schneider electric buys dc systems
In what seems like a huge affirmation for the future of DC power for commercial construction projects, global behemoth Schneider Electric just purchased Dutch startup DC Systems. Check out my previous blog posts on the transformation to DC power plus … Continue reading schneider electric buys dc systems
circular economy approaches in lighting design
Check out this very nicely constructed presentation on engaging with circular economy design principles in architectural lighting projects from Mark Ridler, Head of Lighting Design at BDP, a global architecture/engineering design firm. From this year’s LpS Digital Symposium (associated with … Continue reading circular economy approaches in lighting design
using a LED panel as a photography softbox
The global pandemic has driven video communications to the forefront…and also the need for good lighting for photography and videography. In my office I recently upgraded 4 ancient fluorescent 2’x2’/60×60 troffers (so ancient they still had magnetic ballasts and starters!) … Continue reading using a LED panel as a photography softbox
studio philip ross
Philip Ross is a Dutch designer with an industrial design education and research background spanning both TU/Delft and TU/Eindhoven. Over the years Ross has created some very interesting experiments exploring how to use various forms of touch to control (or … Continue reading studio philip ross
stormbell 80 by LAMP
Barcelona-based lighting manufacturer Lamp recently launched a pendant fixture called Stormbell 80 that offers sustainable material options for the conical reflector shade, providing 3 different style options for solving the problem of acoustic-absorption. They offer recycled cork, bio-fiber hemp and … Continue reading stormbell 80 by LAMP
lightguide tech application brief
In case you want to get serious with the science of light guides, I found this excellent document from Agilent Technologies dating back to 2001. A thorough yet approachable technical explanation to the science of designing light pipes or light … Continue reading lightguide tech application brief
DIY artificial sun
Check out this really clever and well-produced video from YouTuber DIY Perks of how to build an “artificial sun” effect: One of the best and most understandable discussions of daylight that I’ve seen yet. Indeed, this combination of two key … Continue reading DIY artificial sun
3D printing by julia koerner
Salzburg designer Julia Koerner was recently featured in Dezeen for her fantastic explorations of 3D printing in architectural and fashion applications. Most notably was her costume creations for Marvel’s Black Panther. I don’t know her personally, but I certainly love … Continue reading 3D printing by julia koerner
PNNL report on DC-powered lighting and microgrids
Researchers Gabe Arnold and Grace Pennell from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently released a white paper titled DC Lighting and Building Microgrids: Opportunities and Recommendations. They conduct an excellent review of the advantages of DC-power (which closely mirrors my … Continue reading PNNL report on DC-powered lighting and microgrids
lumencache lighting
LumenCache Lighting is an another interesting entrant to the DC-power revolution, focusing on residential lighting applications. LumenCache has developed a solution with a patch-panel style configuration that can accept a variety of driver or control modules – at the panel … Continue reading lumencache lighting
unreal engine: virtual production lighting
Unreal Engine released some “bonus content” that follows up on my previous post covering the state of live-rendering technology. A fascinating discussion from movie producers, but with clear and profound considerations for the future of architectural lighting: Continue reading unreal engine: virtual production lighting
unreal engine now controls DMX lighting
Wow, this is really profound: Geodesic Games released a plugin that allows Unreal Engine to directly control DMX lighting and accessories. You can watch a complete demo and detailed explanation below: There is unbelievable potential here for architectural lighting and … Continue reading unreal engine now controls DMX lighting
refik anadol: ted talk
“Can data become a pigment?” Check out this beautiful TED talk from visual artist Refik Anadol: Continue reading refik anadol: ted talk
isobio
ISOBIO was an EU-funded research project that proposes an innovative strategy to bring bio-based construction materials into the mainstream. A key innovation consists of the use of pre-treated bio-based aggregates for construction, which include insulation materials, hygrothermal and moisture buffering … Continue reading isobio
microsens
Microsens is a German company that supplies industrial automation and smart building communications and control equipment. One piece of hardware especially caught my eye, and that is their Central Smart Lighting Controller. I actually think that is a bit of … Continue reading microsens
burnblock
Copenhagen-based BurnBlock offers an environmentally safe flame retardant additive for wood materials. BurnBlock has achieved a Gold rating for the Cradle-to-Cradle standard and is the first fire retardant to receive a C2C rating. Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM at the Gold … Continue reading burnblock
carbon leadership forum
Please check out and support the Carbon Leadership Forum, a group focused on minimizing the overall carbon impacts of construction and the built environment. The Carbon Leadership Forum is accelerating the transformation of the building sector to radically reduce the … Continue reading carbon leadership forum
UN global resources outlook
Some staggering statistics from the UN’s Resource Panel: The use of natural resources has more than tripled since 1970, and continues to grow. From 2000 to 2015, the climate change and health impacts from extraction and production of metals doubled. … Continue reading UN global resources outlook
natural, safe paints
In searching for biofriendly white surfaces, I found a nice blog post from quite awhile ago that surveys bio-friendly paint options. Since the article is already 14 years old, I will repost below for posterity: Make Safe, Natural Paint Natural … Continue reading natural, safe paints
the outpost
Some wildly creative and inspiring VFX and animations from Dutch studio The Outpost. They have a very architectural feel to them – especially the animated models. You can see their Vimeo feed here. So “architectural” in fact, that UNStudio seems … Continue reading the outpost
