The week that was…29th January- 2nd February 2018

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The week that was…29th January- 2nd February 2018

Singapore
Weekend 3-4th February 2018

Back on the blog!
The new year has really started with a bang firing on all cylinders and on all fronts! So much so that I really only now have found the time to sit down and re-start writing my blog, its 9th season already! As it was at PLDC 2009 in Berlin that I actually started writing my daily blog, it seems kind of fitting that I am now nearly 10 years on I am blogging towards having the PLDC in my adopted home city of Singapore! A great finale, as I think that after PLDC 2018 I may hand the baton for my blog to the new generation of my team…it has been a good run!

PLDC 2018
First an update on PLDC. As I am part of the Steering Committee I am obviously right in the middle of things and will try to update everyone on the progress. This weekend will see the whole Steering Committee converge in Singapore to review all papers submitted to make a final selection of speakers, identify key note speakers, inspect the venue, and put together the final main and preconvention program. Specifically, with the preconvention program we would like to offer a platform to interact between the Singapore government and the international lighting design community. We will have our work cut out over the next few months!

SILF / LET 2018
While I am putting my heart into helping put PLDC on the map in Singapore I have not forgotten my other ongoing passion in helping the regional community get a better awareness of the benefits and opportunities of better quality lighting through our events in Bangkok and Shanghai. The programs are taking shape and to make things even more exciting PLDC will add the events as warm up events in the lead up to the Singapore event in October. We have finalised the booth redesign and our now talking to a host of manufacturers to support the events as well as engaging with the local city authorities and design associations to get their endorsement.

New Projects – Maldives trip
On company level (yes I still run a company as well 😊) the year the year started with a boom with the sign off of a couple of new projects and some projects restart. As a result I had to hop into a plane for a kick off site visit just days after arriving back from Holland where I had spent Xmas and New Year with the family. The good news was that we went from the cold and rainy, wintery weather of Holland to the tropical sun of the Maldives…As I got two fast track resort projects in the Maldives, I a likely to be back there on a regular basis. The projects are renovations so we can stay on location…life could be worse! I rather walk the beach for a site inspection then a busy downtown street! Hopefully the lightning start to the year is a good sign of what is ahead as last year end had been really slow.

LIT Awards
This week we also got the exciting confirmation that no less then 3 of our projects had been honoured with lighting design awards in the inaugural LIT awards competition! Again exciting and motivating for the start of the new year. Our stunning Atlas Bar in Singapore, designed by our team in Singapore, recently voted best new bar in the world for 2017 (!), received a lighting design award in the category of hotel and restaurants and the façade lighting of His Majesty’s Theatre, designed by our Perth team, excelled with a lighting design award in the heritage lighting category. In the light art category, the magical Wexford Apartments received an honourable mention. It is always nice and motivating for the team to be acknowledge amongst your peers. Well done to all. Another one to go on the wall of honour…

His Majesty’s Theatre: http://litawards.com/winners/winner.php?id=2454
Atlas Bar: http://litawards.com/winners/winner.php?id=2438
Wexford Apartments: http://litawards.com/winners/winner.php?id=93&mode=hm

Magazine cover
Lighting Today Magazine’s January issue (Vol 2018 Q1) came out with a 8 page spread on the Atlas bar with a great photo on the cover…the second magazine cover after last year’s September issue with His Majesty’s Theatre. We ordered some extra copies for the team and client…

Gooee and LDoT
Finally the biggest news his week twas the official media press release about our partnership with Gooee, the world’s leading IoT data infra-structure provider using lighting points as a host. Gooee provides an open platform that allows its technology to be integrated in any brand or system. Both KLD and Gooee have entered into this partnership with the aim to redefine the role of the lighting designer as lighting no longer is about lighting only. With the internet of things taking an ever-growing stake in the functions of a lighting point, lighting designers need to re-evaluate their role. We need to have an understanding what the IoT means for a lighting point and what the options are that may need to be integrated. At the same time the IoT/ data analytics people need to appreciate that the lighting points ( and thus the lighting design) still need to comply to standards and building codes, that spaces still are a visual environment where mood and human comfort are quality criteria that need to be achieved. Hence the lighting designer’s role will get the added function of gate keeper and guardian of lighting quality within the the new world of Big Data. Where the IoT is making an entry into lighting there now will be a need for LDoT, Lighting Design of Things. That is exactly why we have entered into partnership with Gooee, to define what LDoT is. KLD is getting ready to be one of the worlds first LDoT companies. See below press releases.

Arc Magazine featured press release: https://goo.ee/2DMLU1K
LEDs Magazine featured press release: https://goo.ee/2DLwDy1

Have a great week-end