Forward thinking
Singapore, 5th February 2014
In transit in Singapore on my way through to Perth tomorrow I spent a good part of the day planning ahead. My schedule for the year is filling up very, very fast and any plans that I had of taking a little break for my 60th (!) birthday later this year seem less and less likely to happen. With speaking engagements already locked in for Qatar and Las Vegas’ Light Fair as well as other project commitments over the next couple of months forward thinking is very much a pre-requisite in running a business, certainly your own! Anticipate client moves and schedules, plan your own moves and schedules. And all that is unknowing of the unexpected and as of all of you, you have to expect the unexpected in our line of work at any time. You may throw family commitments in the mix here as well!
Just over the last week we received two “cold” calls from potential customers wishing to appoint us and asking us to come to site within the shortest of times to give start to the project (of course they waited way too long as usual to even consider the appointment of a lighting designer, but that is another story all together). For one these the fee proposal was approved by return, appointment fees paid and as we speak two of my colleagues are on their way to site…the other one may well be confirmed over the next few days with a site visit requested for the end of the month…
The morale of the story is that in your forward thinking, you need to keep your schedule free for at least 20-30% of your time in anticipation of the unexpected, including attending to our own in-house work schedules. Over time you learn how to deal with this sort of planning, but it certainly is something that many young practices (as I absolutely experienced when I started my own practice) have a hard time dealing with, often disappointing the client in the process..
Light Watch 5-16: Since I am talking about thinking ahead, a lot of planning and thinking happens in a library. Some amazing libraries exist in the world…and lighting (both natural and artificial) is a very important and integral part of it!
Corporate identity
Jakarta, 4th February 2014
Today’s project meeting centred very much around corporate identity, in other (client’s) words, what are the (lighting) elements that really express the identity of this corporation…one of the biggest Indonesian developers. In this particular case we are developing the 3rd building in a series of 6 that are to be build over the next couple of years. The first one which dates from many years back is still very traditional, a stylish stone building as many were in the earlier days. The second completed in recent times is a more modern edifice of glass and aluminium mullions, very typical of modern day buildings, the third one we are working now is much of the same with some improvements, probably from mistakes learned from the past. It is therefore reasonable to expect that lighting will pretty much be very similar to nr.2, or should it?
Currently there is not much exterior and façade lighting at all, just basic minimum you could say; a few street lights, canopy lighting at the drop-offs and a handful of old fashioned floodlights on a pool to light up the façade. In practice they are hardly ever switched on, at least I have never seen them on in any of my visits to Jakarta. Reason given that the property commands premium office rents, is fully occupied and apparently some occupants had complained about the floodlighting (not surprisingly as the installation looks very rudimentary with all associated glare problems). So why switch it on, there is no need for the creation of a costly and energy consuming façade illumination.
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle…not that I want to put lighting for the sake of lighting, on the contrary, but my feeling is that the occupancy success is more the result of lack of alternatives rather then a sublime location. The lighting will allow, if planned along a long term strategy and applied with a very considerate approach (the keep it simple approach) the integrated site and building approach will help to unify the site at night to be appreciated as one and not as a mismatch of add on buildings…The subtlety of the lighting, a few (master) strokes here and there, perhaps combined with an architect that manages to reproduce some architectural features in all buildings will greatly contribute to a corporate identity recognisable by all in the Jakarta skyline…
Light Watch 5-15: Corporate identity often starts with your company signage. Here are some interesting signages that have a play with light and shadow…
Hot Desking
Singapore, 3rd February 2014
As I am preparing to go to the airport for my meeting in Jakarta tomorrow (early meeting so I am forced to do an overnighter), I recall an article I read this morning when I had my breakfast coffee at a local coffee shop, describing the new trend of ‘hot-desking”. Sounds hot and interesting so that’s why I read it and then thought if it would work in a lighting design practice.
Hot desking basically is the creation of a more flexible work space environment where office (desk) space can be shared according to need. With office space becoming more and more expensive many companies have been looking at reducing that costs by creating open plan offices and desk spaces that can be shared, doing more with less. Certainly with most people nowadays operating with portable laptops and Ipads, moving around is becoming easier and easier.
To me hot desking seems to be a trend that has been around in creative offices for a long time. As far as I can see we move about sometimes take our laptop to the café nearby and have our meetings/ discussions there. I already operate some of my offices as a SOHO, a small office, home office, make maximum use of space, home and office. It makes life for me at least much easier, safes tons of costs. Also the more intimate and cosy feel of the officies which feel more like a work space at home, seem quite conducive for creative work. It feels a bit like sustainability to me, we used to do that as a common sense and professional work approach, it just got a name. Now it seems the same with work space arrangements, it just got a new name…hot desking 🙂
Light Watch 5-14: As we are talking about hot desking here are some hot and not so ordinary desk lamps:
Happy Chinese New Year!
Singapore, 29-30th January 2014
Most companies (as is ours) will be closed for the Chinese New Year holidays these few days. Some companies even for a week or more. Hence there is little action to be expected in our business over the next 2 weeks. As always there was the last minute rush to get things finished before the big holidays and yesterday was no exception. I too dashed around from meeting to meeting the whole day till late and concluded with a dinner at a friend’s house right in China Town. Not surprisingly we decided afterwards to take a “people bath” and sample the ambience of the little streets full of shoppers trying to get a last minute bargain from the hundreds of street vendors. We call this experience “human bowling” as you literally cannot make a step forward without bumping into someone. I can only imagine how busy it will be tonight when the fireworks will be on show to usher in the new year!
The CNY holidays have great importance for work and family, comparable with the Christmas and New Year holidays in western countries. A time to spent with your family, a time to reflect on your business and do the so called spring cleaning. Our local Kopitiam steadfastly cleans and repaints the interiors of the coffee shop every Chinese New Year. In a few days it will reopen fresh and ready for the New Year. Many companies see the new year as the time to clean out their “closets”, rekindle business relationships that may have deteriorated over the past year and get a new fresh start. This year is the Year of the Horse, obviously a powerful sign full of action (horse power 🙂 ).
Light Watch 5-13: Chinatown and its decorations last night…Cong Xi Fa Chai everyone!
The economy
Singapore, 28th January 2014
Haven’t spoken about the economy much yet, but it is a legitimate question we pose to ourselves at the beginning of the year. We finished 2013 on a high, but how is 2014 shaping up (from a lighting designers perspective of course). I am triggered to write about this by the story that an Englishman in London was refused (a large amount of) money if he could not give a clarification about what the money was for…really? Since when do I have to tell a bank what I am doing with my money? I earned it, I declare my income, pay my taxes and that’s it. The bank later apologised but still maintained that the request was justified. On the back of this a story surfaced about the same bank (HSBC) being in great financial trouble and about to collapse. As the bank is heavily linked to the Chinese economy this development (if true) would have a major implication on the world economy. For now the story seems more like a revenge action from a lone journalist, but still, it does make you think.
While I do not see any let up in new project work, on the contrary, it does make good sense to reflect on the future and prepare yourself for the future and in this case a slowdown of the economy. As designers we generally feel the impact of any economy slow down at a later stage, when money starts to dry up (suddenly payments are delayed etc), so for now we do not feel any such situation. However it does seem that major economies like China and India have slowed down. While China was used to double digit growth we are now looking at 6-7% only, a notable decrease (still looking really good if you are in Europe). India’s economy is on hold until the upcoming general elections sort things out. But the rest of Asia still looks solid…the question is for how long? If we follow the 8-10 year cycle, we should be good for another 2-3 years…time will tell.
Light Watch 5-12: Economic growth can go up and go down. Same can be said of stairs, you can go up or go down…here are some inspirations in regards to lighting. For the moment I am walking up the stairs 🙂
Sacrificial lamps
Singapore, 27th January 2014
In one of my meetings today I had an interesting discussion with the interior designer of one of our projects in regards to what or what not to specify in regards to the expected client’s budget, quite an important discussion considering today’s mind set of clients when it gets to money and getting things done. We all know how our clients always want more for less (do you know of any that want less for more?). So it is fairly rare that a client will agree with your proposed budget, regardless how intensely you try to convince them about the quality, durability or sustainability of your proposed lighting systems. There is this perception that we tend to overdo it and rightly so, we are probably partly to blame for it. You can argue who was there first the chicken or the egg, but the fact is budgets are always being squeezed, or reversely design specifications rarely meet the budget!
It is therefore not surprising that as a designer, in order to meet your minimum design quality targets, you over specify a bit with the knowledge that the client will ask you to “value engineer” it down to a certain budget. You know it is going to come and therefore in anticipation we do at times insert or add some sacrificial “lamps”. Lamps that we know enhances the overall quality but which are not critical and we could proverbially sacrifice them…
This requires quite some thought as we don’t just add them for the sake of adding, making them a visible surplus, these are thoughtful additions that genuinely add to the overall end result but if sacrificed would not affect the final quality and end result.
Light Watch 5-11: In the coming weeks I will use this space to show some lighting themes or applications just for inspiration and where possible related to the blog subject. As we are talking about sacrificial lamps I dug out a series of industrial themed lamps, not sure what the relationship is, but anyhow…
Hong Kong style
Hong Kong, 24th January 2014
Today was spent on a kick of meeting for a new prestigious project here. I don’t know about how others experience Hong Kong and its work environment but I distinctively feel a totally different attitude and culture towards work in our project business then in Singapore. I say Singapore, because that is probably the best and closest example for comparison. Both are small island states, both are small in population, both are affluent when it comes to its riches and both are heavily influenced by the Chinese culture. While I have spent most of my time working in and out of Singapore, I have been to Hong Kong regularly and have dealt with Hong Kong based companies (designers, consultants as well as developers) over the last 20 odd years.
Driving around in a Hong Kong taxi probably is the best metaphor to describe the different styles. The Hong Kong cabbie is brusque, short stop, but very inventive and creative in finding solutions (in this case finding their way through the traffic), while the Singapore cabbie just follows and abides by the rules. This is not to say a Hong Kong cabbie does not follow rules, he just finds creative ways around it to achieve them.
The same can be said for project work. Somehow there are always ways, there does not seem to be such fear to go around the rules (note I am not saying ignoring or not complying to the rules) to achieve the desired outcome. I have always found that in Hong Kong while in Singapore everyone in the team seems to cover their backside…I personally find the Singapore environment a bit less conducive, stimulating or cooperative then Hong Kong. It does not mean the outcomes are not good, it’s just different style of work and approach. Let’s see whether this Hong Kong style approach will resort in a great project!
Light Watch 5-10: Hong Kong at night…much more creative and adventurous then Singapore (though Singapore is working on it!
The new China
Yangshuo – Hong Kong, 23rd January 2014
As I am making my way from Yangshuo to Hong Kong for my next meetings, I am reflecting on some interesting developments taking pace in China. In the “new” China of today it seems the newly elected government is really serious in cracking down on corruption! No more lavish dinners and other “activities” funded by tax payers money. As I personally experienced last night, no longer can you invite local government officials for a “thank you” dinner in appreciation for their support (in this case for our project). It seems that local restaurants (and KTV’s for that matter) are doing bad business these days as local government officials are all avoiding being seen in public in these kind of venues for fear of being “reported”.
Point in case, last night we did have a dinner with the local authorities as the client wanted to express his gratitude for getting the final approvals for the project development and introduce the project team. However the manner in which we had the dinner was quite amusing. The local authorities party arrived to our site in the evening, in a convoy of about 4 black “unmarked” cars, and where then whisked away, after a quick show around of the site, to the contractors canteen. This was turned into a makeshift dining space with the help of some mismatched tables and wooden stools. For some reason a chicken was wandering around in the room…escaped from the kitchen?
Anyhow the ambience was not less cordial and the wines and alcohol added to the enjoyment through the usual toasting and drinking to good fortune. I guess the project is off to a good start!
Light Watch 5-9: One thing has not (yet) changed in China, the street vendors and individual entrepreneurship in finding ways to make money are still doing their thing…One of the nights after work we went to a kind of shopping street, with vendors and sellers trying to sell you their products, real or fake…As always at night there are many of them selling illuminated toys, lasers and even a LED illuminated remote controlled plane …Of course there were bright LED screens (KTV) and not to be outdone a 6D Cinema! I did not check it out, but I can only assume it is not even 3D…The illuminated mountains as backdrop certainly added to the ambience.
Still cold…
Yangshuo, 22nd January 2014
Getting used to the cold…today more of the same. Today we fried some banana’s on the improvised heat stoves and I must say the “pisang goreng” (or fried banana) tasted nice and hot!
Many people do not realise how much time and coordination it takes to realise a project of this nature. First there is the site, in this case with an old derelict sugar cane factory that will be converted into a resort hotel, then there is the process of getting the initial approval from the local government to built/ convert the site into a hotel. Then the long and tedious process of finding the operator, the architects and yes…the lighting designer. We came in nice and early in the piece due to our existing relationship with the operator and lead designer.
Designs are rarely on the mark from day one and it took a few concepts before client and operator were happy with the architectural concept. This then had to be submitted to the local authorities again for approval. I understand that was just obtained prior to this meeting, so this design workshop, where all principal consultants (lighting design included) presented their conceptual approach to the team, was even more meaning and purposeful. On the downside, we were informed today that the excavation of the site had hit a snag as that in a specific area rocks halted further deepening. This means that the planned basement now has to be redesigned to adapt to the new situation…For my side I now have good understanding and agreement on the direction to develop my lighting concept into further details over the next couple of weeks…
Light Watch 5-7: Yangshuo further impressions of our “banana” meetings, the beautiful site and the sunlight pouring through the windows of the old factory
Cold
Yangshuo, 21st January 2014
This blog is simply called cold…I woke up with temperatures outside around freezing point. No world news, but after the hot summer in Perth and the normal hot humidity of Singapore a nice frisk waking up! Sweaters, windbreaker, several clothing layers to keep warm today. When we arrived on site the meeting room temperature was hovering around freezing point and coal fires were brought in to heat up the place…felt kind of adventurous….binding spirits…amazing how these kind of things create some bonding, which was excellent for the mood of today’s meeting. Steaming hot coffee and tea was served throughout the day to keep us warm and alert. Later with the sun heating up outside it made it all a bit more bearable…nearly enjoyable.
While the location is kind of remote, the client had gone out of their way to make the make-shift meeting room situated in one of the old factory buildings that are to be converted into a hotel, as much up to comfort as possible, including video projectors, wifi (a must in meetings nowadays!) and all other meeting comforts including food and drinks! It made in the end for a pleasant and fruitful day in which we went through conceptual design presentations from architect, interior design, landscape and lighting. Tomorrow we will have some more and then break-up in smaller design workshops to further detail and agree on design development directions. Because we are all isolated from our offices and all “locked up” together without major outside disruptions I feel the progress is good and bodes well for the success of this project.
Light Watch 5-7: Yangshuo impressions, day 2
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