New CEO named for Biennale Interieur
(Belgium) – Caroline Fiers takes over at the helm of the Biennale Interieur, the largest design event in Belgium.
The new CEO succeeds Jo Libeer, who is winding down his professional activities after a full and rewarding career. After a few turbulent years for the entire sector, and with the next Biennale in the offing this autumn, Fiers is excited about the opportunity to drive change.
Fiers joined the Interieur team in 2019 as Commercial Director. In 2021, she already took on a lead role managing the event Please, Have a Seat. “After the cancellation of the Biennale in 2020, we were not just looking for a way to maintain our existing relationships. We were looking for opportunities, exploring new avenues. The event was a great success despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, and I am confident that our team is well positioned for the period ahead.
“Please, Have a Seat was a first step in the search for something new and refreshing while remaining true to the core values of the Biennale. We work together with many different partners, stakeholders and target groups, and collaboration is key. That means we have to listen and understand the changing needs among the various players in the design world. I expect to be supplementing my team with people who can help me come up with new ideas and insights, think outside the box. There will be many exiting things to look forward to for our partners and visitors!
“The crisis put many efforts in our sector in jeopardy, but it also has forced us to be more innovative. We want to continue on that path now, looking for ways to continue to inspire and bring people together. I am more convinced than ever that being together in person, creating conversation on design topics that matter, and driving a sense of community around shared goals must be core parts of our added value.”
Interieur 22 takes place from 20 to 24 October 2022.
Return of Surface Design Show a success
(UK) – Surface Design Show 2022 took place at the Business Design Centre between 8-10 February with the huge response from both visitors and exhibitors claiming “it’s great to be back”.
After a year of virtual events the appetite from visitors to engage, network and be updated on the latest surface materials and designs was clearly visible.
“It has been great to be back seeing people and their new and upcoming projects, over the last two years we have really missed the interaction within the industry,” says Josh Stance, Mundy Veneer.
More than 160 exhibitors showcased the best in surface design, with almost 5,000 architects, designers and specifiers visiting over the two and a half days.
84% of visitors worked in the architecture and design sector and 73% have direct purchasing authority. Reflecting the cancellation or postponement of exhibitions over the last 24-months; 69% of the audience came to source new products and 50% were looking to discover new design trends.
The overriding theme of the show Sense of Place, which looked at putting humanity and the planet’s wellbeing at the heart of all decision making, was first introduced at The Opening Night Debate.
Held in partnership with RIBA, Climate Change and Future Proofing featured a line up of industry experts. The session, hosted by Simon Sturgis, Founder of Targeting Zero, brought together a younger generation of architects, designers and clients. They not only explored the issues around the future durability and adaptability of current projects, but also how we ensure that the commercial value of projects can be future proofed against climate change.
Carrying on with the theme Sense of Place, many of the exhibitors brought new products to the show, which were both innovative and sustainable. The Good Plastic Company showcased sustainable panels from 100% recycled plastic, Wonderwall Studios had stunning wall panels made from salvaged wood, whilst Armourcoat launched its new natural clay lime plaster, Clime.
One of the most visited and exciting areas of the show was the New Talent section. Surface Design Show is committed to supporting and promoting up and coming designers in the materials sector. Sponsored by Canon UK and curated by Jennifer Castoldi, the 2022 show saw over 30 participants display a range of sophisticated and innovative designs from textile designs to augmented reality to 3D tiles. A recurring theme among many participants this year was the use of natural materials and dyes.
There was also a comprehensive talks programme, which included over 50 speakers from a range of design backgrounds. New for 2022 was the Legends Live sessions, which saw industry leaders interviewing someone in or connected to the industry. The pairings included lighting designer Sally Storey being interviewed by Theresa Dowling, editor of FX Magazine, Conran and Partners’ Tina Norden in conversation with Hamish Kilburn, editor of Hotel Designs and AHMM’s Paul Monaghan talking to Phil Coffey of Coffey Architects as the interviewees discussed their illustrious careers to date.
Winners of the 2022 Surface Design Awards were announced at a breakfast ceremony on the last day of the Show, where the BAFTA headquarters in London by Benedetti Architects took not only the award for Public Building Interior category but was also selected as the Supreme Winner.
The judges were impressed by the sensitive reconfiguration and repositioning of the original Victorian plasterwork and reuse of oak flooring whilst also introducing future facing solutions including Eyrise TM s350 Licrivision liquid crystal rooflight ‘smart’ insulated glass, which removes up to 80% of harmful rays.
Other winners included Maggie’s Southampton by AL_A, which won Light + Surface Exterior and Public Building Exterior and the Peacock Cellar restaurant in Shanghai which took the top honours in the Light + Surface Interior category.
Surface Design Show 2023 will take place at The Business Design Centre 7-9 February 2023.
Designers Mind launches Designers Mind Academy
(Online) - As part of its ongoing mission to prioritise wellbeing in the design industry, Designers Mind has launched a brand new wellbeing coaching platform, Designers Mind Academy.
An online community and learning platform, the Designers Mind Academy offers members group coaching workshops and one to one wellbeing sessions in a supportive, safe environment.
Covering topics such as: physical and mental health, stress, productivity, healthy habits, goal setting, energy, optimising time, and working smarter, over the course of a month members will have exclusive access a series of 30-minute sessions.
After an initial welcome session, members will have a wellbeing session diving into a specific wellbeing topic; a check-in session offering accountability and support; and a work session diving into a particular work skill, such as focus or structuring your day. Intended as live sessions, the Designers Mind Academy will also include a Replay Library, where members can catch up on sessions if they’re unable to attend live.
The online community, built on Circle with a desktop and app version, will also have places to share wins, challenges, and general chat, allowing members to engage with each other and the community. As it grows, guest speakers, mental health check-ins and more features will be added in line with the community’s needs.
Kaye Preston, Designers Mind Founder, Interior Designer and Holistic Health Coach, said: “My own experience with burnout led me to found Designers Mind, a community that raises awareness about the mental health and wellbeing of designers in the workplace through sharing, talks and workshops.
“Designers Mind Academy feels like the natural next step to take this community from talking and raising awareness to true transformation and change.
“My goal with the Academy is to work with organisations and individuals as a supportive coach and mentor, to help them develop practices that enhance their wellbeing. Shifting mindsets and behaviours towards healthier habits so they can create sustainable lifestyle changes, a sense of balance in their hectic lives, increase their energy and reduce overwhelm and burnout.
“I’ll be leading your monthly sessions and cannot wait to go on this wellness journey with you.”
Membership to the Designers Mind Academy is £15 per month. More information can be found on the Designers Mind website.
www.designers-mind.com/academy
eldoLED & Pharos: Maximising Your Quality of Light with DMX
This technical webinar is presented by Stefan Wijdeven of eldoLED with guest speaker Bas Hoksbergen of Pharos Architectural Controls, in association with arc magazine.
Watch this webinar to learn the DMX basics and which elements you need within DMX Controllers and LED drivers to maximize your Quality of Light and achieve your lighting goals.
www.eldoled.com
www.pharoscontrols.com
Ingo Maurer launches app for smart lighting control
(Germany) - Ingo Maurer has launched Ingo Maurer Digital, its app for smart lighting control for iOS and Android devices.
Through the app, users can reproduce different lighting settings and colour sequences at a defined speed, allowing the option of 14 different lighting moods, from relaxing to invigorating colour sequences. Brightness can also be individually regulated via the app.
The first fixture that can be operated via the app is the Moodmoon model, designed by Sebastian Hepting - the light is distinctive because of its characteristic interplay of the finest Japanese paper and innovative LED technology. The special structure of the Japanese paper creates a light effect that gives Moodmoon a unique, lively surface.
David Engelhorn, designer at Ingo Maurer, said: “The app allows users to bring their lighting to life. The atmosphere in the room can be effortlessly changed using a smartphone or tablet. No matter whether you want a place to relax or a focused work environment, the lighting can be adapted to suit individual needs thanks to the versatile tool.”
The Ingo Maurer team is constantly developing the app to ensure that it will also offer a wide range of possible applications for individual lighting control in future products and projects. They are hopeful that it will become possible to link several lights, even across different rooms, via WiFi in order to combine colour sequences simultaneously or with a variable dynamic.
LEDFlex opens Dubai studio
(UAE) - Linear lighting manufacturer LEDFlex has announced the expansion of its existing operations in the Middle East, with the opening of an experience studio in Dubai.
The move comes in response to growing interest in the LEDFlex product range across the region, with the company keen to expand its presence in the area. Andrew Bunker, who was recently appointed as Managing Director for the Gulf region, will lead the local operations. The company will also expand its Dubai-based team across sales, operations and logistics.
Bunker brings with him nearly two decades of lighting industry experience. Speaking of his new role, he said: “I’m very excited to be heading up this new venture for LEDFlex. The brand is growing in recognition and reputation internationally, and with the high level of demand for LEDFlex solutions across the Middle East, the new dedicated operations will ensure that we can fulfil these client needs.”
The experience studio, which will be housed in the Dubai Investment Park, will offer an interactive display of LEDFlex’s products. A VR station will also allow the lighting to be experienced in a range of different environments.
Anthony Kerr, Business Development Director for LEDFlex, added: “The expansion into Dubai and the launch of our experience studio are demonstrative of how rapidly LEDFlex is growing internationally. We’re incredibly proud of our success to date and we see our Middle East presence as key to our continued growth and increased recognition across the globe.”
Later in the year, LEDFlex will be organising exclusive events and viewings to introduce the experience studio.
Ember Lighting launches LightBulb Lab initiative
(UK) - Managed lighting supplier Ember Lighting has announced the launch of its brand-new industry resource; the LightBulb Lab.
The LightBulb Lab is an online collection of useful information, curated by Ember Lighting founders Marcus Steffen and Gresh Braglewicz. The partners have brought together their expert knowledge and drawn on their collective decades of first-hand lighting industry experience to answer some of the burning questions that clients, architects, interior designers and others may have.
LightBulb Lab brings together Q&As, step-by-steps and how-to guides to address a plethora of issues and queries. The online resources cover topics such as different ways of dimming LED lights, how to avoid project delays and the questions you should ask when sourcing a lighting designer.
Ember Lighting aims to redefine the lighting supply service - where most lighting suppliers just provide the components, Ember Lighting nurtures its clients wants and needs by project managing a lighting transformation from start to finish.
The LightBulb Lab is a further example of where Ember Lighting has evolved with the lighting community; responding to the ever-growing needs for knowledge and industry insight.
Marcus Steffen, co-owner of Ember Lighting and owner of MS Lighting Design, said: “Working in the lighting industry, we recognised the need for information as the sector and solutions are changing at such a rapid pace. We spotted a gap for an all-encompassing knowledge hub, and the idea for the LightBulb Lab was born.”
Ember Lighting co-owner and owner of Capital Rewire, Gresh Braglewicz, added: “Our collective experience and expertise puts us in a strong position to share our knowledge with the wider industry. We’re confident the LightBulb Lab is going to become a ‘go-to’ resource across the sector. We’re already planning its expansion and the Ember Lighting team is excited about the future as we evolve and grow.”
The LightBulb Lab was soft launched in December with a small event before Christmas 2021. A number of professionals from the design community came together at the Lutron Electronics showroom in London to experience the LightBulb Lab, as well as offer final thoughts on useability before the national roll-out.
www.emberlighting.co.uk/the-lightbulb-lab
Inaugural Silhouette Awards winners announced
(Worldwide) – The winners of the inaugural Silhouette Awards were announced in an online ceremony last week.
The awards, curated by Archifos and Parrot PR & Marketing, aim to shine a light on emerging talent within the lighting industry, honouring young designers who have the vision and ambition to steer and lead the lighting industry in the coming years.
A judging panel of 20 influential senior lighting designers selected the 20 winning entrants – each has been paired with a mentor from the panel of judges.
Entries were received from candidates around the world, spanning 25 countries, all demonstrating varying levels of experience. With an unexpected percentage of female entrants (79%), the judging panel, who reviewed the entries independently, were all aligned with the final selection showcasing the very best of the industry’s talent with an outstanding all-female winners line-up.
Successful candidates will now be individually supported by one of the programme’s 20 mentors for the next six months and beyond as they progress in their careers. With the support of the Silhouette Awards’ array of sponsors and supporters, the winners have been rewarded with the opportunity to enhance their skillset, pursue their career ambitions and add value to the creativity of the industry, raising the bar for talent around the world.
The 2022 winners and their mentor partnerships are:
- Valeriya Gorelova (Mentor: Anna Sbokou)
- Rosa Alvarez de Arcaya (Mentor: Beata Denton)
- Francesca Feltrin (Mentor: Dario Nunez Salazar)
- Dipali Shirsat (Mentor: David Gilbey)
- Laura Arroyo Rocha (Mentor: Fernando Mazzetti)
- Alessandra de Martino (Mentor: Jonathan Rush)
- Swathi Madhi (Mentor: Lara Elbaz)
- Elsa Sawma (Mentor: Linus Lopez)
- Momena Saleem (Mentor: Marci Song)
- Frankie Boyle (Mentor: Marcus Steffen)
- Qistina Ahmad Ali (Mentor: Martin Klaasen)
- Beatrice Bertolini (Mentor: Melissa Mak)
- Elena Volpi (Mentor: Michael Grubb)
- Africa Sabé Dausà (Mentor: Monica Luz Lobo)
- Iris Molendijk (Mentor: Rouzana Kopti)
- Janice Lu (Mentor: Ruth Kelly Waskett)
- Gabi Korac (Mentor: Sam Koerbel)
- Doreen Colling (Mentor: Star Davis)
- Rebecca Mintz (Mentor: Suzan Tillotson)
- Cristina Gil Venegas (Mentor: Victor Palacio)
Eve Gaut, Co-Founder, Parrot PR & Marketing commented: “The Silhouette Awards was set up to recognise the future leaders of the lighting industry and showcase the very best of the best. The calibre of entries has far surpassed our expectations, and we were so proud to receive submissions from all over the world, clearly demonstrating the inclusivity of the industry and the appetite for this type of initiative.
“We are immensely grateful to all supporters, sponsors and mentors who have not only given up their time on the judging panel, but also committed to a further six months guiding these young professionals and helping them to advance on their individual career paths.”
Katia Kolovea, Co-Founder, Archifos, added: “From the initial conception of the Silhouette Awards, it was essential for both Parrot and Archifos to not only recognise the talent of the industry’s rising stars, but to offer guidance and support to the winners on their future careers.
“We were surprised to realise that, despite the judging panel individually reviewing each entry, all 20 winners of the first Silhouette Awards are female. We are very much looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the next edition of this awards programme, and I would personally like to thank everyone that has been involved so far in helping us to achieve our longstanding ambition to showcase the talent of the future.
The journey is really only just beginning as we look forward and support these twenty new mentor-mentee relationships as they flourish and achieve great things together.”
DALI Lighting Award winners announced
(Worldwide) - The winners of the second annual DALI Lighting Awards were announced in an online ceremony last month.
The awards celebrate the best use of DALI in projects spanning across eight different categories, including: Retail & Hopsitality; Residential; Infrastructure; Healthcare & Education; Commercial & Professional; Entertainment & Architectural; Industrial; and Infrastructure. A global panel of judges selected winners across each category, looking at aesthetics, technical usage and benefits delivered by using DALI.
The winners were announced in an online ceremony last month, with several entries also receiving special commendation for their design aesthetics or technical installation.
The judging panel featured experts from across the lighting world, including: Jeff Shaw, Arup; Karen van Creveld, SLL; Tad Trylski, IALD; Mark Lien, IES; Matt Waring, arc magazine; Markus Helle, Highlight magazine; Chen Zhongli, Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Institute; and Scott Wade, DALI Alliance.
The winners for the second annual DALI Awards are:
Commercial / Professional
The Spine, UK (Helvar)
Entertainment & Architectural
Expo 2020 Dubai, UK (Delmatic)
Healthcare & Education
University of Warwick Faculty of Arts, UK (zen control)
Industrial
Kühne+Nagel Logistics Hubs, Germany (Trilux)
Infrastructure
Doha Metro, Qatar (Delmatic)
Outdoor
Xi’an Overpass, China (Shanghai Euchips Industrial Co.)
Residential
Regent’s Crescent, UK (Lighting Design International)
Retail & Hospital
The Londoner, UK (Inverse Lighting Design)
More information on the awards winners can be found on the DALI Alliance website.
CM Kling + Associates open new studio in Mexico City
(Mexico) - CM Kling + Associates has announced the opening of CMK+CDMX, its new studio in Mexico City, Mexico.
The new venture will be led by Studio Director Maria del Pilar Toro-Ortiz. Formally trained as an architect, Toro-Ortiz has more than 15 years’ experience in lighting design. She graduated with a BFA in Architecture from Catholic University of America and attended the MFA Lighting Programme at Parsons.
Born in Puerto Rico, she lived in the United States for 10 years, working with lighting design firms such as HLB Lighting Design and Brandston Partnership. She moved to Mexico in 2010 and has worked with local design firms such as Avantgarde Lighting Design, Artec3 and Ideas en Luz. Most recently she served as the Regional Lighting Manager for Wework, where she designed and oversaw more than two million square feet of office space in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Since 1980, CM Kling + Associates has built an award-winning portfolio of more than 4,500 completed projects of every scope and scale; including mixed-use, convention centres, corporate, multi-family residential, masterplanning, civic, hospitality, religious, municipality and government projects. Its design team comes from a variety of disciplines, professionally trained in architecture, engineering, interior design and/or theatrical fields.
Toro-Ortiz will lead the new studio, expanding CMK’s presence in Mexico City and LATAM.
LED Linear: Three George, Germany
The Three Georges Building in Düsseldorf is a forward-looking refurbishment project in which existing office and business premises on the Georg-Glock-Street have been completely renovated and expanded. The building received a new façade, which contributes to the modern, positive cityscape through an extraordinary LED installation.
The basis for the seeming illumination is a specially developed façade concept. The façade construction consists of folded, vertical, approx. 75cm wide aluminium bands. The folds of the opaque aluminium strips and the folds of the canopies are illuminated by linear LED light lines along the entire façade. The design of this concept allows the installation of the linear LED light lines in the folds of this construction.
Spanning across 14 floors, Adonis IP67 were laid in the folds of the aluminium strips. On the façade of the building approximately 1.8 kilometers of light lines are used, which make the building something special. Taking into account the currently valid standards and the Düsseldorf Light Substitute, it was necessary to dim the entire lighting system down to about 10% in order to minimise glare and so-called light pollution in public areas.
DIIA: DALI Lighting Awards 2021
The DALI Alliance announces the winners of the DALI Lighting Awards 2021, covering eight categories including: residential, industrial, education, outdoor and commercial.
The international panel of judges selected a winner and showcased the best DALI-related products and installations in each category by looking at aesthetics, technical usage and benefits delivered by using DALI. Take a watch to see the 2021 winners!