What does designing Light mean for an architect today?

[Michael Grove]

My long standing passion for LIGHT both natural and artificial - its influence on the architecture of the diverse societies of our species today - and its manifestation by the likes of two of my most favourite "bringers of light to buildings" -

R M Schindler and Buckminster Fuller -

has without doubt influenced my own heart felt conclusion that IDEAS can indeed lead to the sharing of a wealth of understanding which provides the potentiality for the ...

qualitative enhancement & advancement

of the EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS. In the context of the original Designers Saturday that took place in London in at 1981 ...

and the the more recent art and architecture as an adventure promotion entitled ...

   "A theme route through Swiss Cities" • that was launched by Switzerland Tourism • I am more than pleased to see that Artemide, an international leader in lighting, intends to answer this question using their very own “Manifesto Installation” of light, which was conceived for the 14th Designers’ Saturday, that will take place in Langenthal, Switzerland in early November 2012. As we approach that time of year when "the light of electricity" becomes ever more important to our species day to day activity, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, Ernesto Gismondi, founder and president of Artemide says ...

 

  “The world is facing three major challenges: fairness, stability, and sustainability”

and goes on to succinctly state -

“With this scenario in place, a company like our own conceives Light based on universal values, and its design of light is respectful of Man’s rights and duties towards himself and the planet. Long life, conscious consumption, eco-efficiency, and ‘more with less’ are becoming the foundations for good design improving the quality of life.”

This concept gives origin to the “Installation Manifesto”, with light animating a 500 sq. m. area, where visitors follow an emotional and psycho-physiological path that gradually raises consciousness through four luminous installations:

1. Light Feeds Space: a luminous sculpture welcomes visitors and offers an exciting perceptive and spatial  experience created with the lamps Cosmic Leaf, Cosmic Angel, and Skydro, all designed by Ross Lovegrove.

2. Light Feeds Mind: a space of light where colour perception relates with Man’s psycho- physiological pace through the performance of Altrove, designed by Carlotta de Bevilacqua.

3. Light Feeds Nature: a forest of light and colour creates a natural scenario of beneficial light effects in favour of plant development. The lamps Metacolor, designed by Ernesto Gismondi, and Yang designed by Carlotta de Bevilacqua are the main players.

4. Light Feeds Earth: a “Meccano” of light turns into the testimonial for a responsible Life Cycle Assessment of products for environmental protection: the focus is on Tolomeo, designed by Michele de Lucchi. 

 

Never forgetting, however, that the majority of our species who have no access to

"the light of electricity" - have to rely on the light of an open fire which is

invariably used to cook their main meal as well. 

BUT as so many New Yorkers discovered during Hurricane Sandy - the good news is that

a company from Brooklyn has designed and produced a universal solution - that

absolutely complies with the words and sentiments of Ernesto Gismondi - which can

now be applied to the entirety of our species across the length and breadth of our planet

- as long as its not raining of course!

 UNFORTUNELY the situation in respect to the Saharawi - with which

I was originally involved through the Penny On project - is very much

one of needing to consider the LIGHT of FIRE - and in that regard the

FIRE REMAINS - Youth Video Shorts made by Saharawi girls during the

SAHARAWI VOICE WORKSHOPS in Spring 2012 in Laayoune Refugee Camp

First published by Michael Grove @letschangetheworld.ning.com 12th October 2012

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[Michael Grove]

The idea for the exhibition »Lightopia« had originally been borne from the desire to showcase the Vitra Design Museum’s extensive and ever-growing collection of classic lights. However, it soon became evident that any exhibition on lighting would, above all, have to take into consideration the current paradigm shift in this area, brought about by the profound changes that are occurring thanks to new technologies and developments such as the cessation of the classic light bulb.

[Michael Grove]

IT took a decade of work and the help of two Nobel laureates, but industrial pump manufacturer Nikkiso is finally gearing up for the mass production of deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes. These deep UV LEDs emit even shorter wavelengths of light than blue LEDs, and they have promising applications. Nikkiso envisions applications for its deep UV LEDs in three broad fields.

[Michael Grove]

London-based start-up Deciwatt is helping to light up disaster areas and developing nations across the world with a cutting-edge technology that uses the force of gravity to generate electricity in off-grid areas to produce light. The gadget is an affordable, reliable and safe alternative to kerosene lamps, used by the 1.3bn people around the world living without access to electricity. The GravityLight, created by UK industrial designer Martin Riddiford and developed by Deciwatt, uses a 12kg bag, which can be filled with rocks or earth, threaded through a patented electricity-generating device to power a small light. 

It takes the device three seconds to lift the weight that powers it to create up to 30 minutes of light on its descent. “It has no batteries to run out, replace or dispose of,” said Jim Reeves, technical director of Deciwatt. It is hoped that the GravityLight could help users in the developing world to break out of the poverty trap by reducing their dependence on kerosene. 

The lamps will have different prices across different markets, but the aim is that the GravityLight will pay for itself once the switch from kerosene is made.