides an outdoor roof space that allows visitors to gather and view the square and the city.
Lighting was an important aspect of the build, as it had to fit with the natural aesthetic of the building, but also act as a functional tool for readers and workers alike.
With no initial lighting brief offered by the client, the team at ALA had artistic freedom to create a scheme fitting for their design, as long as it was energy efficient and met the normal lighting levels for libraries.
The team collaborated with Rejlers Finland, an electrical design company, to implement a lighting scheme according to the appropriate lighting levels, good serviceability and measured lighting control.
“We utilised the in-house expertise we’ve gathered through several public projects. The electrical designer specified the lighting and did the necessary calculations. All in all, we had plenty of freedom to design the lighting,” explained Mahlberg.
With the functions of each floor varying, it was important that the lighting adapted to each need.
A variety of fixtures were used, from Regent, Planlicht, iGuzzini, Finlight, GDS and Erco for the larger main spaces, multipurpose hall and children’s multipurpose area on the third floor, whilst Zumtobel was used for the second floor studios. Bega and LTS fixtures were used for the staircases and exterior lighting, whilst LED Linear illuminated the escalators. Erco luminaires were placed as indirect lights for the third floor pillars as well as in the cinema room, alongside Osram LEDs.
Mahlberg described the functions for each of the levels and how the lighting adapted to these needs: “The design divides the functions of the library into three distinct levels: an active ground floor, a peaceful upper floor, and an enclosed in-between volume containing the more specific functions. The lighting scheme had to be in sync with the architectural concept and therefore every space had a specific lighting solution. As we had control over the lighting design and also had a continuous presence on the building site during the realisation period, we could easily follow up on any issues, and when necessary, propose solutions that supported our original concept.”
In the most part, the lighting fixtures were subtle and blended into the architecture seamlessly, disappearing into the background. Some exceptions appeared, for example in the bathrooms, where pendants were suspended from the ceiling to create another layer of light in the space.
“There were fixed requirements for lux levels depending on the function of each space and the light fixtures had to fulfil the illuminance demanded,” explained Mahlberg. “In some areas, dimmer lighting was sufficient to emphasise other more important areas, such as circulation routes and bookshelves. The fixed furniture is equipped with lamps for personal work, and these lamps are effectively part of the furniture.”
Most of the lighting scheme is controlled and dimmable with DALI and operated with KNX building control.
In the workspaces and reading rooms, the lighting was important to the users needs. The glass façades and skylights in the book heaven provide ample daylight in the public areas, reducing the use of artificial lighting. However, during different seasons and weather conditions, the lighting throughout Oodi is an integral part of its architecture, adapting to the different times of day and seasonal lighting conditions.
“There were some new concepts to be implemented in this particular project. The overall design concept was based on the idea that the building itself would not be illuminated. Instead, the functions inside were made visible through the glass façades using light. This was a new concept and we had to develop a lighting control programme that would support this idea. Since the building is standing in the very centre of the city, it can never be completely dark. Outside opening hours it is only dimly lit up and thus avoiding looking deserted, it participates in activating the city space around it,” described Mahlberg.
“In the cinema hall for the first time we used fibre optic lighting combined with LED lights to achieve the design intent with continuous light dot lines on the walls and the ceiling marking every seating row. This worked out fine in the end, even though we had our doubts regarding the possible difference of the quality of light from these different light sources. This is also the first project where white neon light tubes were used in the signage.
“One element was the colour of the light, normally 4000K is used as a standard but sometimes it gives a rather pale and dull atmosphere, especially with wood involved. So, we did some testing and found out that 3000K or 3500K worked better in some circumstances.”
There were some custom made solutions throughout the building made to accommodate the lighting fixtures, such as the bookshelves that were modified so the lighting fixtures could contribute to the overall lighting of the book heaven.
A hanging bubble made of ETFE (Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene, a plastic construction material) hangs in the southern entrance way and acts like a lantern guiding visitors in.
“Lighting brings clarity, warmth and readability to the spaces and helps one to orientate through the building. The final result is fantastic and works very well with our initial ideas. There are still some adjustments to be made in the lighting control, but we are very happy with the overall finish,” reflected Mahlberg.
Gillard Group
Jenni Gillard and the Gillard Group have developed ‘Lighting as a Service’, a concept designed to help the industry prosper from the uptake of LED, avoid pitfalls and contribute to positive global environmental outcomes.
The Gillard Group is an internationally recognised architectural lighting design firm based in Brisbane, Australia. Established in 2005 by Jenni Gillard, the firm provides day and night lighting solutions that combine art and science.
Alongside this, Gillard Group pioneered and launched ‘Lighting as a Service’ (LaaS) in 2015. LaaS uses design, business cases and technology to deliver sustained value, with a focus on optimising the volume of LED luminaires and reducing energy consumption (carbon footprint) and fixture wastage on the environment.
Gillard is a multi-award-winning architectural lighting designer and lighting consultant (CLD, IALD and IES). She also fills her time as a lighting judge, contemporary artist and art dealer, and was a former art gallery manager and university lecturer. Since founding Gillard Group, she has become a pioneering woman in the Australian lighting design community.
Gillard was the first woman to graduate in a degree wholly devoted to lighting; graduate with a Masters in Lighting; qualify as a Certified Lighting Designer (second person in Australia and seventh in the world); start, build, lead and grow an independent lighting design studio and become a full member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (eighth person in Australia).
The firm’s first lighting project was to relight the interior of the State of Queensland’s oldest continuous-use church – Ann St Presbyterian. The team went on to light the then world’s largest oceanarium, the 43-marine habitat S.E.A Aquarium, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.
“Illuminating such a large-scale marine habitat is one of the world’s most complex lighting design undertakings. Failure leads to loss of sea-life and commercial stress,” explained Gillard.
“Research, sourcing, testing, modelling and designing took two years. Our use of LED on this scale in this environment was a world first.”
In 2012, the company expanded, introducing Mark Lloyd as a new business partner. Lloyd is a technology thought-leader and Hall of Fame member of the Australian Computer Society (ACS). Foreseeing the impact of digital LED on the lighting industry, he designed and invested in solutions to service the new paradigm.
Before entering the world of lighting, Lloyd was the Chief Information Officer for Department Premier and Cabinet, amongst other agencies in Queensland, where he managed a global network and the biggest ICT outsourcing service in the State. He is also responsible for the organisation of numerous ICT-based events and societies in Australia. As Vice President of ACS, he won the rights for Australia to host the World Computer Congress 2010 and managed Young IT and ACS Women nationally.
The Gillard Group recently completed lighting designs for 24,000sqm of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the head office for an international retail chain. It also commissioned lighting for the foyer of the Ovolo Hotel. The firm is also working on St Mary’s church, which dominates the regional centre of Warwick, Australia and is overseeing different stages of several projects, including a college and a public housing asset (Thornhill).
The Spectrum Apartments, commissioned at the end of 2016, comprises 60 apartments and commercial spaces and features four three-storey, neon-lit waterfalls of rainbow colours. The Gillard Group completed the lighting scheme for this residential project, which went on to win UDIA’s Affordable Housing award for excellence in 2017 and a LUX Designer Award in 2018 for Best Multi Residential Design (Lighting).
“The journey continues to be fulfilling. We are winning more awards than years of operation and aim to make functional beauty and loyal clients. We do affordable housing to the glamour end and everything in-between,” explained Gillard.
Amid architectural lighting projects, the group continued to focus on the implications of digital-friendly LED and the unfolding Internet of Light, in which LED would be much more than low-energy and long-life illumination. Predictions made in Gillard and Lloyd’s 2012 research paper, 2015-2024, continue to materialise, and together they build and refine services for a new future based on ubiquitous smart LED. Driving this investment was the realisation of the risks and benefits faced by clients and the environment.
“LED saturation builds a global Internet of Light and photons have too many advantages over electrons. Despite some challenges, as the Internet of Everything unfolds, all roads lead to light – nothing is faster or provides more spectrum,” commented Lloyd.
As a working solution to this shift in LED possibilities, the Gillard Group established LaaS.
“From 2013-2015, we built our LaaS offer,” explained Gillard. “LaaS requires significant thought and production of many artefacts. We also knew LaaS would be adopted by manufacturing, technology, energy and telecommunications companies. These suppliers would leverage their strengths.
“Most solutions, however, will be proprietary. Many suppliers also have large overheads, and some may gouge clients’ savings generated by energy reductions from LED implementation. Others fit non-lamp replaceable luminaires, which have downstream consequences for many clients.
For many LaaS suppliers, lighting is not their core business and some clients may receive sub-optimal lighting designs,” she added. Gillard’s take-away is that LaaS hinges on sustaining trust and value.
“Globally, conventional lamps are being banned or phased out. LED is the future of artificial illumination – conversion is inevitable. LED is a totally different lamp type. LED is complex, low-energy, digital-friendly and requires management to optimise ROI and maintain compliance. Smart LED luminaires herald a paradigm shift in lighting and will underpin the Internet of Things. Soon, interconnected smart LED will be a dominant gateway to connecting physical spaces with digital services, especially the Internet,” she explained.
In order to help their growing LaaS community, the Gillard Group chose an alternate path that allowed the community to make informed decisions and retain their purchasing autonomy.
“Our clients can choose any product or energy supplier and buy and consume only what they need. The results are spectacular. One client, for example, will save around $100,000 per annum for ten years from energy and bulb-turnover savings alone. Under our LaaS, more value is retained by the client,” she added.
As a package, Gillard’s LaaS includes lighting design, wholesale product pricing, economies of purchasing scale, asset management, product maintenance, warranty management, a capital rollover programme and expert support services and advice.
Gillard described its benefits and how the service is implemented: “Our LaaS deals with variable quality LED, maximises energy savings and reduces volumes of luminaires. We position the client to make informed decisions about their lighting assets and relevant new light-based technologies and services into the future. Moreover, we are working with clients, accountants and technologists to develop our MinMin Light System to deliver even greater value.
“MinMin is so advanced it qualified for generous Federal Government research and development support,” she added.
The cloud-based MinMin Light System is designed to be offered as Software as a Service (SaaS). Inspiration behind its name originates from Queensland Aboriginal folklore about the MinMin light phenomenon, where people have claimed to witness fast moving coloured light balls in the Australian outback.
Gillard, Lloyd and Chief Technology Officer Bryan Wain designed and built the core system of MinMin. The system turns a light portfolio into managed assets and generates, for example, a forward replacement schedule, cash flow projections and benefits realisation analysis.
In 2017, to strengthen the Group’s LaaS value-proposition, Mike Goodman became the newest member and third Principal of the Gillard Group. Goodman is a strategic thinker, corporate management expert and accountant.
The team also partnered with 1ICT, a progressive fast-growing tech company. 1ICt will further enhance MinMin through 2019. Satish Naidu, CEO of 1ICT added: “The MinMin Light System is beautifully constructed and we are delighted to accelerate and support its development into the future.”
Managing large installed LED portfolios is a driving force behind MinMin’s conception, and Gillard sees their product independence as a source of strength in turbulent times.
“We harvest and mine data, analyse it, distill it and provide it in an interactive format to help clients manage their lighting investments,” she explained.
“Our LaaS provides long term surety and direction, progressive reductions in energy costs and compliance risk and aesthetic improvements commensurate with the client’s means.”
Reflecting on client outcomes, Lloyd commented: “The solutions’ package empowers our clients because they can see the future state of their LED lighting investments now.”
“The greatest obstacle to our LaaS is Australia’s slow uptake of LED and commitment to minimum LED standards relative to the northern hemisphere,” noted Goodman.
“According to Statista, global LED saturation will reach 61% by 2020. Eventually the phase-out of traditional lamps, rising energy costs and new smart light-based services will force change,” he added.
When that change accelerates in Australia, the Gillard Group will be ready to help many more businesses secure value from LED and related technologies and avoid surprises from accelerating digital disruption.
“We will also look for partners to grow our LaaS business offshore and sell MinMin via Software as a Service,” concluded Gillard.
