seeper
Seeper is a UK-based design firm focusing on multi-touch control installations. You really just have to check out their website and watch the videos…dazzling stuff! Continue reading seeper
interlam wall panel systems
You know you want to: Go ahead, reach out and touch the walls.
Interlam is a Virginia-based fabricator of three-dimensional, cut-to-order wall panels. Using thick sheets of various fiberboard products, they CNC router-cut panels with a variety of patterns of varying depth and relief. It is really amazing the impact one new tool, such as large-format CNC router tables, can have on the abilities of designers to infuse their spaces with new forms of visual richness.
All of these products are complemented nicely with linear grazing light sources, positioned just a few inches off the surface, such as Color Kinetics’ Graze fixture or Focal Point’s Mini-Grazer.
freedom of creation
Freedom of Creation is an Amsterdam firm that has explored rapid manufacturing techniques for nearly a decade. FOC launched a series of decorative light fixtures that push the possibilities of the technology: Their pendants, surface mounted fixtures, and table lamps have rich, highly sculptural, biomorphic shapes.
philips lumiblade
Lumiblade is Philips first major foray into commercial OLED products.
In short, Philips is really just selling sample kits right now for design explorations. The samples are expensive, not very efficient (20 lm/w), and with only 10,000 hours at 50% dimmed output, the lifetime isn’t that great.
However, it is promising to see a technology that has been in development for over a decade finally, even if just tentatively, reach some level of commercial potential.
howeler yoon architecture
Howeler Yoon Architecture of Boston has produced several concepts and installations that explore very unique and innovative applications for lighting. Continue reading “howeler yoon architecture”
litracon: light transmitting concrete
LiTraCon is a combination of optical fibers and concrete. The optical fibers are aligned parallel with each other and perpendicular to the surface, passing the exact light pattern that falls on the outer surface through to the inner surface.
thin-film light sources
Thin-film light sources have been around for awhile, despite how futuristic they seem to be. Their adoption has been relatively slow for two reasons: First, they have fairly limited light ouput, which restricts them to mostly decorative applications. Second, they are more difficult to implement in architectural designs, usually requiring a lot of custom design. Not that that are difficult to use…they are just not as simple-minded and quick as copying yet another downlight symbol on a reflected ceiling plan. Lifetime varies, depending on how bright they are driven, which is another consideration.
Yet still, the opportunity for creative new explorations of lighting is obvious, such as our previous post on a concept for light emitting wallpaper.
large scale, multi-touch interactive displays
Multi-touch control systems, popularized by Apple’s iPhone, and gesture recognition systems, such as the dazzling computer interface that Tom Cruise used in Minority Report, are slowly-but-surely becoming commonplace technology. And these üeber control technologies are finding their way into architectural applications.
Continue reading “large scale, multi-touch interactive displays”
blade runner for real: kumho asiana headquarters
1982’s Blade Runner vividly depicted a dystopian future for Los Angeles 2019. Back in 1982, massive multi-story video screens on the sides of buildings were extremely far-fetched sci-fi, something only the film industry could visualize.
Well, the future has arrived right on time. Skyscraper-sized video screens are now available, even common. Sorry, no flying cars or humanoid replicants just yet…but hey, there are still ten years to go until 2019.
The Kumho Asiana Group Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea opened in 2008 with a massive 15m x 94m low-res exterior video screen using Element Labs Versa Ray. What struck me was how close the above image resembled the famous shot from the movie.
Continue reading “blade runner for real: kumho asiana headquarters”
cloud lamps by jordy fu
Yu Jordy Fu is a British designer and artist that has a collection of gorgeous cut-paper lanterns for sale.
corian: not just your countertop anymore
Dupont, with their Corian line, has seemingly done more in the past few years to promote creative new approaches to lighting than any of the major lighting conglomerates.
Corian has a few major advantages: Its malleability allows it to be formed in a myriad of shapes and continuous surfaces; its durability and repairability allow it to be used a primary finished surface; and its translucency allows designers to integrate lighting features seamlessly into surfaces.
light platforms
B&N Industries produces some simple internally illuminated display boxes. Targeted at retail, they also could work nicely for hospitality and residential features.
ross lovegrove: ted talk video
Ross Lovegross created the Yamagiwa System X in the post below. Check out this great Ted video of Ross from 2005 where he is humorous, a touch cocky, and quickly covers his methods, goals and very cool studio space. Continue reading ross lovegrove: ted talk video
non-lighting inspiration: nervous system
Nervous System is a Boston area startup run by two MIT + Harvard grads with various degrees in biology, architecture and mathematics. So far, they are producing several lines of jewelry, but the possibilities for architecture and lighting are obvious.
yamagiwa system X
Yamagiwa’s System X definitely falls under the category of “NOT A DOWNLIGHT!”
light emitting wallpaper concept by jonas samson
Jonas Samson is a Dutch industrial designer who teased the blogosphere with a very cool illuminated surface concept. Unfortunately, beyond the images, there is no technical info floating around the web. I’m betting that he used either electroluminescent or light … Continue reading light emitting wallpaper concept by jonas samson
aqua creations
Aqua Creations is a Tel Aviv-based lighting manufacturer with a line of large-scale, silk-wrapped fixtures. This small company is using fantastic organic-inspired forms to explore and generate new formats in lighting. Many of their products are better classified as “light objects” rather than “light fixtures”.
gkd metal fabrics: media mesh
GKD Metal Fabrics is a supplier of interwoven metal meshes for large-scale architectural use.
GKD Mediamesh, a metal fabric product with integral LED video system, is an excellent example of the integration of green design + digital media in architecture. The walls can be used as architectural sun screens, cutting down on the solar heat load entering a building, while simultaneously retaining the views from inside the building and acting as a video screen from the outside.
modular arts wall panels
Modular Arts makes a series of decorative, textural wall panels. Cast from composite mineral powder, each 32″ square panel includes interlocking tongue and groove edges to ensure proper alignment.
Shapeways: 3D printing for the masses
Shapeways is a Philips spin-off company focused on bringing 3D rapid manufacturing technologies to main-stream consumers. Although they don’t sell any actual lighting fixtures, Shapeways offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of the lighting industry.
Lucept 