Lumascape DALI Enhanced Solutions
Lumascape has announced the enhancement of DALI to its range of façade and architectural lighting solutions. This new feature offers best-in-class performance for any façade lighting application. With DALI control, Lumascape’s architectural luminaires offer more than premium LEDs, optics, and thermal management. Users get the most robust, reliable, and easy-to-install luminaires in the industry, now with additional opportunities for power and control.
www.lumascape.com
Applelec LED Light Sheet
Created to bespoke specification, Applelec LED Light Sheet is a UK manufactured light panel. Removing creative restrictions, Applelec LED Light Sheet is an extremely versatile LED unit, helping to push design boundaries and enable unique and inspired lighting features to be achieved. Delivering superior illumination, Applelec LED Light Sheet is a highly reliable light panel and has built a reputation as the go-to backlighting solution within the design industry
Madrix Aura
Madrix Aura provides amazing capabilities for dynamic lighting. It is the central stand-alone controller for simple recording and large-scale lighting control. Run sophisticated light shows and effects independently from this energy-efficient unit with fully customisable scheduling. Designed for continuous operation, it was built to meet the different needs of today’s illumination projects. Made in Germany, it is the powerful yet compact
playback unit for creative LED lighting.
LightGraphix LD155
The LD155 900lm adjustable uplight from LightGraphix has received a technical upgrade, with the addition of black rimmed glass and increased light engine options. Designed for interior and exterior applications, the LED optic rotates 360° and can be tilted at set increments up to 25°, to give designers ultimate flexibility. A removable inner bezel allows quick onsite adjustments with no need to remove the product from the mounting surface.
Schnick Schnack Systems Custom Outdoor Profile System
No two outdoor projects are alike, each one presents different requirements. That’s why Schnick Schnack Systems’ UL-listed and CE-approved Custom Outdoor Profile System offers not only the most current cutting-edge technology, but also promises enormous variability: U or H shaped, housing colour, individual length, pixel pitch, colour of potting and mounting options - there are thousands of possibilities, no matter your requirements.
eldoLED and DALI Alliance to host webinar on Human Centric Lighting
(Worldwide) - Session to discuss how the right control system can help achieve optimal lighting experience.
eldoLED and the DALI Alliance (DiiA), in association with arc magazine, are hosting a webinar dedicated to Human Centric Lighting.
The session, entitled Mastering the Human Centric Lighting Experience, will be held on Thursday 14 January at 2:00pm GMT. Moderated by arc magazine's Matt Waring, eldoLED's Director of Specifier Services, Gé Hulsmans and Paul Drosihn from the DALI Alliance (DiiA) will discuss how programming consistent, interoperable dynamic behaviour can help you achieve your desired lighting goals.
Further to this, by taking part in the session, participants will gain a better understanding of how to integrate colour mixing algorithms and colour info with light technology, and the ways to implement tunable, human centric lighting solutions with DALI-2 DT8(Tc) and eldoLED's LightShape technology.
Registration for the session is open now. Participants can register for the webinar here.
www.eldoled.com
www.dali-alliance.org
Zumtobel: Vivo II
A versatile platform for all architectural requirements, Zumtobel's new VIVO II has a host of accessories to meet the demands of today's spotlight world. Suitable for ceiling heights of up to 10-metres, this powerful, ultra-flexible luminaire enables brand, product and space presentation tailored to the target group and application. VIVO II has three different optical systems - highly efficient reflectors for powerful accent lighting with minimal glare, high-precision lenses for exact light distribution without any light scatter and a manual zoom lens for flexibility.
Cristina Gil Venegas - The Nighttime Traveller
A new research project has been established to examine the ways in which women interact with the urban environment after dark. We speak to the research founder, Colombian lighting designer Cristina Gil Venegas, to find out more.
For many in the lighting design sphere, the job comes with the added bonus of plenty of global travel. Whether it’s working on projects overseas or attending international conferences, many of us are lucky enough to occasionally swap the office for the airport and see the world (before 2020 had other plans).
With this luxury of international travel comes the opportunity to experience different cultures, immerse ourselves in new environments and discover new cities. However, while it can be exciting to explore places that we’ve never been to before, for some, this can come with an added sense of caution or trepidation, especially once night falls.
This is the basis for a new research study from Colombian lighting designer Cristina Gil Venegas, entitled The Nighttime Traveller. Based in Bogota, Colombia, Venegas has travelled around the world, studying in Buenos Aires, Barcelona and Stockholm, and throughout her career has always had an interest in urban design and outdoor lighting. “I have always been keen to work in outdoor environments, and in the course of my lighting design studies, I began to feel an interest in working in urban environments at night,” she told arc.
“During the first urban intervention I saw in Barcelona, during the Llum BCN Festival for Santa Eulàlia, I felt really inspired by the poetical way Barcelona’s old town was transformed through lighting and the way that locals and tourists of all ages enjoyed the outdoor activities. Even though those activities were mainly contemplative, people’s mood transformed just by walking by and admiring the city, seeing Barcelona through new eyes.
“Since that moment, I wanted to inspire other people to explore the night with that curiosity I saw in people’s faces during the Llum BCN Festival, contrary to the current panorama in which most citizens almost don’t interact with the urban night. I wanted to become a spokeswoman for the endless opportunities of urban lighting design to create a sense of wellbeing at night.”
Venegas first came to lighting via architecture; she completed a degree in Architecture with Urban Environmental Emphasis at Santo Tomás University in Tunja, Colombia, during which she spent a year studying abroad at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) in Argentina. “I had some hints of lighting design while I was studying in Buenos Aires and saw a class given at UBA,” she explained. “I was intrigued by the description of that class, which was on the relationship between light and spaces, but I didn’t take the class because it overlapped with other assignments I had already enrolled on. It wasn’t until later that I realised that class was given by a really talented lighting designer, Eli Sirlin.”
Years later, while Venegas was working as a junior architect in an architectural heritage studio, she read an article on the ability of light to change the perception of buildings. “The article was on a group of people who stopped heritage buildings from being demolished in New York by lighting them up and doing an ephemeral intervention.
“Since that moment, I felt inspired by light as an ‘invisible’ tool that can transform a place with no visible interventions.”
This led Venegas to research lighting design postgraduate courses, which eventually led her to a one-year course at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona, called “Proyectar la luz”. “I found this one-year programme a good way to understand light, from its basic concepts between light and shadow, then its application in indoor and outdoor environments, and finally the possibility to explore my own interests during the development of a final project,” she continued.
Venegas explained that it was once she began researching lighting design as a career choice that she realised what her true passion was. “During my last years as an architecture student and at the beginning of my work experience, I was interested in urban design and the job opportunities that I had. But at the time, even though I enjoyed my work and career, I didn’t feel the passion I used to see in my bosses. When they were working you could notice how much of themselves they put in their projects, so I realised I hadn’t found my own path yet.
“When I started researching lighting design, I began to feel that passion that I used to see in my bosses, so I followed my intuition and I believe that with the passing of the years, this passion just increases.”
Finally, in 2017, Venegas enrolled in the Master’s programme at KTH in Stockholm, Sweden, “driven by the recommendations of some lighting designer friends and my curiosity of living in a country with such drastic light conditions”. Here, she expanded on her interest in urban design, researching outdoor lighting and focusing her thesis on how light can positively influence and encourage peoples’ engagement and interaction with the urban environment at night.
“For this, I did field research at Norrmalmstorg and Biblioteksgatan in Stockholm, and a literature review about two case studies in Colombia and lighting designers’ approach to urban projects. I called this research Light as a tool to structure urban planning: a socially-oriented approach. My tutor for this was Florence Lam, Global Lighting Design Leader at Arup,” she explained.
The result of her thesis, Venegas continued, was the proposal of a guideline to approach urban lighting design. “The aim of the guideline was to establish the framework to structure urban lighting proposals, by identifying the attributes in light that encourage people to dwell and explore cities at night.”
This research ended up being a great influence for Venegas in creating The Nighttime Traveller. She explained: “During the research process of my thesis, I was able to study qualitative and quantitative data, and see the way people move through urban spaces differently during daytime and nighttime, and also to study how their paths and pace change in those two moments of the day.
“Additionally, when I was studying how facial perception changed under different light conditions, I realised how we as citizens avoid certain spots of the city due to the fear of not being able to identify other people because the light position makes us perceive faces with strong, dramatic shadows.
“That process made me enquire about my own way to explore the night and start asking some friends about their experiences. I began to ask about how, when recognising landmarks was easy, through planned lighting design, those places became more interesting for people to explore.
“Then, I realised how different the perception was between women and men about the urban night, and from that, I decided to inquire more about that situation.”
The contrasting perception in the way that men and women feel about the urban night, Venegas believes, stems from deep-seeded societal attitudes. On the Nighttime Traveller blog, she writes: “In my youth, I started to become aware of the difference between women and men. In the beginning, I was not sure if that feeling was just my own construction because of my shyness, or the fact that I grew up in a Catholic school, where the norms were very clear about ‘how a lady should properly behave’, referring to not give her opinion unless asked, not to speak up, not be so noisy or demanding, and among all those ‘nots’, not to go out outside alone at night.
“But then I discovered that the fear of the night was a shared feeling. As women, we hear statements such as ‘you should not walk alone at night outside’, or ‘you have to avoid wearing provocative clothing’. These statements can be more or less extreme between countries as a result of social constructions that translate into norms and boundaries.
“Most of us were raised with that fear of the night, in cultures where statements exclude women from enjoying the nighttime, and where we are judged if we do.”
Venegas even references Michelle Obama – a spokeswoman for freedom and empowerment – who herself wrote in her book Becoming, that she “knew never to walk alone at night”.
“After a while of exploring that shared feeling of fear and my own feelings, I came to the conclusion that, as women, we have been trying to be as invisible as possible in the urban nighttime. We use this as a sense of self-protection; as a way to remember those behavioural norms that society has imposed on us, in order to protect ourselves from harassment, and because we know if we are attacked, society is going to blame us for provoking these situations – this is something we continually see,” Venegas continued.
“I became aware that the way we move, the speed of our pace, the emotions we put in the urban journeys, suddenly became controlled and supervised by external eyes, and those eyes are prepared to judge us if a misfortune happens to us. In this situation, we become aware as women that our gender, that social construction, instead of including or integrating us into society, has instead limited our interaction with public space due to those prejudices.”
It is these attitudes that inspired Venegas to set up The Nighttime Traveller, to try and ascertain with more clarity how public spaces are perceived by women, and what can be done to create more inclusive public spaces at nighttime.
To do this, she created an anonymous survey to try and allow for a more open and transparent dialogue. The survey is divided into four sections as a way to structure the outcomes: General Information, Emotions, Travel and Comments.
In the first section, Venegas looks to obtain general data about the women taking part in the survey, to guarantee that the sample includes perspectives of women from different socio-economic backgrounds and age groups. In the second, Emotions, she seeks to identify how women interact with public spaces at night, emphasising the perception of safety and the main obstacles they identify when exploring cities at night. The third section, Travel, asks participants about their preferences when travelling, and hopes to gather qualitative data about whether the topics they search before travelling are connected to the obstacles they identify earlier in the survey. The final section is more open for women to share their experiences of cities after dark. The goal for this section is to explore qualitative information that can then open the discussion up to future research.
Venegas plans to present the outcomes through data visualisation that is easy to understand, communicate and interact with, and with that data, “adapt and design tools that decision-makers, designers and other professionals could use to design collaborative projects with citizens from a gender perspective approach”.
“I hope this research can contribute to raising awareness about how different women perceive and explore the urban environment at night, and to communicate how culture influences our confidence to explore the world and stand by ourselves as women,” she added.
“I believe light is a powerful tool to communicate, so I want to create and encourage other designers to create urban ephemeral interventions with the data of the outcomes of my research, to communicate to citizens, decision-makers and designers the female perception of the urban nighttime.”
It is an issue that Venegas clearly feels passionate about, and from the many women around the world that have already participated in the study, it is clear to see that this is a global concern. “I believe it is a situation that as women, we are aware of, but it still has many cultural barriers that make us avoid those conversations,” she said.
“One of the insights this process has brought to me was how different women feel when they travel abroad compared to the way they do in their own cities. I have identified this situation mainly in Latin American countries. So far I have found that, in general, women are cautious to explore urban spaces at night, and in countries such as mine, Colombia, this situation is even more evident.”
While Venegas’ research gauges how women perceive the urban environment at night, she has also begun to consider what lighting designers can do to help create more safe spaces for women after dark. “I have read about how we, as women, rely more on a sense of location and facial recognition to explore urban environments at night. So I believe that as lighting designers, we can contribute by lighting landmarks to turn them into reference points when we navigate through cities at night; light pathways to guide the flow through a visual sense of direction; and also to take care about the light direction in the urban environment, related to how citizens will perceive each other’s faces,” she said.
“With that in mind, I believe it is not just a matter of how much light, but where the light is coming from; what areas, buildings or elements to accentuate; and what the best lighting positions are that allow people to recognise other faces without distorting facial features.
“Additionally, the idea of designing urban environments at night around the activities people do would promote more vibrant spaces at night, and with more people engaging outdoors comes a feeling of more safe spaces.”
Venegas’ research is still open, and she is hopeful that, through the support of Women in Lighting (WiL), more women will take part. “WiL has given me a lot of support in sharing my research, and also brought me the opportunity to be in contact with other women who have either been researching this topic, or who have some interest in it. I believe these networks create an atmosphere that allows all of us to grow together, and I am really delighted to be a part of it,” she continued.
Looking forward, as Venegas continues to work on her research, she is already making a number of plans based on the outcomes she has already received.
“I am planning some ephemeral interventions with the outcomes of the research for raising awareness about this topic to a wider group of people. Additionally, on the Nighttime Traveller website, I am making the outcomes available through data visualisation, and will share a report with more detailed information for lighting designers and other professionals interested in the topic. My aim is for this information to be shared on other platforms to reach a bigger audience,” she said.
“I am also adapting and designing tools to help designers to go through the design process, taking into account the gender perspective, and working with citizens to design collaborative projects. The goal with these tools is to encourage professionals to use them during their design process, and get feedback from them to adjust the tools to diverse needs and locations, and make them available to anyone who wants to use it.
“I also want to encourage other women to share their own stories – nobody knows who they can inspire.”
Krishna Mistry
With more than 10 years’ experience in the lighting design industry, Krishna Mistry has this summer established her own independent lighting design practice, Mistry Lighting. arc sits down with Mistry to learn more about her lighting journey to date, and her goals for her new solo venture.
How did you get into lighting?
I studied interior design at university and always focused on the lighting element to design during my studies, which came naturally to me. I initially hoped to get into theatre set design but graduating during a recession, it was difficult finding a job. I got a temporary position at a wholesale lighting company, and it was only here I realised there was a possibility of a career in lighting design. I started looking for junior lighting jobs and got a position working for Fagerhult. It was a brilliant start to my career and it only took a few months for me to realise I found my passion!
Can you describe your lighting career so far?
After Fagerhult, I moved on to Buro Happold. Coming from a manufacturer to a large engineering firm was a big jump, but it gave me the opportunity to work on recognisable projects across the globe with the some of the most iconic architects. I later moved on to the Light Corporation specialising on hospitality projects. My favourite client was Nando’s, I love their ethos and we designed some creative colourful lighting schemes for them. 10 years later I now have a new journey as an independent lighting designer.
What led you to the decision to start your own lighting design studio?
I always imagined I’d work for myself in the future but whilst I was furloughed for several months, it gave me the opportunity to think about my future and I thought why wait when this is the path I always intended to go down.
Was it a difficult decision for you to make?
It wasn’t difficult at all; I have gained freedom to follow my passion independently and focus on my own values when it comes to lighting design.
How has the experience of forming a new studio in the middle of a global pandemic been?
Strange, but exciting! It’s been challenging not being able to meet face to face and create new connections. While work is harder to come by during these times, the support of the lighting industry has been amazing. I’ve been fortunate to have a great network of peers, which has made this transition smooth sailing for me.
Do you have a ‘Mission Statement’ or design philosophy for Mistry Lighting?
I don’t have a mission statement as such, but I’m very open minded when it comes to lighting. I never want to restrict myself to a particular style but like to keep adapting to the latest technology. I strongly believe in supporting small businesses.
Whilst working with Nando’s, I’ve had the opportunity to come across extremely talented artisans such as AAKS, who have a ‘weave for change’ initiative, which aims to create fair and dignified work for refugee artisans. Through creative collaborations such as these the refugee artisans living in extreme poverty may have an opportunity to change their lives. For me, this gives greater meaning towards a lighting scheme and I am actively sourcing artisans to widen my knowledge of what is available to us and support small business where possible, especially now in our current economy.
Will you have a particular area of specialism?
I will be open to working in all aspects of designs from hospitality, residential to landscape and retail design.
How does running your own independent studio compare to working for a global engineering firm such as Buro Happold?
It is completely different; working for a large firm like Buro Happold, there are bigger teams, a lot of admin and planning that goes into the project before you can even begin designing. Once you’re on the project, it can also last a number of years. A complete contrast to an independent studio, our projects are smaller and the pace is a lot quicker. I really enjoy the smaller projects, which has made the transition pretty easy. I find you have more authority over the lighting design as there are less people involved with the advantage of focusing on small details, which can often be overlooked on larger projects.
What are your aspirations for Mistry Lighting? What do you hope to bring to the lighting world?
I’d hope to continue to evolve my designs with every project I work on. I always believe you can never stop learning. Each project will always bring its own challenge and it’s how you adapt and push design forward that is important to me. I want to continue to enjoy each project I work on and keep lighting fun, not only for me, but hopefully in the future when I can expand the team and share my knowledge and experience.
Finally, lighting is so important to our daily lives, it almost gets unnoticed, so I hope I can be influential in making it one of the first aspects of design that is thought about.
What sort of reaction have you had so far? Do you have a lot of work already in the pipeline?
The reaction has been very positive. It’s always scary to start up on your own, especially in the middle of a global pandemic, but to have support from my network, friends and family has given me the confidence to take this next step in my career. I’m fortunate to have worked under some great peers through whom I’ve been able to get some work in the pipeline, as it’s still early days and I’m continuing to reach out to my network.
What do you think the future holds for the lighting industry?
The future is exciting for the lighting industry, as products are evolving, so are lightings designs. In the 10+ years I’ve been in the industry so much has already changed, who knows what the next 10 will bring. I have no idea but I’m enthusiastic about it!
David Morgan Review: RCL DRX1 & RCL Control
After a fascinating workshop session at [d]arc room livestream, David Morgan checks in with RCL to take a closer look at the DRX1 range, and the iPad-based RCL Control system.
It is unusual to find a lighting company founded by an engineer who wrote and published a successful series of books on how to gain entry to medical and dental school. Joe Ruston’s engineering degree from Cambridge University and experience as a Weapons Engineer in the Royal Navy probably also helped when building Remote Controlled Lighting ( RCL ).
Based in London, RCL currently shares facilities and staff with sister company Precision Lighting and both companies focus on the specification lighting market. RCL grew out of a custom product request to Precision Lighting in 2001 for a remote controllable motorised lighting system for ballrooms. The group has grown from two to 34 employees since 2001 with more than 100,000 fixtures installed worldwide.
The self-evident benefit of being able to aim and focus projector luminaires without the need for cherry-pickers, scaffolds or ladders has become more important due to increasing workplace health and safety legislation. These requirements have significantly increased the costs of manually aiming multiple luminaires in larger spaces. Conversely, the production costs of remote-controlled luminaires have fallen as the various enabling digital technologies develop, which in turn has widened the market opportunity.
Although the first recorded example of remote-controlled, motorised lighting dates back to the 1920s, RCL has developed and refined the concept. The most recent launch is its state-of-the-art RCL DRX1 range.
This new range includes options for remote control of all key functions including movement – pan and tilt, dimming, colour temperature control and focus so that, once installed, there is no need to touch the luminaires except for maintenance.
The DRX1 range includes a wide variety of options for light engine type, including both COB and high-power LEDs, lens type and control protocol.
To accompany the new luminaire range, a new control system has been developed, appropriately named RCL Control. While earlier RCL systems were based on wired DMX, which is still available as an option, the new system is based on the wireless Thread protocol, a low-power mesh networking technology developed for all kinds of IoT products. Thread has so far been adopted by a wide variety of companies including Apple, Samsung, Nest and others and is understood to be highly secure and to have a very fast response time – an important requirement for this type of motorised luminaire.
While all functions on individual luminaires can be controlled by the original RCL hand controller, it seems likely that most projects will be controlled by the iPad-based RCL Control system. The iPad links via WiFi to the RCL Mediator, which can control up to 200 luminaires, and the plan is to be able to control luminaires from other brands, in the same space, at some point in the future. The user-friendly RCL Control interface has some nice features, including the ability to select a setting for very fine control of dimming, colour temperature, beam angle and position. The communication between the luminaire and the control system is two-way so that the actual position of the luminaire is displayed as it moves. Different functions have their own on-screen interaction mode. Beam angle control is achieved via a pinch to zoom action on the iPad, while movement is controlled via joystick and jog wheel interfaces. Colour temperature is controlled via a slider.
The DRX1 sample kit I was given to test was well presented and worked without any problems. The beam quality was good when set to both narrow and wide distributions. The colour temperature mixing was also effective across the range. Dimming is finely controlled from 0.1% up to 100%. The colour temperature ranges from 2200K up to 4000K.
Beam angles for the DRX1 range with a fixed colour temperature light engine range from 4° to 34°. Adding the LensVector gives variable beam angle ranges from 8° to 16°, 5° to 55° and 10° to 55°. With the tuneable white light engine, the beam angle options are 14° and a variable 15° to 54°.
The DRX1 range offers lumen output of up to 1,474 lumens with centre beam value of up to 56,646 candelas.
The variable focus feature uses the LensVector liquid crystal lens system; this produces a zoom lens without any moving parts or without increasing the size of the luminaire. The technology, developed by Dr. Tigran Galstian and his research team at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada, aligns liquid crystal molecules to a shaped electric field to create a digital lens. By changing the electric field, the nature of the lens, and therefore the illumination effect, can be manipulated.
The control system includes a very neat scene setting capability so that individual luminaires and groups of luminaires follow pre-set scenes stored in a memory within the luminaires as well as centrally. Luminaires can be programmed by multiple iPads and controllers within the same space to help reduce commissioning time. The RCL hand controller is used to identify individual luminaires via it’s integral laser pointer, when pairing them to the RCL Control light plan, which also simplifies the whole process.
It is understood that the development of the DRX1 range and the RCL Control system were largely undertaken in house over several years by the joint RCL and Precision design team, with Joe Ruston providing the driving force behind these projects.
Apparently, the reaction to the DRX1 range and the RCL Control system from customers and lighting specifiers has been very positive, particularly the ease-of-use design features of RCL Control, and they are both likely to help the company to prosper and grow in this market area.
www.rclighting.com
www.lensvector.com
Empathic Design
While the adoption of ‘Human Centric Lighting’ looks at the physiological impact of lighting, what about its emotional impact? Communication Consultant and kindness advocate Bronwen Rolls asks if lighting designers can take a more empathic approach?
I was waiting to receive results of a medical test in a brightly lit, cold, windowless corridor a few days ago and, as the adrenaline and cortisol pulsed through me I realised it wasn’t the results that were making me feel so extremely anxious, it was the environment I was sat in that was compounding it. Bright, cold overhead light pulsed about and reflected and bounced of every white surface, flickering and agitating the space. I began to think back to all the people I have spoken to in lighting about its effect on our wellbeing and I realised that whoever had designed this specific space – or more likely had not – had never themselves had to wait for a medical test result. Or, worse still they had been through the exact same scenario, but had not then used their understanding of how people feel in that moment, in that environment, to improve their design.
This got me to thinking: are feelings too subjective for lighting design to consider? Should or could lighting be empathetic? Could it care more? I want to start a discussion about this.
2020 was unprecedented, a genuine game changer for pretty much everyone around the world. When any seismic shifts happen things can go either way. We adapt, we innovate and we move forward or we falter and panic, make rash decisions and we ultimately stop functioning. Observing the changes in society reminded me of the changes I have seen in the lighting. LEDification and digitalisation were light’s revolution. It was a massive disruption to everything, one that removed certainty and created shareholder unrest. What has followed are years of teetering uncertainty, of how to adapt, innovate and move forward.
When faced with the potential of LED technology and digitalisation, I think it has been too overwhelming, too competitive, driven too hard by the “let’s make it - because we can” reflex. It has seemed that for over a decade everything was prefixed with ‘Smart’, whether it was or not. Then we had connectivity - your lights could tell your fridge to tell your TV to send you a WhatsApp message saying that you needed to buy milk, and this service wasn’t cheap. In contrast to the smart/connective drive we saw the rise of Human Centric Lighting, #Betterlight, healthy light and an awareness of our own circadian rhythms. People were standing up and demonstrating intelligent scientific evidence that light affects us, that lighting manufacturers and designers have a responsibility to consider the people they illuminate in relation to their physical and mental wellbeing.
But, despite all this incredible potential nothing so far seems to have given lighting the equilibrium it needs to be confident again. I am not for one minute suggesting I know the answer because no one does, because there isn’t one answer. What there is, however, is a chance to reframe how light uses all its potential, and that is where I believe the idea of empathy and caring comes in.
A few home truths for you: user adoption of light as a service model is slow, a lot slower than the industry predicted or hoped. The requirement for smart projects is few and far between. Design projects are under increasing pressure to deliver as budgets become smaller and now we all face a possible recession. Light as light will always be the priority, and that is it. Lighting is still considered just that by the masses: a source of light. But maybe those in lighting seem to have forgotten this? Maybe lighting needs to revisit its roots and address light not only as a smart or intelligent service or product, but also as a vital source that could be more caring, could be empathetic.
The shared unrest and sometimes suffering experienced in the recent months has brought with it a collective moment of kindness. The antidote to human suffering is always human kindness. We, as a society have begun to look around and realise that we are all in the same boat and with that shared understanding we have become empathetic. Empathy now has visible, tangible value to a lot more people. It has been a buzz term in design and some businesses for decades. Multiple pioneers of design and innovation adopted user observance techniques and created formulas to follow in order to design user focused items that meet unknown user’s demands. They used empathy as a tool.
What I’m considering is can this now understandable tool of empathy create a new generation of lighting designers who are not just empathetic, but also care? After all, there is more to being human centric, it’s not the lamp, it’s the person. It’s not circadian rhythms, it’s how this person is feeling in a lit environment. In lighting we are on the right path, aren’t we?
I wanted to explore this idea and get a few more experts to discuss it with me. However, not one university or research centre I approached could comment with confidence on the role of empathy in built environments or lighting. It’s just so subjective, too subjective maybe? There is research into empathy and built environments - architecture focuses on it, and has done for a while - but not yet in light or lighting.
So, I went to a lighting expert who is known for her ability to care about the people she designs for. I spoke to Florence Lam of Arup.
“Light is fundamental to our social infrastructure as it connects people with space. Light has the ability to convey atmospheres, ambiences and expressions; and it enhances people’s experience and encourages social interaction. Therefore, empathy needs to be considered from the start of the creative lighting design process.
“As lighting designers, we need to undertake contextual research to understand how people would use and interact with the space we are designing, as well as how light engages with the architecture.”
I went on to ask Lam about what she believes to be the advantages of empathy and caring more when creating a design:
“We need to understand the intrinsic relationships people have with light, which can be both personal and emotional. The advantage of embracing empathy in design is to unlock the emotive potential of light in narrating a space. It directs movement and attention, creating atmosphere and manipulating the sense of space.
“We also know that light can also impact our physiology, physical health and wellbeing, which in turn impacts our performance, behaviour and mood. We therefore need to balance any empathetic intuition with evidence and knowledge to create lighting solutions that are not only beautiful and inspiring, but safe and healthy too.”
So, then we went on to the subject of Human Centric Lighting. I wanted to know is HCL as it stands today enough (circadian/mood support/etc) or should lighting tackle the emotional situations of people?
“We need both. At Arup, our lighting design philosophy is always to design for daylight first because there is an aura with natural light that artificial light can never replicate. Daylight is inherently a variable light source and its use introduces a dynamic aspect to light, which is tuned to our circadian system. When interior daylight is inadequate (for example in deep plan workspaces), HCL may help the human body stay aligned with the natural world. However, the lighting quality and sense of vitality that daylight brings is not replaceable by HCL as a technological solution alone. Using layers of light to create good spatial variation and contrast are techniques one can use to stimulate visual interest and enhance sense of wellbeing.”
Of course, emotions are extremely subjective so there might not be a simple answer, but could lighting design benefit from greater emotional understanding of their clients, the use of Empath Consultants for example...?
“In my view, experiencing architecture is multi-sensory: it is as much about ‘feeling’ as it is about ‘seeing’ and light has a key role to play. Light characterises a space through the quality, colour and even absence of light, which provides context for the architecture, much like a scene in a play or film. Most importantly, it warms the human soul through interacting with the subconscious in ways that other features of architecture cannot. This interaction of light is how we make sense of places and our experiences; it is important that this is properly recognised by designers and embedded into the design process throughout.”
I believe the conversation has just got going, so too has the design work and the research. Where this conversation will go I don’t know, where it could take light and lighting design I also don’t know, but I do know that empathy, caring, kindness and understanding that is associated with empathy is a potential way improve lighting designs, manufacture lighting solutions and create that balance that is needed in the industry again.
2021 comes weighed down with the expectations and I hate to add to them, but maybe this is the year lighting starts to care more.
Join in the debate. What is your experience of empathy in lighting?
The Acropolis of Athens, Greece
Perched atop a hill known as Sacred Rock, overlooking the city of Athens, the Acropolis is an ancient citadel housing the remains of several buildings of great architectural and historic significance, including the Parthenon.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Acropolis is an iconic landmark for the people of Athens, and viewed by many as an international symbol of Greek civilisation, with the temples of the Acropolis considered some of the most famous architectural landmarks in the world.
In late 2019, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced to the public the need for a new lighting scheme for the Acropolis hill and its monuments. This relighting was supported by the Onassis Foundation, who offered to fund the entire process, and invited distinguished lighting design offices to submit their proposals for the monumental project.
In January of this year, Athens’ own Eleftheria Deko Lighting Design was selected by the Onassis Foundation for the project. Although the project initially called for an improvement of the existing lighting study, Deko went one step further, proposing an entirely new lighting concept.
“We didn’t receive a brief for the lighting design, but we received a technical study with guidelines and restrictions from the archaeological department, which we had to apply to our study,” Deko explained.
“We respected all the guidelines that were presented to the technical study, we studied the previous lighting scheme, then we set up our intentions and concluded with a whole new design approach.”
The philosophy of this new approach was applied to the lighting of the Sacred Rock, the fortification wall and the monuments, including the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, the Ancient Theatre of Dionysus, the Stoa of Eumenes, the Shrine of Dionysus, and five other monuments that were illuminated for the first time.
“The new lighting study was presented to the Ministry of Culture and to the Central Archaeological Council in March 2020 during a six-hour presentation. The new approach of distinguishing, for the first time, the Sacred Rock from the wall and the monuments through lighting was welcomed and approved unanimously.”
Because of the immense cultural significance of the Acropolis to the people of Greece, Deko revealed that when working on the new lighting concept for the landmark, she had to approach things in an entirely new way.
“This one was so different from every other project, I felt I had to forget all I knew and start from scratch,” she said. “I had to feel the energy of the space and understand the lighting requirements, so at the beginning I became an observer of the Acropolis.
“I spent many hours observing the monuments during the different phases of the day; in the morning, at noon when the light is harsher, at dusk while the sun sets, under the moon and in complete darkness. Just to try and imagine the reflections of the stone and marble sculptures in different versions of natural light. That observation was the guide and the teacher.
“Of course, I had to see the Acropolis as part of the city and its coexistence in today’s urban landscape as well. The Acropolis and the Parthenon are visible from many points of the city, so we were frequently walking away from the site to see the Acropolis from far away, from different neighbourhoods.
“When you are on the hill, you are overwhelmed by the feeling of admiration and awe for the Acropolis itself. As you move away, you realise its gradations: the rock, the wall and the monuments. From these observations, I realised that these three elements needed to be differentiated. Each bears the symbolism of its time and that inspired us to create those lighting layers through colour temperature and intensity differentiations. In the previous scheme, an emotional colour was chosen; a warm, almost orange light colour for all, the monuments, the rock and the wall. There was no differentiation, which in my opinion was necessary.
“The idea of differentiation was clear and essential to me because the Rock is nature, it existed and exists before human intervention. The wall represents the human effort, the craftsmanship. Monuments, on the other hand, are worship, art, and if I may say, mystery. These elements cannot be illuminated in the same way – apart from the difference in their substance, there is a different materiality. The Rock is made of one material, the wall is made of other materials and the monuments are made of the luminous Pentelic marble.”
This differentiation of materials was the starting point for Deko and her team’s research, where they carried out many tests to achieve the most appropriate shade, firstly for the Parthenon to reflect its light. This same approach was replicated for the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea, the Erechtheion and also the Sacred Rock and the wall, in order to make them reflect their own light. “Moreover, we wanted to highlight the details and also create depth of field in order to make the different volumes distinct from afar,” Deko added.
Although an immense project, not just in terms of its geographical scope, but also its cultural significance, Deko and her team had to work to a very tight schedule, with 45 days in which to deliver the lighting study, while she was given just nine months to complete the whole project. Such a short timeframe was only exacerbated as according to Deko, “the available material, plans, 3D models etc, was in fragments, so our team had to dedicate time to collect the proper material and modify it into the necessary forms for the project to be carried out.”
The historical standing of the UNESCO World Heritage site also meant that accessibility on site was a challenge for the lighting designers to overcome. Deko explained further: “Firstly, the restriction on visiting hours due to the touristic archaeological site, and then the accessibility to the new desired positions for lights that were difficult to reach. On some occasions we had to use the same positions as the previous lighting scheme, and in others create new ones to serve our lighting study, but for every new position or new element, we had to get official approval from the Central Archaeological Council and archaeological ephorate. We had to submit detailed sketches for everything to get approval.
“Another important element to mention is that except for the implementation of the new lighting concept, we changed all the electrical panels and wiring of the Acropolis in order to comply with the new available technology and products – DMX control, tunable white luminaires, etc. The challenge was that throughout the change of the electrical network, the replacement of all the old fittings and the installation of the new ones, there was not allowed to be a black out of the site, neither the Sacred Rock nor the monuments. That was a big challenge as the whole installation had to be planned in a strict and organised way in order to achieve an unnoticeable transition from the old to the new, and deliver the new lighting without turning the lights off.”
The new lighting scheme called on a selection of luminaires from Erco, alongside fixtures from Linea Light Group and Griven. Deko requested Erco to customise a specific type of luminaire based on one of its existing products – Lightscan. “The characteristics of the new fixture are: tunable white from 2700K to 5000K, the control system based on DMX protocol, and lastly, to create a product with maximum enhancement of luminosity and high efficiency, while remaining elegant in shape and size,” Deko explained.
Erco’s Greek representative, Smeka, was onside throughout, supporting the lighting designers during the mock-up and testing period on site.
The need for tunable white, with a range in colour temperature from 2700-5000K was based on the desire to be able to decide on site the exact shade of white to illuminate each monument, with 12 slightly different, harmonious shades eventually used across the Acropolis monuments. Meanwhile, Lightscan’s exchangeable lenses meant that it was possible for Deko to define the optimum light distribution for each mounting position through on-site tests.
The lighting designers also sought a high CRI in the fixtures specified, which allowed them to achieve the optimum illumination to highlight the colour and textures of the marble and stone, while the DMX control provides independent control of every fixture. The transition to LED fixtures also led to an improved energy efficiency, reducing power requirements by around 60%.
“The complexity of the site, the differentiation of heights and structures, meant that it was essential for us to work with a range of different lenses, from elliptical to wide flood, oval flood, wall washer, etc, to accomplish the required light distribution,” Deko added. “That way, we managed to accurately focus the lights to the monuments and the wall, and overall, avoid scattered light and light pollution. The light only reaches where it is needed.”
Michalis Karousis, Vice President of Smeka, added: “The unique structural formation of the Parthenon, the Propylaea and the wall, and the morphology of the Acropolis rock itself required several on-site mock ups. The availability of a projector with interchangeable lenses helped to specify the ideal luminaire.
“The demanding challenge of the project was to use the minimum amount of energy possible. Energy efficiency is however, not only a question of efficient LEDs. Thanks to precise optics and different light distributions, it was possible to illuminate only the desired areas, even over long distances. In this way, we ensured a sustainable use of energy.”
However, the biggest challenge for Deko and her team is the same challenge that we have all faced throughout 2020, working around the Covid-19 pandemic. Deko explained how the global crisis impacted on this project: “In Athens, we went into a strict lockdown in late March, and that was exactly during the most significant period for the project mock-ups and the ordering of the lighting fixtures.
“The pandemic became a big challenge, as we didn’t have enough samples, the factories were temporarily closed and we were facing many delays in the process. However, our team continued working throughout the lockdown period. If we could say that there was a positive situation, it is that the Acropolis site was closed to the public during lockdown, so we had more flexibility to test and visit the site at any time, as well as get permission for the workers to work undisturbed in the daytime on the wiring infrastructure and the foundation of the electrical installation and afterwards, the positioning and installation of the lighting fittings.”
While the relighting of the Acropolis would be a big project for any lighting designer, for Deko, an Athens local, the project holds even more significance. “Being part of this project was a multidimensional journey not only for me but for the whole team,” she said. “From my first visits on site, I felt that I had to leave aside my knowledge and experience as a lighting designer, forget my art and science, and focus on ‘listening’ to the monument. It was as if I was listening to our ancestors, reading our history, baptised to our Ancient Greek culture. It was the greatest honour for me!”
Given the historical significance of the site, while it was a great honour for Deko to be involved, she added that there was an extra sense of pressure to get the new lighting right.
She explained: “The Parthenon, as many analysts and historians have said, is perfect! You can imagine how difficult it is to light the perfect – I was in awe.
“This monument is imposed on everyone and it creates emotions and feelings so unprecedented that they lead you to a personal introspection. Somehow, I felt that our task was not to illuminate the site, but to make the monuments reflect their own incredible light.
“As a Greek citizen and a lighting designer, the Acropolis of Athens has been a lifetime project. It has been a unique experience for me and my team. For nine months, I was dealing with the project’s lighting every day and night, and my thoughts were exclusively there. I was closing my eyes and ‘seeing’ the Parthenon; I was constantly thinking about the dilemmas of the shade of the rock; I was bothering my colleagues with successive sampling to be sure that our philosophy, which was presented at the Central Archaeological Council, would be implemented in the best possible way.
“Together with my colleagues, we studied every inch of the rock and the monuments in a photometric model, and then did tests and mock-ups at night to confirm the photometric findings and define the right number of luminaires.”
Once the lighting design was completed, an official unveiling of the new scheme was organised and curated by production company Yard and V+O, together with the Onassis Foundation. As part of this official unveiling, which was livestreamed around the world, Deko collaborated with director Alexandros Maragos and song composer Stavros Gasparatos to create a short film and dynamic light show that would catch the eye, while presenting different perspectives of the Acropolis from multiple viewpoints across the city.
“From the very beginning, I insisted that the lighting show should not last longer than three minutes, since our intention had to captivate the audience’s attention and not antagonise the final new lighting of the Acropolis,” explained Deko. “We believe that you cannot honour such a monument by presenting a dynamic lighting show, but you can create an exciting introduction, using the Parthenon as a symbol, and this is what we finally did.
“During the ceremony, I was sitting in the VIP area, where the Greek Prime Minister, the President of the Hellenic Republic, the Minister of Culture, and the President of the Onassis Foundation were sat. The whole time, I was crossing my fingers that everything would go as planned. I was so moved that I had tears in my eyes. When the ceremony was finished, I felt fulfilled with the result, and happy that everything went well.”
The new lighting concept for the Acropolis has, since its official unveiling, been universally lauded around the world, from the lighting design community, the press, and the general public. For Deko, she believes the overall reaction can be summed up with two words: enthusiasm and emotion. “We are constantly receiving moving and enthusiastic messages from people who live near the city centre and have a view overlooking the Acropolis, people who are walking around the area, and even from the owners of local restaurants who claim that after the new lighting reveal, their clientele grew, with a positive financial impact on their business.
“People are sending us thankful and congratulatory messages, photographs and comments that their daily life has changed by looking at a completely different nightscape, appreciating the beauty of the Acropolis.
“Also, the international press has applauded the new lighting approach and welcomed it as a fresh, optimistic and symbolic moment during the dark times that we are going through globally.”
Despite the international acclaim, for Deko, a perfectionist at heart, she said that she is still “fine-tuning details”, and is “continuously visiting the site now and for a few more weeks in order to bring it to its fullest completion”.
That being said, she is very satisfied with the final outcome of this extraordinary project. She concluded: “The new lighting emphasises the naturalness and the pure colour of the stones and the marble. The Acropolis hill is now more vibrant and to us, it feels like the Parthenon is proudly standing up again.
“I will use the words of the President of the Onassis Foundation during his speech at the opening ceremony – ‘In dark times, when you light the Acropolis, you bring light to the whole world.’”
