Musings from a Lighting Designer

With the building regulations requirements for high numbers of low energy fittings in domestic properties it is very good to see that LED manufacturers have started labelling some of their products as being L1A compliant. With things moving as fast as they do with LED technology there are already LED components being made with lumen per watt efficiencies far greater than compact fluorescents. It is now possible to use LED downlighters in place of halogen downlighters on an almost one for one replacement. The only barrier now to massive take-up is cost!

I was very pleased recently to discover that another manufacturer of low energy lamps has joined Megaman in developing compact fluorescent lamps which are dimmable. The range is called DigiFlux, and can be seen at:

www.varilight.co.uk

Lighting design is a very fulfilling occupation. It can be tremendously exciting to see the end results of a lot of blood sweat and tears. A house well lit. Sparkling. Attractive. Welcoming. Thrilling! But often there is a little nagging voice at the back of my head that says “But what is the cost to the environment?”. I work hard to create energy sensitive schemes but there are times when low energy lamps just don’t do the job. And there are times when a lot of watts are needed to create the desired effect. There is however, I have just discovered, a simple solution to this dilemma. The answer? To encourage my clients to move to an energy supplier such as “Good Energy” who only supply energy from renewable sources (e.g. windmills and hydro-electric schemes). WowLighting is now offering a financial incentive to clients who move to “Good Energy”. I hope that many clients will choose to do this and will report back in a few months as to how this has gone. If you are interested in going green take a look at the following website:

http://www.good-energy.co.uk/

Every thought that light fittings are all well and good but that, by and large, they just arn’t huggable enough? Well now, thanks to the creative ingenuity of Diana Lin Design, you can now buy a huggable light shaped like a cushion and just as cuddly. Using the ubiquitous LED, as a light source and wrapped up in such a way as to be soft and sensual, the Rei cushion is just the thing for a cosy night in. Take a look for yourself at:

http://www.dianalindesign.com/products/rei.html

Yanko Design have created a stunning and hugely practical ‘2D’ table lamp that uses solar energy collected during the day to provide lighting at night. The idea is to put the slender lamp close to a window so that when you get home at night there is sufficient light to find your way around the room. 10/10 for looks and 10/10 for eco friendliness. Visit the following link for a look:

http://www.yankodesign.com/solar_lamp

Here is an example of corridor lighting that has a dynamic effect. It seems to almost pull you through the corridor in a slightly hypnotic way. Perhaps not suitable for viewing while under the influence of alcohol! It is nonetheless a novel idea that excites and engages the brain. Take a look at the following link to see some images:

www.spittler.de/service/pdf/BBA06_BFW_Goslar.pdf

Scunthorpe is experimenting with a very unusual and inventive way to tackle anti-social behaviour in the city centre. The aim is to scare away the troublesome youths by bathing the problem areas in pink light! This is apparently the best colour of light to highlight pimples and blemishes. It is hoped that the troublemakers will be so conerned about how they look while causing trouble that they will search out areas bathed in a more flattering light that hides, rather than emphasises, their skin condition!

I am not sure if I love or hate this revolutionary new product! What is it? It is an elegant stainless steel tap for use in bathrooms that employs a colour changing LED to make the water coming out of the tap glow in a colour that reflects how hot the water is. Red for hot, blue for cold, and something in between for something in between, Take a look at http://www.equasystem.com/eng/index.htm and see what you think!

Ingo Maurer, perhaps the world’s greatest living designer of luminaires, has worked his magic on the iconic Atomium in Brussels. As part of a £19m refurbishment he was entrusted with designing the lighting for the interior spaces. For a taste of the genius that is Ingo Maurer take a look at the following web page:

http://www.designboom.com/snapshots/milan06/ingo.html