vantot
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
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 lux
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
limbic media
Limbic Media is a startup based in British Columbia that is developing real time, interactive lighting controls. Their first product is a sound-activated, predictive control system called “Aurora” with intelligent “AI” learning functions. Beyond their initial product based on audio … Continue reading limbic media
wh1 house by kdva architects
Most of the time I’m looking towards the future of lighting. But sometimes I’m blown away by a project that so embodies the present state-of-the-art, that its worthy of inclusion. I came across the WH1 House, a vacation home in … Continue reading wh1 house by kdva architects
megablast
Some vintage images for my old Color Kinetics colleagues. Circa April 2007, our very first “MegaBlast” prototype at the old 10 Milk Street office location in the Financial District of Downtown Boston. Our engineers put the first prototype optics on … Continue reading megablast
lightart by 3form
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
balenciaga LED tunnel
Fashion house Balenciaga recently had a phenomenal catwalk staging, a rather intimate LED tunnel that was used for some incredible visual effects. Designed by Canadian filmaker Jon Rafman, the LED panels were supplied by Shenzen-based InfiLED. Unfortunately I can’t find … Continue reading balenciaga LED tunnel
proled cove profiles
Interesting, ultra-compact recessed linear LED cove profiles from ProLed. Thin enough to fit in the space of the gypsum board. Continue reading proled cove profiles
mario romano
Mario Romano is a Santa Monica-based designer and manufacturer of decorative CNC-carved Corian walls. Romano has created some beautiful and very unique relief patterns and architectural cladding systems. Continue reading mario romano
softlab – 315 montgomery
SOFTlab continues to design and fabricate some impressive installation pieces. Their latest (via Designboom) is an office lobby art piece they describe as a “light organ”. But I like it especially because it reminds me of the projects my team … Continue reading softlab – 315 montgomery
disney vision – old school vr
For those of you who are enamored with VR, I remember Disney trialing VR in EPCOT as early as 1994. Sure enough, I found a video of the experience: Amazing tech for the time, but goes to show that in … Continue reading disney vision – old school vr
LightnTec
LightnTec is a German-based startup founded in 2016 that is developing and launching an LED media display produced on an ultra-thin, flexible, translucent foil substrate. And the product can be cut in-field too, as you can see in their video … Continue reading LightnTec
maxon cinema 4d showreel
Some stunning lighting design inspiration can be found in the showreel for Maxon’s Cinema 4D software. Check it out: Continue reading maxon cinema 4d showreel
odico
Over the years I have predicted that it might make sense to manufacture lighting fixtures in portable units directly at construction sites. My reasoning is: Lighting will become “embedded” into final architectural surfaces Parametric design, BIM, and digital fabrication are … Continue reading odico
seeper
Seeper is a British studio that specializes in experience creation. Check out their very interesting work ranging from attractions to events to digital experience R&D. I love their catch-line: “Our mission is to create awe + wonder by designing and … Continue reading seeper
vcc ventoflex
Specialty LED components company VCC is introducing a sheet-style LED back-lighting solution called VentoFlex. The VCC design is flexible, able to be tiled and cut to fit (along predefined patterns). Here is their VCC VentoFlex-Brochure and VCC VentoFlex-Datasheet. It seems … Continue reading vcc ventoflex
daniel rozin
Check out these visually arresting interactive walls by New York artist Daniel Rozin. Rozin constructs of rotating matrices of creative objects like pieces of wood, pieces of rusty metal, even troll dolls – that rotate to create digital patterns of light … Continue reading daniel rozin
circadian light
Circadian Light is a startup located outside of Boston producing lighting fixtures that purport to offer real circadian rhythm control over blue light spectra. Looks like they are starting with basic troffers. I don’t much about them, but they’ve posted … Continue reading circadian light
eSports arenas
Check out this visually innovative and inspiring video from Populous on the future of eSports events. A few screen shots below. Lots of inspiration here for architectural media systems. And check out this great article from Blooloop on the growing … Continue reading eSports arenas