What’s in a name?
Singapore 21st June 2010
Project developers all over the world like to use big ticket names for various reasons and are prepared to pay big bucks for it. I assume the two main reasons are, first to show off, second to use the high profile names as part of the marketing and promotions campaign. A bit like using famous Hollywood actors for a movie. Never mind if the movie is not really great. Big names sell.
Architecture designed by Norman Foster. Golf course design by Greg Norman (using Tiger Woods at this point in time might not really be helpful…). Product and overall design concepts by Philip Starck. It is precisely the last one which is involved in one of our latest projects. The promotional video about the project, a high end residential development in Singapore shows Philip explaining about the project and high lighting his great concepts. Will he ever come to one of the project meetings…I doubt it… Are we getting any great fees for this project…no, not really. But will we get any mileage out of this project? Very likely…
Land mark projects, household designer names do help the “common” designers to feed of the fame and public attention that such projects generate, I do believe. While we are part of the team, there is somehow the stigma, that if you are involved in such high profile projects that you too must be in a class of your own. I am not down playing our expertise or capabilities, but we are certainly not general public household name designers. Within our lighting design community we may be well known, but that is a different league from being well known to the general public.
Being associated with well known designer names is definitely a boost and brings respect from your peers and the general design community in the process. But the pressure to perform is equally high as there is high expectation about the end result with little room for errors….
Integrated facade technolgy
Singapore, 20th June 2010
During Light & Building I met with a Zumtobel representative who gave me a run down on the company’s latest thinking in regards to integrated façade technology. Tucked away in a little corner of the huge Zumtobel stand a small area was dedicated to showing the technologies that could be integrated in a building façade…to be more precise the integration of light, power generation and climatisation, with the key being the synergy between the various technologies and the general aim to create sustainable living environments. Today I received a more in-depth report on this subject.
In analyzing the façade there are a number of tasks that we are looking for. The first task is basic illumination…if we can use a window to capture daylight for the inside, can we harvest the same for lighting at night? During the day integrated “light shelves” could maximise daylight penetration into the buildings. At night integrated lighting could provide an artificial lighting replacement. Light shelves that redirect the light during the day could be made of integrated linear LED’s that reproduce similar lighting effects at night. A combination of say OLED’s and Photo-Voltaics (PV) could also offer some interesting opportunities.
A second task is probably lighting control, whether it is the control of direct glare or pronounced shadows. The relation with the outside world (incoming daylight or reversely the control of outgoing light pollution from inside) seems to be controllable through the control and extend of façade “transparency”. A louver system could be adjusted to the position of the sun and its direct radiation. It is easy to see that this louver system can function as a light shelf at the same time…sensors could be employed to regulate the lighting according to need and daylight situation. In the same breath it is easy to see how climatisation (temperature control) can be incorporated.
Finally there is the integration of renewable energy systems in the facade, in this case PV, but if wind turbines can be minimized effectively and economically then these could possibly be integrated as well in the future. The integrated renewable energy systems are potentially capable of becoming a little local power network that can provide all the power needs for the area behind its façade…
Together with the lighting options an exciting thought and not that far away!
Practice makes perfect
Singapore, 19th June 2010
Singapore is preparing itself for two big events less then two months away. On the 9th August it will celebrate the country’s National Day and 5 days later it hosts the opening ceremony of the world’s first Youth Olympic Games. It will use the same venues for both events, so obviously a lot of logistics and planning goes into the preparation. Over the last two days I saw crews already testing and practicing with the lighting, mostly LED, intelligent lights, multi media projections and powerful search beams. While having drinks with friends on the roof terrace bar of the Singapore Cricket Club last night, our attention to the ongoing world cup soccer match was frequently distracted by the swaying of lights and colorful projections that were being tested on the Padang next doors. I must say that I may have been more distracted then others considering lighting is my profession. 🙂
Though still several weeks away, today’s special effects and events lighting is highly technical. Installing the hardware (light fittings) is the easy part. It is the aiming, programming, synchronization and sequencing of the effects that takes a lot of testing and practicing. While a show can be pre programmed in the computer in advance, it still needs a lot of fine tuning on site to assure a good end result. Show and event lighting has permanent deadlines to complete the installation (the show must go on, isn’t it) and there is only one chance to do it right! Hence a lot of practice goes into the preparations.
Commissioning of architectural lighting projects also takes a lot of practice (or experience if you like). Deadlines are also imposed in many commercial projects such as hotels, public transportation, retail, etc. and though it may be of less dramatic impact, commercial venues need deadlines as well so they can take bookings and start accepting (paying) clients. It is our practical experience that is crucial in the final stages of the work and allows the lighting to function properly for operation. But once we leave the scene, the owner/ operator must be able to operate the lights by themselves. They also will have to practice to get to know the workings of the lighting system that we designed for them.
The speed of life
Singapore, 18th June 2010
Another week just went by…it feels like it was Monday just yesterday…where has the time gone? I think we are all in this time warp at times where we work and suddenly realize a few days have gone past. It also happens when we drive routinely to the office. You step in the car, drive somehow on automatic pilot and suddenly realized you are somewhere without really having registered how you got to that point or what happened on the way… scarry at times…Some of our work weeks feel the same…we did heaps of stuff but somehow it did not register on a deeper level and then suddenly we realize the week has zipped past. This week just felt like that.
It is interesting to note that, being able to compare the working environments in Australia, Singapore and Shanghai, we experience working life as a lighting designer differently, also greatly influenced by the difference in culture and lifestyle. I sometimes compare the speed of life in these countries to three different types of transportation. If Australia has the speed of a bike, Singapore could be typified as having the speed of a car with China moving at the speed of a formula 1 race car! I mean no disrespect to each country and it is in no means a representation of the quality of work. We all know the famed fable about the tortoise and the hare… Moving fast is no guarantee for a fast and good end result. While work in Australia may be slow but steady, work in China is fast, often too fast, and as a result “accidents” happen and the race starts over again. I think you get the point…
While there is a lot of work out there, we are in a position to have some influence and control over our own personal and work life. I know it is easy to get “carried” away by client demands and deadlines imposed, but our challenge is to find a way to manage the speed of our life somehow… too fast, we may speed out of control, too slow we may never reach the finish…
Manufacturer events
Singapore, 17th June 2010
Lighting suppliers and manufacturers often organize functions and events to promote new products and bond with their potential clients. I have always been a great promoter of the manufacturer – lighting designer relationship as I believe we need each other. We cant pretend to know all what is available in the market so we need to interact with the people that create the lighting products that we specify. I have and always will have an open door policy towards manufactures as they supply the bread and butter of our profession. Without light fittings it is hard to be a lighting designer, isn’t it? I know some suppliers and agents do a hard sell at times and we rather not waste our time (we are always busy, right?), but I think it is important to make time. I know from own experience how it feels to be treated badly by potential clients or lead consultants like architects, etc.
Tonight I attended a function organized by one the manufacturers (Philips/Selecon) showing off their latest in architectural effect lighting and related controls. The gap between architectural lighting and theatrical lighting is becoming increasingly blurry, slowly merging into one. Full digital (remote) control of colours, colour temperature, beam intensity, shape and angle integrated in one single fitting, that is the direction we are heading….
I less and less go to these types of functions and stimulate my staff to go, but since I was in town, I decided to pop in myself. These kinds of “get-togethers” offer a great opportunity to catch up with fellow designers and friends in the business and get the latest gossip of what’s going on in the local industry and abroad. It is always interesting to hear from others how they are doing and the problems they encounter with their clients. In general lighting designers are a friendly breed of competitors, more like colleagues in the business. I always find the ambiance of these “get-togethers” jovial and animated, certainly when we compare our experiences……
The test of time
Singapore 16th June 2010
Driving back tonight through downtown Singapore I looked at the enormous change that the city night scape had undergone since the first time I set foot in this city state, more than 20 years ago. So many buildings from the time have gone and been replaced by new modern buildings, one brighter and louder than the other. I always felt that Singapore has little architectural character, with buildings of historical value and heritage being rare and mostly overshadowed by new sleek high rises. However some buildings have stood the test of time and are still standing tall. Further more Singapore has realized the importance to preserve its heritage and is now far more pro-active in protecting its architectural past.
In lighting we encounter the same. Many of our past projects don’t even exist anymore. They have gone and made way for new developments or renovations with new lighting. Most of the time our involvement in a projects stops after testing and commissioning, sometimes extending throughout the defects and liability period. We only see our past projects when we revisit them. Very little projects stand the test of time when it comes to lighting certainly in modern and commercial architecture in this part of the world.
So I was pleased to see some of my first lighting projects in Singapore, Orchard Park Suites, a serviced apartment tower right at the heart of Orchard Road, and Raffles Hotel in Beach Road, still standing tall in their original lighting design glory. Orchard Park Suites was one of the very first buildings with façade lighting in Orchard Road but is now surrounded by the latest commercial craze, Orchard Ion Mall, Singapore’s biggest shopping mall with a cacophony of lights and blaring LED media walls. The contrast could not be bigger. Good old floodlighting against dynamic color changing LED! But Orchard Park Suites has been a (lighting) landmark for nearly 20 years…let’s see in another 20years who will have stood the test of time….
Light and colour
Singapore, 15th June 2010
Colours are something magical…imagine life without colours! Don’t we always marvel at fireworks, light shows and other colourful lighting installations? We do have the opportunity to experience life without colours when the sun sets and daylight slowly disappears (and no or very little artificial light is present). You will notice that we stop seeing colours and that only grey scales, shapes and silhouettes remain. Our eye has different sensitivities in regards to lighting. Our main eye sensors are the so called rods and cones with the rods registering the three dimensional forms and shapes and the cones registering colours. To see colours the light stimuli must be of a certain minimum level, hence when light levels drops, we stop seeing colours. Another example is the monochromatic low pressure sodium lighting (common in street lighting)… its yellow light does not allow you to see any other color then the various grey scales.
We don’t really see light, we see reflections. If we “see” a light beam, we really see light reflected of dust or water particles. So since we see reflections, we need to understand that light will reflect the color of the surface it lights up. When interior designers and clients complain that a space feels dark, their first reaction generally is that there is not enough light! But if you understand the nature of light and reflections you will know that black is black!
Also the interaction between the colour of the light and the colour of the materials it reflects of is crucial for the final end result. Ever put a warm tone light source in a gold coloured reflector or in a warm tone coloured room…that is really yellowish, generally more then you bargain for! Or try a red light on a green wall. As a rule we enhance coloured environments with similar or neutral coloured light sources.
Choosing the right colour of light is one of our daily key responsibilities as lighting designers. We all want to look good in light, don’t we? So we have to make sure we select the right colours and be aware of those pale and bland colours that may make us look like we are sick and unhealthy…. 🙁
Business sense
Shanghai 14th June 2010
Left brain, right brain, creative, analytical…it is rare that we have all the yin and yang of life combined and working perfectly in harmony. Some people are gifted at sports, some are gifted musicians, and some are gifted designers. But most of the time these gifted people are not necessarily gifted business people. Reversely gifted business people are not necessarily gifted in other expressive areas. So how do we as lighting designers, supposedly creatively gifted, handle our business of successfully running a consultancy company? How do we make business sense out of our creative lighting design ideas?
Many designers I know struggle to make ends meet or just earn enough to turn around, but does that mean that we are just poor business people or is there little money to make in lighting design. From my experience there is probably about 10% profit to gain from lighting design, much less as in lighting supply which can generate over 20-30% profit, the same goes for contracting, the building and installation part of a project. One of the big differences is that we deal in something more intangible, an “idea or a concept”, while suppliers and contractors deal in something much more measurable, a product or a completed installation. As a result we find that clients have difficulty of appreciating the value of a work. I once had a client say to me: “Why should I pay such fees to you when you scribbled the solution on the back of an envelope?” But that is exactly the point…I was able to do that because of my years of experience and creative thinking abilities. That is what they pay us for.
Profit margins vary a lot with each project because there are always a lot of unknowns. Also projects vary a lot in terms of exposure and potential returns. So does it make business sense to lower your fees because of potential future spin-off work of a high profile project? Or should you rather stick to your guns and let it be. I believe this business is very much “give and take”. You give some, you get some. The trick is to have the business acumen to make the right judgment call. Unfortunately we never know when we have to make that call….
Integrated lighting design servies…a threat?
Shanghai 13th June 2010
A trend is emerging in which main consultant practices such as interior designers, architects, landscape and electrical consultants are offering professional lighting design as an integrated part of their core services. It has nearly always existed as part of electrical consultants which we have sort of accepted, though not with great joy as most of the time they provide unfair competition by lumping their lighting design service as a package deal with electrical. But now we see the same thing happening with interior designers, architects and landscape consultants and even specialist engineers like façade and curtain-wall consultants who are starting to include lighting design as part of their services. Should we be worried, should we feel threatened or should we join the trend and offer additional services ourselves?
In a similar development in the interior design world we saw the emergence of companies like Super Potato, specialist in themed restaurant interior design, developing themselves in extremely successful niche designers and taking business away from established interior design firms. Now we see these interior design firms fighting back by creating their own in-house specialist restaurant division, some even as a separate entity all together. Obviously they can see that extended further with “in-house” art work, signage and lighting design services. Likewise we also see architects creating interior design divisions and the like.
So where is this leading? Is there still room for the independent lighting design consultancy? Already we were under threat by lighting suppliers providing “free-of-charge” lighting design services, will this new trend of integrated in-house lighting design services become a threat or even spell the end for the independent profession as we know it. You can argue that the integrated services are still independent, true, but to me they do not compete on equal footing and hence seem to be a threat to the lighting designers who operate individually. A bit like the supermarkets versus the small local shop on the corner.
So, should we embrace this and look at expending ourselves through strategic alliances and start our own little supermarket, or just ignore it and keep going? Time will tell…..
World cup (2)
Shanghai 12th June 2010
So we are off to a start at the world cup with the hosts South Africa holding the Mexicans to a 1 -1 draw in an entertaining match last night in Soccer City. This is the name of the main soccer venue in Cape Town, designed in the shape of the African calabash, a bit reminiscent of the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing. I watched the match with some friends and colleagues in a local Shanghai pub last night.
Don’t worry I am not going to report daily on this event, it is just that while watching a few more things struck me in regards to lighting, even though this match was played in daylight. The late afternoon sun provided some interesting shadows in the stadium. It is interesting to note that we accept this strong shadowing during the day as a given, but balk at this happening at night! How easily we can change our views and tolerances!
Sports venues like this are not designed solely for the purpose of soccer anymore. They have become multifunctional venues suitable to cater for other sports and mass events such as rock concerts, complete with retail, restaurant and meeting facilities. Lighting of these multi functional venues therefore has to be adaptable to the functions it hosts. We therefore see that the demand for the floodlighting systems are much more challenging and a much greater variety of systems including multi colored and dynamic intelligent lights are being applied.
But by far the largest lighting component nowadays goes into multi-media LED screens, in all forms and shapes. Most obvious during the opening game yesterday were the illuminated LED advertisement panels (even during the day!) which border and surround the complete field. With so many cameras’ capturing the action from many different angles (including overhead camera’s), the commercial messages are visible in every camera shot. The attentive viewer would even have noticed Chinese companies advertising! The giant TV screens are omnipresent in the stadium as well.
I have not been in this particular stadium but have visited several of these new commercial sports hubs and I can tell you that decorative and multi-media LED walls are a must have component of the lighting design. Even the TV studio’s reporting on the events are one big LED happening, with LED screens build in the floor, the walls and the presentors table…
The long awaited book compilation of Martin's first year of blogging is available. Order now.
Feedspot Top 100 Lighting Blogs