Dresswall is an Italian manufacturer of stretched-fabric LED light boxes. Such lightboxes have become quite a commodity category, but I especially like how Dresswall presents its product line with a very architectural-focused viewpoint and accompanying accessories. And they have a … Continue reading dresswall
Cree Lighting launched a clever new product line called Cadiant, that creates the illusion of daylight shining through a pop-up skylight. In reality, it is a 2’x2′ (60cm x 60cm) troffer that combines a luminous top surface (recessed upwards 8″) … Continue reading cree cadiant system
Glint Photonics is a startup that appears to be using mechatronics to change the physical position of LED optics to steer and focus light beams. Not much on their website so far, but they state: Simply press Hero’s joystick and … Continue reading glint photonics
I am thrilled to announce that Koerner Design has won a prestigious design competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy hosted a Manufacturing Innovator Challenge focused on the Sustainable … Continue reading koerner design wins US DOE sustainable luminaire design competition
Nowatt Lighting is a French startup focusing on off-grid, solar-powered light fixtures. Nowatt has built intelligence into their products that seems to go beyond most “dumb” solar-powered lights, with multi-channel LED engines and app-based control including parametric-based scenarios that can … Continue reading nowatt lighting
Lightglass, a Philadelphia company started in 2012, produces interior faux-glazing systems with a integrated LED back-lighting to create pleasant sensations of brightness at an architectural scale. Even though the optical effect is opaque white, it tricks the brain into thinking … Continue reading lightglass
Over the past few years, there has been a clear trend for track lighting and other innovative “system” style architectural lighting products to adopt 48VDC instead the usual mains voltage 120VAC or 220-240VAC. 48VDC delivers a host of benefits, most … Continue reading LED track lighting is rapidly adopting 48VDC as a new standard
Jiva Materials is a London-based startup and project spin-out from RCA that has developed a non-toxic, biodegradable, flax-based circuit board substrate branded Soluboard. The circuit board peels apart and sheds its electronic traces after being soaked in hot water. Continue reading jiva materials
Archilumo is a Dutch startup launching a very interesting range of planar LED architectural lighting. I’ve long wondered why fixture manufacturers don’t explore more interesting forms of flat, planar lighting – given the propensity of architects to want to treat … Continue reading archilumo
Signify is slowly revealing more of its commercial-scale 3D-printing program, launching the consumer-focused offering “Philips MyCreation” in the Netherlands and Germany. MyCreation allows home consumers to mix and match from a massive variety of styles and colors to build their … Continue reading signify’s 3D-printed “MyCreation” series
Lightwave Laser is a Santa Rosa, California based company that makes a variety of architectural-scale laser-cut panels. They have a nice collection of back-lit application examples. Like my work with Luminous Patterns, I believe this area embedded luminous architecture is ripe for innovative new concepts. Continue reading lightwave laser
Vibes Genius is a small crafts company I ran across on Pinterest that makes beautiful little layered papercut light boxes. The effect of the layered depth and translucency of the paper with the scenography of the illustrations creates some striking … Continue reading vibes genius
Back at the Integrated Systems Europe 2019 show, LG’s professional signage group demo’d their transparent OLED screens front-and-center in their massive booth. They’ve now launched a complete website with a real product on the market. Transparent OLED is interesting because … Continue reading LG’s transparent OLED tech
Another interesting proof-point in my prognosis that lighting and ceiling systems are fusing together into new hybrid/embedded systems. XAL launched its Muse product line, which integrates LED office lighting into vertical hanging acoustic baffles. Check out the video below for … Continue reading xal – muse
Fanpictor is a Swiss startup that engages mobile devices in unique concepts at large events. It ties mobile devices into large light shows and various other forms of fan engagement and analytics. They apparently use some cool tricks to pull … Continue reading fanpictor
Amsterdam-based InventDesign recently launched a line of decorative LED wall panels which they call their “Gobo” series. A “low resolution” RGB LED engine with ~38mm pixel pitch combined with decorative cut-out facing panels makes for a nice stand-alone decorative wall … Continue reading inventdesign – “gobo” series
VANTOT is an Eindhoven-based design studio started by two recent Design Academy graduates. I saw one of their products, “Current Currents” at the Frozen Fountain, a perennially fabulous design shop in Amsterdam. I love the art deco/arts-and-crafts style of the product. … Continue reading vantot
Solar Visuals is a Dutch technology start-up that combines solar-PV arrays with printed overlay graphics to create electricity-generating cladding surfaces for architectural applications. The individual PV cells can be custom arranged for distinctive layouts and the panels are completely laminated/encapsulated … Continue reading solar visuals
Ettlin is a German manufacturer of high-tech textile products with several R+D efforts focused on architectural applications, including Ettlin Lux, a line of architectural “embedded” lighting panels and Ettlin Tec, which is exploring conducting textiles with integrated sensing and electronics. … Continue reading ettlin lux
Six years ago I covered the efforts by decorative resin panel supplier 3Form to setup a specialty lighting studio called LightArt. Nice to see those efforts continuing, along with some really creative new pieces. I love their integration of felt into … Continue reading lightart by 3form
