whenlightswork

‘We Love Light’

The roundtable aims to be a thought-inspiring sessions for all architects to ‘disturb’ their preconceived ideas on architectural lighting design, and to provide a platform for discussion on the perception of light through different perspectives, from lighting designers, academic and the manufacturers. Through the presented topics(Architecture/Place/Space, Daylight/Sunlight, Technology/Film/mash up, People/Heroes, Social lighting, Fun/Festival/Interaction/Interventions), we aim to share our individual inspirations and share our passion for architectural lighting with the audience and creates the opportunity for a question and answer session at the end of the forum.

Background of the event

Before the introduction of the lighting incentive by URA in 2006, there have been examples of local architects collaborating with lighting designers to create facade illumination or lighting for interior spaces. Now with the conceptualization of the lighting masterplan for four of the main city centres in Singapore, developers and other architects are being introduced to the benefits of good lighting and becoming more aware of how the Singapore skyline can be more aesthetically appealing at night. As the lighting design profession puts down firm roots locally and the awareness of architects expands, collaboration skills between the disciplines need to be developed further.

In architectural lighting design, the lighting designer needs to understand the architectural spatial design intentions prior to the conceptualization of their lighting design and successful communication between the lighting designer and the architect from start to finish of a project is crucial to the execution of a well-illuminated project. To start this process, an understanding of the amazing potential of light to change space and its use is a basic necessity.

We have invited UK based company, Light Collective to share their experience of lighting. The objective of this talk is to go back to basics and for Light Collective to explain why they ‘Love Light’ and why the audience should too. They will talk about the diverse influences that inspire them in their work with the aim that this inspires those listening.

Light Collective say:

‘We are passionate about light.
We are evangelical about light.

And so we should be; we are a lighting design consultancy. Our problem is that we can’t understand why other people don’t feel the same way. The worship of light is woven into the whole of human existence. Light is as intertwined with our very being as is air. It controls our sleep patterns, our digestion, mood, productivity and our vision; “Light is an elixir vitae, our bodies are calibrated to the oscillations of the sky and the patterns of luminous change”. Bearing this in mind, we can’t understand why light is so far down the architectural agenda and often an add on to the design of a building.

In our collective thirty years of lighting design, there have been paradigm shifting advances in lighting technology, daylighting techniques, interactive control systems and amazing research into how the human brain and body are finely turned to the nuances of light.  Now we are at the tipping point with new sources such as LED and OLED’s that are set to mash-up the boundaries between architecture, light, material, sculpture, art and film.  All this has to change how we, as professional designers, invite natural and artificial lighting into the spaces that we work, live and play. This also means that how architects use lighting designers has to change too. It is still the exception rather than the norm that the expertise of a lighting designer is engaged at the offset of a project and our special knowledge, experience and training is exploited, to make every building one that uses light to the best human, architectural and ecological advantage.  It is still the exception that a lighting designer is given a comparable budget to other consultants.

To some degree this is down to education, architectural courses lack syllabus components on light, clients are unaware of the advantages good lighting can bring to a building and, in general, lighting is seen as a layer to beautify a space rather than an integral part of a building. In this age of energy driven construction and desire to create human orientated design, its time for a revolution in thinking and the unrealised potential of the lighting designer incorporated into the project team from the start.

As designers, we always want to explain to architects what we do and why we do it; why ‘We Love Light’. We want to spread the word in an evangelical style that light and lighting is a wonderful thing. Join us.’

Martin Lupton & Sharon Stammers

Light Collective Biography

Martin started his career in Lighting as a researcher at the Liverpool School of Architecture and Environmental Engineering. He then progressed into architectural lighting design and became design director of two of the UK’s leading independent lighting practices, firstly at Pinniger & Partners and most recently as director of the lighting profession in multi-disciple design practice BDP.  Martin recently represented the Professional Lighting Designers Association as President – a global organisation dedicated to establishing and developing the profession of lighting design.

Sharon began working in stage lighting as a production electrician and, after gaining an MSc in Light & Lighting from the Bartlett, joined Lighting Design Partnership and more recently was an Associate Director at Lightmatters.  Sharon currently heads the UK office of PLDA, supporting and developing the Association in both the UK and overseas.  Sharon also holds the position of Key Practioner for the architectural lighting module at Rose Bruford College.

Together, Martin and Sharon have founded a new practice – Light Collective.  Light Collective has been tipped by many people as the next generation of lighting consultancy.  Working inside and outside the standard architectural design framework, Light Collective is fueled by their collective passion for light, collaboration and creativity.

Their aspiration is to understand, interpret and work with light in all of its contexts – artistic, social, architectural, commercial, cultural, physiological and psychological.  The  objective is that Light Collective provides an umbrella and platform for like-minded and inspired people to collaborate in a multitude of ways and in different formats.  From architectural lighting design, light installations and film, to education, community engagement, professional development and marketing, Light Collective is a home for, or the foundations from which many projects can be constructed – all with the medium that fundamentally drives it at the heart – LIGHT.

Event details

Date:  21st July 2010

Time: 6.30pm (start of registration and light reception) to 9pm (closing reception)

Venue: NUSS Guild House conference room

Event Sponsors: ERCO Singapore, Targetti-Poulsen Asia & LuxLight Pte Ltd

Event organizer: Miss Ong Swee Hong, under Temasek Polytechnic, School of Design, Diploma in Environment Design

Interested parties, kindly email swee@whenlightswork.com for updates.

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