Green lighting design
Singapore 6th May 2011
With “cooling-off” day in Singapore today (introduced by the ruling party for the day before poling day) no political activity is allowed. With no political party rallies or canvassing of public the city is relatively quiet before tomorrow’s general election compared to the last few days. This cooling-off day is meant for the public to reflect “undisturbed” on the many political messages they have been subjected to during the campaigning. Though generally seen as a favouring the ruling party, it somehow makes sense. We will see tomorrow…
Talking about cooling-off, I am using this time to reflect on green lighting design. Is there such thing? Assumingly green is used as a metaphor for our environment, in this case care for our environment, where green symbolises life and a healthy, natural earth. So green lighting design supposedly symbolises lighting design that cares for our living environment and consideration for our natural resources. This in then should translate into lighting design that minimise energy usage or makes use of sustainable energy resources. Furthermore the lighting design should be in harmony with its environment and by preference not disturb our natural habitat. Finally the materials used to create the lighting environment, the light fittings and the material finishes should be as organic and natural as possible, where feasible made out of recycled materials.
So in practical terms what does it mean? Minimal and sustainable energy usage means low energy, high performance lighting systems such as LED technology, controlled lighting usages and environments through sensor and time driven lighting controls combined with day lighting and solar lighting technologies. I think we are more and more having this part covered as lighting designers. However the use of recyclable light fittings, organic materials and products made in sustainable factories is still in its infancy.
In Light Watch today a project with a so called “green roof” feature. The building is one of the pilot projects towards sustainable design with its final energy consumption claimed to be 35% less than the building code requires in this case platinum LEED classification. In terms of lighting the building makes extensive use of natural day light, solar energy, new low energy LED technology and sensor driven lighting controls. Certainly on my to visit list if I have the opportunity to go there.
Light Watch 85: The California Academy of Science by Renzo Piano
Business development
Singapore 5th May 2011
Doing fee proposals is obviously a key part of running our business as without fee proposals you don’t have any outlook on potential work. But there is a whole world out there before you can actually do fee proposals. Some people call it business development, some call it project acquisition and some call it marketing…For the development of long term relationships it often means socialising, having drinks or going out together, playing golf, etc.
When you start up your company you more or less do everything yourself; marketing, admin, design, production, installation, office management, you name it. As you grow the company you gradually get more staff and start to have dedicated staff doing dedicated work or assignments within the company organisation. But in lighting design our practices are generally small little studio’s maybe 10-15 people, sometimes smaller, sometimes bigger but comparatively small. This means that we all multi task and help each other out. At least that is how we operate, we are a small tightly nit little family.
But business development is an art by itself as it requires some human and social skills that not everyone has readily available in the right proportions and quality :). I am lucky to have been in this business for more than 30 years now and have over time build a treasure trove of contacts and relationships on top of having established myself as a recognised expert and successful lighting designer in the field. That means that many projects come to us by word of mouth and referral, through people I know, people who know me or have heard of me and my company. Right now I would say that figure is about 70-80%. But that still leaves a considerable percentage open for business development, new projects and clients.
As KLD is still in the process of establishing itself as a premium lighting design practice, business development was on my agenda today; analysing potential clients, potential markets and tapping on our existing relationships.
In Light Watch today I also would like to commend the efforts by some of the major lighting manufacturers in building their relationship with lighting designers. For some of them it goes beyond creating a personal relationship, it goes towards forging a lifelong bond. One of these companies, who visited us today, is WEEF that provides you hands-on training and experience with their products in their head office in Thailand.
Light Watch 84: The WEEF training facilities in Thailand (pictures courtesy WEEF Lux Urbium book)
Teach the teacher
Singapore 4th May 2011
One of the great challenges of any company (boss) is to teach its incoming staff the finer details of work…the way things are done in the company. To me, my staff is my greatest asset as without them I am not much. Yes I have my knowledge and experience but in order to grow and deliver on my client demands and expectations I need a smoothly running company that not just depends on me but is capable of moving ahead professionally and with quality whether I am around or not. Ideally we build a company to make one-self obsolete, right? So looking after my staff has always been one of my prime concerns. Unfortunately I know that this is not always the case in many companies in Asia with company owners and executives looking after their own interests first and staff well-being last. Somehow they don’t seem to mind high staff turnover as a result. I have been blessed with very loyal staff who have been with me for years for which I am very grateful. They know how I work, they know my style, they know my demands and expectations. I don’t need to teach them, they know. But the growth process is never ending, we learn every day. I make it a habit to reflect on the day passed and ask myself: “what did I learn today”? You will be surprised…
When I get new staff my aim is to teach them to become teachers themselves eventually. Someone ever coined the phrase “teach the teachers” and that is exactly what it is about. You reap what you sow, isn’t it? However training new staff is not always easy as we have our day to day work demanding our attention all the time. Hence I like to engage new staff in projects and on the ground straight away. We learn from the realities of (project) life. As we go along whenever I can I will spent time and share my experience and knowledge, my dooor is always open. Welcome to our team Matt.
In Light Watch today places where learning and lighting meet in harmony…museums. They generally are great places to learn and great lighting is needed to appreciate what is on display to learn. In a previous Light Watch I highlighted the new Louvre Museum designed by Jean Nouvel in Abu Dhabi. Today the original Louvre Museum in Paris!
Light Watch 83: The Louvre Paris, France
Timing
Singapore 3rd May 2011
After another long weekend (1st May holidays) it’s back to work again. Time is flying, one third of the year gone already! But today is a special day though…my birthday! Another year wiser 🙂 …when I switched on my computer this morning there were heaps of birthday wishes flashing on my skype messenger screen. Thanks to all you good-wishers! That is the other side of skype…it let every-one of your contacts know it’s your birthday! Had a nice birthday lunch with my team, treated the team at our weekly consultants/contractors meeting for one of our Singapore projects to some cake and finished the day with a lovely dinner with my Alex.
Sometimes you wonder about timing. The announcement yesterday of the killing of Osama Bin Laden (after hunting him down for 10 years!) seems very well timed. Mayday rallies traditionally are fuelling unhappy workers to protest, so the killing and subsequent announcement, which resulted in many celebrations, seemed really well timed! Someone held up a sign saying Obama 1: Osama 0…
Timing in the lighting business is not so obvious. We have our project time schedules and if anything it would be the timing of site works in relation to known seasonal weather (winter/ rain/ monsoon) or product deliveries in relation to typical holidays (Christmas, Chinese New year) when you know things are unpredictable or slow. Factories typically close down during the European summer and workers migrate home during the main holidays.
Timing can also relate very much to the economic climate. When the outlook is rosy, economy is doing well and developers have “cash in the bank” the timing for projects seems much better and easier. Specifications are easier to hold as budgets are under less strain. I generalise here, but you know what I mean.
In the end the only thing I can’t really time is my birthday! It’s there ever year come rain or shine 🙂
Talking about time, in Light Watch today let’s look at some of the great time clocks around the world. England has probably two of the most famous time clocks in the world, the Big Ben in London and the famous sundial in Stonehenge. Both man-made but one driven by the power of electricity, the other by the sun, very much representing today’s challenge in lighting!
Light Watch 82: Big Ben – Stonehenge
Royal weddings
Singapore 29th April 2011
It is difficult not to mention the royal wedding between Prince William & Kate Middleton today. The whole world seems to be in attendance and the ceremony is broadcast live on TV probably in every country imaginable as I write this blog. I watched snippets of the ceremony and was impressed by the bright daylight inside the Abbey (as far as I could judge from the TV images never having visited the Abbey). Whatever artificial (flood) lighting was discretely installed at higher levels above general view and cameras were mounted on fixed brackets remotely controlled making all the “high tech” equipment hardly noticeable keeping the focus on the happy couple and the occasion. A quick check on the Westminster Abbey website reveals that you can even down load a 3D royal wedding Westminster Abbey phone app, allowing you to enjoy the Abbey from the comfort of your home J
I must say from the TV images the Abbey looked fantastic, the huge high vaults lined with chandeliers and on the ground the red carpet bordered with trees and greenery (I assume put there for the occasion), somehow linking “heaven and earth” maybe even the green movement together.
In our lighting industry we do not really have royal weddings, but we do have our “royal” mergers, take-overs and buy-outs, if I may use the comparison. We had quite some big ones in recent times, specifically by the big “royals” such as Philips, Osram, Zumtobel, etc. Philips “marrying” with Color Kinetics, Dynalite (to name just two… 🙂 , Osram/Siemens with Siteco, Zumtobel with Thorn, Staff a few years ago and so on.
Not all marriages end up in a life time of happiness, but Will and Kate surely look like they have made a great start to their newly married life.
In Light Watch today London’s Westminster Abbey. It is on my list of to visit places. The picture below is from the Abbey website in normal conditions., but I am sure the pictures of today’s ceremony with the beautifully dressed Abbey interiors will be all over the news over the next couple of days.
Light Watch 81: Westminster Abbey, London
Smear campaigns
Singapore 28th April 2011
It is interesting to continue the parallel with elections with our daily work as lighting designers. As the election battle in Singapore heats up, the verbal war of words does as well and it is interesting to see how party campaigners choose their words to make them-selves look righteous and so concerned for the well-being of the people while painting the “opposition” to be doubtful and without integrity…also called smear campaigns.
While our lighting design fraternity is relatively small compared to the architect’s world or other professions, there is still rivalry. If you add the lighting suppliers into the fray then the pool of people with different opinions, interests and experiences is big. We are similarly in an “election process” for projects all the time so likewise the war of words and “smear campaigns” also happens in our business from time to time to make a stance with potential competitors.
But my experience is that in our lighting business it generally evolves from bad blood or from being a sore loser. In the first case something may have happened that was never properly resolved or clarified and people start to make up their own assumptions and interpretations (generally bad). Then the story gets amplified as it goes around from one to another and then suddenly someone has a “bad reputation”.
The second case is typical when people lose a project whether as a designer or as a supplier. According to those who lost the winner must be cahooting with the client, money must have been paid under the table, favouritism must have applied, etc. Of course all this being the subject of imagination to make one-self look (and feel) good in losing.
It takes a confident and self-assured person to just take it as it is. You win some; you lose some, so what? As long as you know that you acted professionally and in integrity and gave it your best shot. There is always another bus around the corner. There is no need for mudslinging in our business.
In Light Watch today an interesting picture from my recent Euroluce visit (I keep digging in my trip file 🙂 ). One of the furniture manufacturers (Futura) had an interesting take on combining modern and traditional lighting design by using T5 to frame a traditional crystal chandelier.
Light Watch 80: Euroluce Futura Chandelier
Nomination Day
Singapore 27th April 2011
I have spent many years in Singapore and have witnessed several general elections over the last 20+ years. Everyone has his own opinion about Singapore’s political landscape but as an outsider it has always been an interesting spectacle to watch. The build up to the elections, the campaigning and introducing of candidates and now today the official Nomination Day, the day that all parties and their candidates have to file their nomination to be illegible for election. It’s very strict. All parties are given exactly one hour (not a second more) to submit the nomination forms at a few specific locations and any mistake on the forms is a potential reason to reject the candidacy. Upon successful filing of their nomination each candidate or group of candidates gets exactly 1 minute, respectively 3 minutes to address their supporters. Election Day will be 7th May next week.
There is much similarity when we tender for an official lighting design job. We are given a deadline by which we have to “nominate” ourselves to the client. We are given forms to fill in “nominating” our particulars, including office structure, project team, qualifications and proposed action (read fee) plan. Sometimes we are disqualified if we fail to submit in time or submit incomplete bids. The nomination requirements are meant to sift the real professionals from the “non-serious” bidders. Without out putting up a nomination/selection hurdle every Tom, Dick and Harry could bid for the projects potentially creating a lot of headache. Most of the time in our lighting business the tenderers are preselected and qualified to assure the final bids are of the desired quality.
Today as it happens I also had a submission deadline for a big project development in China… sort of “nominated” my-self for the project by submitting a fee proposal and all other qualifications required. On “Election” day I hope the client will vote for KLD!
In Light Watch today I want to share some more pictures of my recent trip to Milan. There is nothing as stunning and as beautiful as day light when it creates patterns of light and shadow revealing structures, finishes and materials. I had the opportunity to visit the Duomo, the famous cathedral and its surroundings…worth the visit. I share herewith some of the majestic views and effects inly creatable with daylight!
Light Watch 79: The Duomo and surroundings in Milano, Italy
Big lighting business
Singapore 26th April 2011
Back at work after my extended Easter break 🙂 It was a good trip to Europe, met many people in Milan and learned a lot from meeting the principals and visiting their lighting factories and showrooms in Germany. It is so important to know the people behind the products! I keep saying it.
On my flight back I read an interesting article about the giants of our lighting industry in relation to the planned take-over of Siteco by Osram. Can we actually call it a take over? Legally probably yes but practically they were already family as it were. Part of big brother Siemens. The article was analysing the planned move from Osram to the stock exchange. And with that Osram is going to be the big competitor of Philips. Philips is already listed on the stock exchange for years and had a turnover in 2010 in its lighting division of close to Euro 8 Billion. Osram (Siemens) turnover in 2010 was close to Euro 5 Billion. The next big business lighting company would be General Electric lighting division with turnovers in the Euro 2-3 Billion range. That by the way pales by GE’s overall business turnover of more than Euro 150 Billion!!! We then get to the Zumtobel group with sales figures close to Euro 1 Billion. The Zumtobel group includes the former Staff, Thorn, etc. These are big business figures, compared to your well-known leading brand “smaller” company names like the Iguzzini’s, Bega’s, etc. with turnovers estimated well below Euro 500 Million. It is estimated that the worldwide lighting market sales are worth about Euro 45 Billion a year. It looks like the big four a snooping up about one third of it.
One can wonder why the Siemens group is proceeding its lighting business under the Osram name rather than say Siemens Lighting, like both Philips and GE are doing? The article notes further that Osram has factories in more than 48 countries but that interestingly one quarter of Osram’s personel is located in China. It just underlines how much impact the Chinese economy has on the big company strategies together with the enormous growth and contribution that LED lighting has on the company turnovers.
In Light Watch today a picture of the BEGA factory in Menden, near Dortmund in Germany. BEGA as I understand, is one of the few companies that still more or less manufacture everything in-house on its original factory site. No such thing as China manufacturing…
Light Watch 78: BEGA site in Germany in the middle of the countryside!
Lighting skit Goa
Netherlands 21st April 2011
Over the next few days I am taking my Easter break spending some time with my family in Holland. In Light Watch today I leave you with the link to You Tube on which a skit was uploaded that was played to the participants during the lights in Goa event in India last month. Those who were there enjoyed a comic relief on the typical situations that happen between lighting designer, client, architect and contractor when dong projects. Well done to Amit Gupta and his team at Vis-a-vis lightin. Amit send me the link to share with you all…Enjoy
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NXH6KjivIo
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtnvF4okjoQ&feature=related
Light Watch 78: Lighting skit Goa
Choosing your light fittings
Germany, 20th April 2011
One of the key decisions a lighting designer has to make is what light fitting to select to achieve the desired lighting effect. There are so many lighting manufacturers to choose from that specifying the “right” fitting can be quite a challenge. So why choose brand X over brand Y. This is basically an everyday question we pose our selves in the design process. What are the factors that make us choose for a special brand.
This question has come forward from my visit to BEGA today. A brand that I have used on and off over the years but that has never really been one of my first choice brands when it comes to specifying. Why? It is not an easy question to answer but let me try as it applies for other brands as well.
It has much to do with the level of comfort that we develop with the product brand. When we specify we want to feel comfortable that the product will deliver. This means that we have to see the product “in action”, we need to have played with it, touched it, tested it. What a visit to the factory does is to give you the confidence about the quality control behind the product, the people and the development team behind the product, the production and testing facilities and the company’s commitment to deliver an outstanding product…it’s amazing how much a company visit will reveal!
However the factory is generally not located next to your office so we deal with the product brands representative agents. And there is where often the crucial link goes missing. As lighting designers we need a constant dialogue with the product manufacturer to get the best out of our design intent. The product is as important as the people supporting it and till today I will shun a brand if its agent is incompetent. No disrespect meant but the quality of the people supporting the brand to me is as important as the product itself. On lighting installation sites we continuously face issues that need resolve. The product brand’s people are part and parcel of the final success of a project.
Last but not least as a designer you like the product to have “design” appeal, but that is a very subjective matter maybe for another blog…
In Light Watch today I have to share some more pictures of the fantastic spring weather (day light) we are experiencing in Europe 🙂
Light Watch 77: Beautiful spring in Germany (2)
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