Paul Crisp & Alex Ruston
Following the acquisition of Precision Lighting and Remote Controlled Lighting (RCL) by Luminii in October, Managing Directors Paul Crisp and Alex Ruston tell us how the opportunity came about.
How did you both get into lighting?
Paul Crisp (PC): I first encountered the lighting industry when I ran an injection moulding business specialising in clear plastic moulding. The business was built around expertise in optical engineering, and we utilised this to develop a range of standard optics as LED technology first began to enter the lighting market. I soon realised the introduction of LEDs would change the shape of the lighting industry. I was hooked and have been working in the lighting industry ever since.
Alex Ruston (AR): In 1996 my father asked if I would help him out as he set up the UK office of a US lighting company called Translite. What was supposed to be a few weeks’ work, however, turned into 25 years.
Can you explain your lighting journey so far?
PC: My experience with the optical business was a great place to learn and understand the technology platforms and development roadmaps that were driving the move to LED technology and enabled me to engage with lighting businesses across the UK, Europe and North America. This proved a perfect grounding to move up the value chain and work with traditional lighting manufacturers managing the transition of their businesses to LED technology. In recent years, I have used this experience to work with several organisations looking to expand or develop their businesses, which is how I became involved with Luminii. I was immediately impressed with the company’s vision and ambition to develop a great architectural lighting business, and I am delighted that RCL and Precision Lighting have become part of this vision.
AR: We founded Precision Lighting in 2000, and then RCL followed in 2001. I was running Precision Lighting and my father was running RCL, and then in 2013 he stepped back from the day-to-day operations of RCL and I took over running both companies.
How did the acquisition come about?
AR: Precision Lighting and RCL have been pioneering lighting innovation on the international stage for decades. As we’ve continued to grow and establish our credibility, we have come to believe we should trust our light to lead the way. When Luminii approached us about these acquisitions, we saw significant and immediate opportunities to grow our story in highly interesting and new ways, with a shared vision related to product development. Luminii’s keen interest in expanding industry leadership internationally beyond the US and Canada merged well with our interest to introduce our distinctive advantages in new markets.
What was it about RCL and Precision Lighting that stood out?
PC: Luminii understands the ever-rising demand for constant innovation in lighting and is committed to a business posture that is ambitious enough to meet its customers’ expectations. RCL and Precision Lighting are highly strategic pieces to that puzzle. Among the many distinctions Precision Lighting has established over the years, the company has made impressive advancements in Micro-LED products and technology, complementing Luminii’s robust efforts to build upon its existing STENOS Micro-Linear platform. RCL, as well, offers highly complementary capabilities to Luminii’s portfolio-wide capacity to equip lighting professionals with highly flexible solutions.
Alex, what benefits do you believe this move will have for both Precision Lighting and RCL?
AR: We believe our strengths in product innovation and sales in categories and markets Luminii had yet to tap into will deliver major early wins for Luminii. We also can flex our abilities to serve as expert ambassadors of Luminii’s products in the European and Middle Eastern markets where we’re already well established. Conversely, availing our products to the broader Luminii portfolio through these acquisitions means our influence multiplies in new markets – and within Luminii’s existing customer base.
How will Precision Lighting and RCL fit into Luminii’s portfolio?
PC: In my role as the new Managing Director for Precision Lighting and RCL and in close collaboration with Alex, we are not focused on subtracting from or adding to the companies’ strengths – but in multiplying them within Luminii’s ecosystem and sphere of influence. For example, the acquisitions promise new avenues for both Precision Lighting and RCL to enhance our own engineering, operations, and manufacturing capabilities with those of Luminii.
In particular, the acquisitions represent a leap ahead for Luminii’s portfolio in areas of product miniaturisation and remote-controlled lighting. Likewise, the acquisition of RCL creates an entirely new product category for Luminii, and complements Luminii’s highly flexible solutions in ways that will also bring RCL products to life in new ways. While there are various pathways still being forged between all of Luminii’s brands, the bottom line for all brands is win-win across the board.
What can we expect to see from the brands post-acquisition?
AR: Both RCL and Precision Lighting have many new and exciting products in development. We continue to be incredibly focused on R&D and advancements that will result in industry-leading luminaires and control technologies.
What do you think the future holds for the lighting industry?
PC: The recent pandemic has brought into sharp focus the importance of wellbeing and great user experiences in all that we do. Public spaces will have to pay much more attention to the quality of the experience they provide, and lighting will have an even more significant role to play in helping to create the public spaces of the future. LED adoption has gone past the necessary obsession with lumens/watt and efficiency and is increasingly focusing on light and beam quality and the effect of light on wellbeing and creating beautiful spaces.
AR: I think that control technologies will continue to be at the forefront of the lighting industry. Our clients and specifiers are looking for complete control over all aspects of their lighting installations, and that’s something we will continue to tighten our focus on.
www.luminii.com
www.precisionlighting.co.uk
www.rclighting.com
Messe Frankfurt issues update on Light + Building 2022
(Germany) – Messe Frankfurt, organisers of Light + Building, have issued an updated regarding the trade show, scheduled to take place on 13-18 March 2022.
Posted on the Light + Building website, the statement reads: “Until recently, we were looking forward with great confidence to Light + Building in March 2022 with customers at home and abroad. Due to the unforeseeable enormous dynamics in the development of the pandemic, decisions have to be reviewed again and again.
“Close exchange is a well-established instrument for us to take account of the broadest range of views as possible and to capture many voices.
“However, our discussions have clearly shown that a Light + Building will definitely take place in 2022, as essential parts of the industry and sectors involved need it.
“The concrete date 2022 will, thus, be decided depending on further developments. Please be assured that we will act responsibly and find a solution as quickly as possible.
“We will make a timely decision in January in the interest of a successful international Light + Building. Together with our partners and exhibitors’ representatives, we are intensively examining all possible options.
“We will, of course, keep you posted about any further developments.”
The announcement comes after the 2020 edition of the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
www.light-building.messefrankfurt.com
Stoane Lighting becomes member of LightingEurope
(UK) – Stoane Lighting has announced that it has become a member of LightingEurope, and will be supporting its work to shape a healthy regulatory framework for the lighting industry in Europe.
Dave Hollingsbee, Managing Director of Stoane Lighting, said: “Stoane Lighting has always been a practical and pragmatic company. Other than lamps and control gear, we make our luminaires entirely in our machine shop and assembly space in Scotland. The prospect of pooling our experiences with other manufacturers’ as we explore new territory for our industry, particularly within an environmentalism context, is something we very much look forward to.”
Ourania Georgoutsakou, Secretary General of LightingEurope, added: “We are very pleased to be joined by Stoane Lighting at a time when Europe’s lighting industry is at a turning point. Sustainability and the circular economy are at the heart of Europe’s growth strategy and LightingEurope is the forum for Europe’s lighting manufacturers to forge a common vision of what sustainability means for lighting and to shape rules that allow companies to innovate and deliver on our green ambitions.
“Having Stoane Lighting’s ethos and experience at our table will make a significant contribution to our work.”
www.stoanelighting.com
www.lightingeurope.org
Artistic Licence DMXtoDALI quad
DMXtoDALI quad converts DMX512 to four circuits of DALI, allowing control of up to 256 DALI fixtures. The product offers conventional DT0 (intensity) control and also DT8 colour support for colour temperature and RGBWAF. Broadcast, Group, Device and Scene addressing modes are supported. Nine pre-configured personalities can be selected via RDM; these handle the mapping between DMX channels and DALI addresses required in common scenarios, greatly simplifying the user experience.
Zaha Hadid Architects transitions to employee ownership
(UK) - Through its recently established Employee Benefit Trust, Zaha Hadid Architects has transitioned to employee ownership.
Building on the vision of Zaha Hadid to entrust the practice to the friends and colleagues with whom she collaborated for several decades, the switch to employee ownership is a move that the studio feels will be beneficial long term.
A statement from ZHA said: “As the Trust has no external shareholders, we can now reinvest all profits back into the business, into our people, equipment and facilities to the benefit of all our employees; allowing us to prioritise our work with visionary clients, communities and industry experts around the world to advance the quality of the built environment.
“Building upon the experimentation and pursuit of discovery that Zaha so championed, we embrace new ideas and technologies to deliver a repertoire of projects that become more spatially inventive, more structurally efficient, more technologically advanced and more sustainable with each new design.
“Younger generations of architects are demanding our profession become more accessible and egalitarian. Supported by independent and transparent organisational systems and structures, employee ownership of ZHA will cultivate the skills and diversity that drives our decision-making and give every member of our team a voice in shaping our future.”
Lucent Lighting becomes carbon neutral
(UK) - After dedicating the past year to reducing its carbon emissions, Lucent Lighting has announced that it has achieved its target of becoming a carbon neutral business.
With businesses accounting for more than 85% of the total emissions in the UK, the company felt that now was the time to act, and as such put forward its aim to reduce plastics in its packaging, analyse its waste and recycling opportunities and assess materials within its products, while also achieving ISO14001:2015 Environmental Management Certification.
Lucent has also teamed up with Carbon Neutral Britain - the UK’s leading carbon offsetting initiative. Founded in 2020, its projects have already offset more than 500,000 tonnes of CO2 and planted more than 3 million trees, providing essential habitats for wildlife.
Alongside this, the company has chosen to support the Carbon Neutral Britain Climate Fund, which supports wind, solar, hydro and cook store projects focused on developing countries around the world; and the Carbon Neutral Britain Woodland Fund - this supports reforestations, deforestation prevention and woodland management projects focusing on the positive impact of local wildlife, ecology and biodiversity.
Michael Dunk, Managing Director of Lucent Lighting, said: “We are delighted that we have been able to be awarded Carbon Neutral status as a business and see this as a continuation of our commitment over the past few years to be as sustainable as possible across the business process.”
Entries open for 2022 Casambi Awards
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2022 Casambi Awards. Winners will be announced at the Casambi stand during Light+Building in Frankfurt, Germany, in March 2022.
Casambi has created two separate award categories this time around – best Casambi project and best Casambi Ready product.
Participants are invited to fill in either form for the best Casambi project or Casambi Ready product to enter the awards. All entries should include 4-10 high-quality photographs. Nominations can be submitted as a group, and there is no limit to how many entries you can submit.
Casambi project types that can be nominated
Any type of architectural lighting project that includes Casambi technology. If not completed, the project has to be at least in the final installation phase, and there are no restrictions on the project’s location.
https://casambi.com/casambi-awards-project-submission/
Casambi Ready Product types that can be nominated
Any product that includes Casambi technology, whether it be a switch, driver, sensor, luminaire, or anything else.
https://casambi.com/casambi-awards-product-submission/
Casambi says: “It doesn’t matter if you are a manufacturer, electrical consultant, architect, lighting designer, commissioning engineer, or influencer - the number one entry criterion is that entrants are passionate about lighting.”
The jury for the 2022 Casambi Awards is:
Till Armbruester, Head of Product Design, Licht Kunst Licht AG
Aristide Stucchi, President, A.A.G. Stucchi
Helen Ankers, Managing Editor, [d]arc media
Anton Biersack, CTO, Occhio GmbH
Rafael Urculo, Founder, Urculo Ingenieros
Zoe Faulkner, Associate, Troup Bywaters + Anders
The awards are free to enter, and entries will be open until the 1st of February 2022.
imm cologne 2022 cancelled
(Germany) - Originally scheduled for January 2022, imm cologne has been cancelled, event organisers have announced.
The executive board of Koelnmesse reached this decision in close consultation with the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM) and in agreement with other industry representatives at the international level.
“This step is restricted exclusively to imm cologne and its specific requirements for trade fair operations,” said COO Oliver Frese. “We are principally planning, as before, to carry out our Spring events in 2022. The political guidelines allow for this and, following the excellent and safe course of the past Autumn trade fairs, this must remain our mission in the interests of the participating industries.”
Jan Kurth, CEO of the VDM, added: “Following consultation with numerous exhibitors, industry representatives and trading partners, there is either no question of participation on the part of German exhibitors or exhibitors from the German-speaking region, or this is very much in doubt.”
Frese continued: “We didn’t make this very bitter decision easy for ourselves, but consider it to be our obligation to take this step now in close consultation with the industry. We are currently working actively on options for also still being able to offer exhibitors of imm cologne an attractive trade fair presence at the international level.”
Koelnmesse, together with the VDM and the exhibiting industry, are now looking ahead to 2023, when imm cologne will return.
Registration opens for LEDucation 2022
(USA) - Registration for LEDucation 2022 Trade Show and Conference, held 15-16 March, 2022 at the New York Hilton Midtown, is now open.
LEDucation 2022 has more than 350 companies confirmed to exhibit and an exciting slate of accredited educational programmes. The 2022 Conference will open with six virtual sessions on Monday, 14 March. In-person sessions will take place on-site Tuesday and Wednesday, 15-16 March.
“We’re excited to get back to an in-person LEDucation trade show. Interest in new technologies and new lighting priorities has never been higher,” said LEDucation Committee Co-Chairs Caroline Rinker and Burt Grant. “We’re looking forward to renewing existing relationships and creating fresh networks for the revolutionary marketplace.”
The health of lighting industry stakeholders is LEDucation’s top priority. LEDucation has added additional exhibit space to provide a more comfortable environment for exhibitors and attendees to network and navigate through. The Rhinelander area on the second floor of the New York Hilton Midtown will be added in 2022, along with Americas Hall 2, which was planned in 2020. This is in addition to the original two exhibit halls - the Grand Ballroom and Americas Hall I.
In compliance with New York City COVID-19 ordinance, expect that both masks and proof of vaccination will be required. Event Safety Protocols can be found here: leducation.org/event-safety.
Registration details can be found at www.leducation.org/registration.
DW Windsor: Daytona
Introducing Daytona, a contemporary street lighting solution set to transform the illumination of urban spaces. With replaceable light modules, advanced control options and Tunable White technology, Daytona helps specifiers to deliver the right light at the right time.
Daytona balances style, efficiency and practicality to deliver a luminaire capable of maximising performance while providing outstanding service life to support the circular economy. Its modern design and advanced features make it ideal for a range of urban lighting applications.
More than 500,000 visitors attend GLOW 2021
(Netherlands) - More than 580,000 people attended the 2021 GLOW Eindhoven event across seven days, given the theme ‘Moved by Light’.
The event was spread across four different locations in and around the city of Eindhoven, and despite having to end a day early due to new Covid measures announced by the Dutch government, organisers are overwhelmed with the number of visitors.
Ronald Ramakers, Director of GLOW, said: “We are incredibly proud that this edition of GLOW - spread across the entire city - was able to take place thanks to the close collaboration with artists from home and abroad. We have worked together with the municipality of Eindhoven and other key partners to make this event a great success.”
With around 35 light artists from the Netherlands and abroad, the event featured some of the most inspiring and innovative exhibits ever seen at GLOW. The enlarged exhibition area, spread over four sites and two satellite locations - gave both visitors and the light installations more space, while making the event more Covid-19 compliant.
One of the highlights of the event was the Dutch Footprint installation, created on the Ketelhuisplein. On 8 November, children made homemade flower lanterns out of recycled materials and walked a route of five hectares - the size of the ‘footprint’ of an average Dutch citizen. Together with television programme Het Klokhuis (The Apple Core), the installation aimed to show the impact of people on the planet.
Another highlight was Domus Luma at the Paterskerk; with an impressive projection, light and laser show on the outside and the Wish Factory inside. Strijp-S and -T attracted a large volume of visitors also, with Gijs van Bon’s abstract dragon PING adapted in honour of the construction of the Nanjing Pavilion. Gijs van Bon also worked with various ASML engineers on Drop of the Light, another installation that proved very popular with the public.
The theme ‘Moved by Light’ was a topic that captured the essence of the challenges of the past two years - a period that required more resilience from everyone. But Ramakers believes this edition of GLOW was a big success. He added: “Although the expansion to the new locations was a challenge at times, we can definitely say GLOW 2021 was a very successful edition. Local residents and visitors (from far and wide) were surprised, thrilled, challenged and inspired. This year’s light art was often referred to as ‘breathtaking’.”
GLOW Eindhoven will return next year, taking place from 12-19 November 2022.
Designers Mind: An Interview with Ström
As part of its ongoing mission to spread the word about mental health and wellbeing practices, Designers Mind is conducting a series of interviews with design studios to find out more about what they're doing to improve the wellbeing of their teams. In the first interview, Designers Mind speak to Ström, a lighting design consultancy co-founded by Anna Sandgren and Emilio Hernandez.
Ström's mission is to create timeless, lasting lighting schemes with restrained design intervention and minimal burden on the planet through responsible sourcing. With more than 15 years of designing and specifying lighting for spaces, human impact has always been at the forefront of what they do.
Designers Mind: What does wellbeing mean to you in relation to your work? Why is it important?
Ström: It absolutely shouldn’t be a 'Bolt on' or seen as a company perk, it needs to be woven into your daily approach to things. Therefore building a strong company culture where the individual feels trusted and comfortable communicating and setting their own boundaries around their own mental health and wellbeing is important. This is not an easy task but we think it’s essential.
What are some of the wellbeing practices that you incorporate into your days?
We avoid talking about work after and before certain times of day and as we work and live together it’s really important that we can create that boundary without feeling stressed. We also try to enjoy the little victories, flexibility and experiences that working for yourself enables as well as things like taking the time to cook a healthy lunch and guilt-free outdoor exercise when there is a break in the weather.
Are there any changes you’d like to make to the way you work now in your own company compared with previous roles and pre-Covid? And if so, why are you making them?
A lot of the value we add as designers comes from creative thinking which does not always manifest itself as a stack of drawings or documents. So allowing time and freeing up space for creative thinking has been a big priority for us.
Our goal is to grow organically over time and to take on projects and collaborate with people that align with our own company values. As we're a small business we cannot afford ‘burnout' - for a lot of design companies ‘burnout’ is seen as par for the course as it's been part of the industry culture for such a long time. This is troubling and why we think the work of Designers Mind is so important.
Would you consider implementing policies such as a ‘no meeting day’ or working core hours with flexibility?
Any tool that encourages people to take time away from things that might cause burnout is worth considering. However as wellbeing is not ‘one size fits all’ it should always be seen through the lens of the individual. In the past we have tried implementing 'no deadlines' or 'no meetings' on certain days, however we saw there was extra pressure or anxiety felt by some team members as a result.
This doesn't mean it couldn't work but in our experience it would be better to define boundaries for individuals and tailor the policy accordingly.
What advice do you have for other studios looking to introduce more wellbeing practices into their work too?
Again we feel wellbeing could best be seen as an employee right and part of company culture (as much as a weekend or a lunch break). If it's seen as a company perk it becomes complex as there isn't a one size fits all activity to suit people's mental health needs.
The danger of it being a perk is that the employer feels that they have provided a service (i.e. gym, yoga, meditation) and the onus is now on the employee to perform as normal. If the perk doesn't suit the employee then they will feel more anxious and the employer will feel frustrated that their team is not satisfied.
Perhaps try to understand what people find important outside of work (family, sport, travel, down time) and when they do their best work during the day and support them to balance those two within the confines of the job role. This is hard as it puts an additional pressure and demand on the senior staff to monitor this. It's in the nature of a lot of designers to give a lot of themselves, so it's fair for the job to try to respect that.
Read the full interview on the Designers Mind website here.
