WATCH: Hemera creates a cascade of light at the Peeples Center
Hemera proves yet again with this project how they can be an incredible partner to designers and contractors. This custom ceiling combined with a cascade of light from Hemera to make a beautiful installation.
In this video, Adam and I dive into how Hemera collaborated with the design team and then worked to build and install this amazing piece.
BW 165 - A New Small Form Factor Linear from Birchwood
Meet the all-new Birchwood BW165. All of the great Birchwood performance you know, in a tight, elegant form factor.
Birchwood has expanded it’s linear offering with the BW165. As the name suggests this fixture is 1.65” wide and 3.25” tall. This compact direct/indirect linear fixture is unique for a few reasons.
Integral Driver
Variety of optics
Batwing
Asymmetric
Elliptical
High Efficacy
Tunable White also available
Bill Kressler takes us through some of the key features in the video above.
Four Chances to Get to Know Beta-Calco
When Beta-Calco took joined SDA, I was deeply impressed not just with the breadth of the products on offer, but with their factory and design capabilities. I’m so excited to be working with them. Ivan and I have set up four dates to talk about some of the latest products from Beta Calco. Two dates are dedicated to the interior and two for the exterior. These will be fast and fun sessions and I promise you’ll be impressed.
When Beta-Calco took joined SDA, I was deeply impressed not just with the breadth of the products on offer, but with their factory and design capabilities. I’m so excited to be working with them. Ivan and I have set up four dates to talk about some of the latest products from Beta Calco. Two dates are dedicated to the interior and two for the exterior. These will be fast and fun sessions and I promise you’ll be impressed. Use the images below to learn more and register!
Interior Session 1
January 20th @ 3:00PM
Exterior Session 1
January 28th @ 3:00PM
Interior Session 2
February 4th @ 3:00PM
Exterior Session 2
February 11th @ 3:00 PM
Watch: Partnering with Hemera on Your Custom Projects
Not only does Hemera make stunning individual fixtures, but they are also powerful collaborators on custom projects. Adam Doucette and I sit down to talk about this amazing project.
Hemera is a manufacturer we've worked with for years at SDA, but I think I haven't done an excellent job telling their story. So to kick off 2021 I'm going to be doing a series of posts with the Hemera team. The truth is you might have visited their old website and seen some pretty fixtures, but nothing exactly fit the aesthetics of your project, and so you said, “I’ll keep them in mind.” A few months passed and another project came up and you went back to their website, and the same thing happened.
700+ Points of light
Michigan Plaza Chandelier by Hemera
Well, the team at Hemera has completely redone their website, why is that so important? Beyond making it much easier to navigate, they've gone through some pains to bring their project work to the fore. Hemera is not simply building the 20 or so fixture types you might have seen in the gallery. They are also ready to be your partner for customs and modifications.
Nowhere is that more apparent than Michigan Plaza in Chicago. The project team engaged Hemera from early on in the process and Hemera was a total partner in the design, fabrication, and installation of this beautiful lighting sculpture. Adam Doucette was good enough to join me to discuss Michigan Plaza. We talked about how the project went from a simple quote request to an amazing custom installation.
Smartengine training January 12th
The SDA controls team is hosting a training event on January 12th for Smartengine. Check out my 2 minute video on what Smartengine is and then sign up for one of our training sessions!
The SDA controls team is hosting a training event on January 12th for Smartengine. In the video above I give a super-quick overview of what Smartengine is…but to really dive in please sign up for one of our three sessions.
Lighting a Surgical Suite with the MD1U from Viscor
A surgical suite troffer is one of those fixtures that looks incredibly simple on the surface but peel back how it's built, what goes into its engineering and fabrication. You'll find a piece of gear that's critical to the functioning of the operating room, with myriad little details under the hood.
Eric Spada of Viscor takes me through the MD1U and educates me not only on the fixture itself but what's important when it comes to surgical lighting. Stay till the end to find the value of green light in surgical suites.
A surgical suite troffer is one of those fixtures that looks incredibly simple on the surface, but peel back how it's built, what goes into its engineering and fabrication and you'll find a piece of gear that's critical to the functioning of the operating room, with myriad little details under the hood.
Eric Spada of Viscor takes me through the MD1U and educates me not only on the fixture itself but what's important when it comes to surgical lighting. Stay till the end to find the value of green light in surgical suites.
Part II - How It’s Built
In this video, Eric breaks down the design and build of the MD1U, not only is it a rugged piece, but it’s purpose-built for surgical suites. From welded corners to a double-gasket door and single-piece door frame, this unit is ready for any medical environment.
Ready to Learn More?
Use the tool below to book a product session, or you can always email me for more information.
USAI brings the best of BeveLED below the ceiling
USAI has always been known as an incredible downlight manufacturer. But as the needs of the design community have changed, USAI has responded. The deck below is going to take you through some of the updates USAI has made both in terms of integration (think Armstrong Ceilings) and in innovation, bringing the famous BeveLED and BeveLED mini light engines below the ceilings in amazing cylinder applications.
USAI has always been known as an incredible downlight manufacturer. But as the needs of the design community have changed, USAI has responded. The guide below is going to take you through some of the updates USAI has made both in terms of integration (think Armstrong Ceilings) and in innovation, bringing the famous BeveLED and BeveLED mini light engines below the ceilings in amazing cylinder applications.
You Already Know USAI is America’s Premier Recessed Downlighting Manufacturer
But These Days It’s Not Enough To Make a Great Downlight
USAI has continued to innovate building on their partnership with Armstrong. Integrating into WoodWorks and with Trimless Acoustical tiles.
But the design trend today has moved away from finished ceilings and toward open ones.
BevelBlock
That started with BevelBlock the first family to integrate a clean canopy cover that allowed for a conduit pass-thru for elegant surface mounting even with exposed conduit applications.
BeveLED 2.2
The BeveLED 2.2 cylinder brought the light engine performance of the classic 4.5” BeveLED into a clean cylinder. The new cylinder is available in a downlight, wall washer and even with an internally adjustable optic.
USAI continued their cylinder roll-out with the 3” BeveLED Mini. The mini scales down the form factor but maintains the clean lines and beautiful mounting options of BeveLED 2.2.
Now…meet the BeveLED Mini Cylinder Adjustable
I’m so excited about this addition to the USAI cylinder offering. The new BeveLED Mini Cylinder Adjustable give you flexibility and performance with classic USAI performance.
Taken together this offering gives designers incredible flexibility and consistency. Whatever ceiling type is thrown at you USAI has a product family ready to deliver beautiful consistent performances in multiple form factors. Ready to learn more? Use the form below!
Learn More
There’s so much more to cover with the cylinder line. Use the tool below to book a virtual presentation where I can answer your questions about all of the latest from USAI. Or you can always email me.
V-Rail from Intense Lighting - Complete Illuminated Handrail Solutions
Specifying an illuminated handrail can be a coordination nightmare—V-Rail from Intense cuts out the troublesome portions of specifying and building illuminated handrail by putting service first.
An illuminated handrail is one of those details that look amazing when installed but can be a nightmare to organize. Traditionally, there is a rail vendor, a lighting vendor, the architect, the lighting designer, and the contractors who all have to coordinate everything from the shape of the rail to illuminance levels and field dimensions. That's why I love working with the Intense Lighting V-Rail system.
If there is one thing that makes V-Rail a wholly different system, it's that it’s a complete illuminated handrail solution. What does that mean? Well, Intense has an entire team dedicated just to V-Rail. That's designers, engineers, and quotation teams. All that needs to be decided is the diameter of the rail and desired light levels. From there, with a set of plans and elevations, the V-Rail team can design out the system. But the service doesn't stop there. Once the design is signed off on, and the order is released, a team goes to the site and verifies field dimensions to ensure every measurement is exact. That cuts out multiple layers of design time and many rounds of field dimension coordination, and the dreaded errors that can sometimes occur.
The Best Just Got More Flexible
The original V-Rail system centers around straight sections of LEDs with either symmetrical or asymmetrical distributions. While this works well for most handrail designs, the straight bars limit the rail significantly - curves are impossible.
Enter the V-Rail Spot
The spot form factor allows for some upgrades.
Fewer points of light
Multiple spacing options
Curves!
Here are the basics of Vrail linear and Vrail Spot from Bill Kressler of Leviton.
Variations
When you go on the Intense Website you’ll find the variations on V-Rail. These can have all of the specifiable features, such as different outputs and distributions along with wall-mounted or free-standing models.
V-Rail Spot
1.5” Diameter Rail with Remote Power Supply
1.5” Diameter Rail with Integral Power Supply
V-Rail Linear
1.5” Diameter Rail with Remote Power Supply
1.5” Diameter Rail with Integral Power Supply
1.9” Diameter Rail with Remote Power Supply
1.9” Diameter Rail with Integral Power Supply
1.5” Diameter Rail Wildlife Certified with Remote Power Supply
1.5” Diameter Rail Wildlife Certified with Integral Power Supply
Ready to Learn More?
Vrail is one of those products that generate lots of questions. Use the calendar below to book a 30-minute review of Vrail so you can ask anything on your mind.
Controls 101
Admit it!
You never got that early education into how dimming works! This primer on lighting controls is aimed at junior lighting designers, architects, and anyone else who feels like they need to get back to basics with lighting control.
Recently one of the designers I work with emailed me. She’s a junior designer at the firm, and while she feels like she’d gotten a grasp on lighting, controls were foreign to her. Most of the project discussions she was a part of jumped right into specific systems and skipped the basics. She asked if anyone had a simple, early guide to lighting control. So I made this presentation. I thought it was a sign of bravery and humility to admit what you didn’t know. After all, if it wasn’t clear to her, I bet that was true for many more young designers. The slide show below is called “Controls 101,” and it’s meant to be an early starting point into dimming systems. If it’s popular, we’ll do more.
Download the PDF
If you need this for reference, you can download the PDF here.
Join Us - On Demand!
After presenting this webinar live three times, I’ve made it available on-demand. In order to watch, please use the button below to register and gain access.
Embrace Negative Space with Two New Forms from Coronet
When dropped ceilings were main design statement, the default mode was the 2x2 and 2x4 troffer. Now that open ceilings and exposed mechanical gear is the trendy aesthetic, we see more suspended lines of light in our spaces, so much so it’s become the default for so many offices, healthcare and hospitality environments. But we can always do better and always create more inspiring environments.
Is The Line of Light the New Troffer?
When dropped ceilings were the main design statement, the default mode was the 2x2 and 2x4 troffers. Now that open ceilings and exposed mechanical gear are the trendy aesthetic, we see more suspended lines of light in our spaces, so much so it’s become the default for so many offices, healthcare and hospitality environments. But we can always do better and always create more inspiring environments.
Enter Coronet
Ovalo from Coronet
Coronet is always adding to its product offerings. Their latest products embrace the negative space with Ovalo and Ma. Both of these are takes on the linear form factor where the negative space is embraced to create a glare-free, elegant solution.
Ovalo
Key Points on Ovalo
Nominal 3.5” wide ovalinear profile.
2’, 3’, 4’, 6’,8’ long
Three light outputs
340 lumens/ft
470 lumens/ft
650 lumens/ft
Black and white finishes standard, custom colors available
Power over cable mounted, vertically or horizontally
Ma
Key Points on Ma
Extrusion body is 9” x 2” nominal
4’, 6’ 8’ 12’ Long
Warm Dim, Tunable White and RGBW available
Three Light outputs
960 lumens/ft
1321 lumens/ft
1800 lumens/ft
Black and White finishes standard, custom color available
Power over cable mounting
Ready for more? Head over to the Coronet website for cut sheets, and if you want to see samples, let me know.
HE Williams Just Made a 2” Downlight You’ll Love For You Commercial Projects
The 2” aperture has remained a tricky one to pull off. Generally, you’re either compromising performance or dealing with the added expense, which puts the fixture out of reach. With their new 2DR and 2AR series, HE Williams has tried to strike a balance.
This post includes a video, where I go through some of the basics surrounding the 2” series. These downlights are made right in the USA and are quick-ship ready. If you need samples to review or any other materials, let me know.
I’m not breaking any new ground telling you that apertures are getting smaller. The 2” aperture has remained a tricky one to pull off. Generally, you’re either compromising performance or dealing with the added expense, which puts the fixture out of reach. With their new 2DR and 2AR series, HE Williams has tried to strike a balance.
In this video, I will go through some of the basics surrounding the 2” series. These downlights are made right in the USA and are quick-ship ready. If you need samples to review or any other materials, let me know.
Williams organizes their cut sheets pretty specifically, so I would use the 2DR and 2AR pages to find what flavor you need (new construction, remodel, square, round, etc.). The main thing to be aware of when reading HE Williams cuts; the first page is only the tip of the iceberg. Yes, it’s enough to write a part number, but the good stuff is on the subsequent pages.
A couple of other things to note:
In the video, I say to “up to 1500 lumens.” That’s specifically for the adjustable. The downlight can get up to 2500 lumens.
The 8-degree super narrow spot is downlight only (for now).
The wall wash option is part of the downlight.
Both fixtures can be wet listed with a lensed trim.
Five Reasons It's Time to Look at Birchwood As You Go-To Linear Option
Birchwood has long been a leader in linear LED lighting; their ability to get modification and custom projects done is well know to lighting designers. Over the last two years, Birchwood has rebuilt it’s offering so they can be your day-to-day lighting company.
Birchwood is one of those companies that's deeply passionate about architectural lighting. There are lots of linear manufacturers out there who make the line of light, but few companies can produce custom projects and modifications the way Birchwood does. The Erika series of custom shapes, with so many impressive bespoke applications that Birchwood almost got pigeonholed as the"special" linear on the job. Often Birchwood gets overlooked for the more common types on a project.
BW165
BW165
The new 1.65" profile from Birchwood adds a small aperture form factor that had previously been missing. Bill and I will go through the specs and some of the performance features that put Birchwood squarely in the spec-grade category of linear.
Power Over Cable
Just some of the power of cable options
Let's be real; power-over-cable has been an option for many lighting manufacturers. Having the feature doesn't make Birchwood unique necessarily, but it does pull them into the conversation with other spec-grade linear lines that offer the feature.
Optics
This year Birchwood introduced some essential performance optics. Including a High-Efficiency lens, as well as Batwing, Asymmetric and Elliptical distributions.
Jake (recessed 3.25" and 2.25")
Collin (suspended direct/indirect 3.25" and 2.25")
Kelsey (surface or suspended rotatable 3.25" and 2.25")
10-Day shipping
This is probably the most critical shift for Birchwood in the last year. Speed of Shipping can make or break a project timeline, and too often, Birchwood could not be considered due to 4-6 week lead times. That's why I'm so excited about the rollout of 10-day shipping for the most popular Birchwood products.
Oh, and Custom
I know how I started this piece. But Birchwood hasn't lost its fastball when it comes to doing the unique things on a project. The team at Birchwood can handle both the standard linear products with 10-day shipping and the custom and modified products that require more design and fabrication time.
How ALW + BIOS Helps Illuminate The Soul
Throughout 2020, BIOS has partnered with many lighting manufacturers, but few align as well as ALW. With the mission to “illuminate the soul,” ALW is uniquely positioned to create healthier spaces by encouraging low glare, circadian lighting, and an acoustically calm environment.
If you've been following lighting news over the spring and summer, you've probably seen how BIOS has opened up partnerships with several lighting manufacturers. In general, I think this a good thing. The reality on most projects is they will be put out to bid, and if only one manufacturer offers BIOS as an option, it's not a "spec locker" but a VE target.
I can't speak to the strategy behind opening up BIOS to sp many lighting manufacturers. Still, I think that in terms of the real-world impact, it is much more likely to see BIOS get specified on projects.
So if so many manufacturers now have access to BIOS technology, why use one manufacturer over another?
ALW is on a mission to help designers create environments that speak to the whole person. Not only do they create beautiful light, but they do so in fantastic form factors. And beyond making beautiful shapes, they can also enhance the acoustic environment.
Bonus: What is BIOS and Skyblue with active dimming?
ALW's mission is to "Illuminate the Soul," and so partnering with BIOS makes sense. Fixtures that are interesting from a design perspective, acoustically and visually quiet and aid in circadian health check all the boxes in creating a lighting solution that's about much more than light.
Three Key Products from Senso
One of the first shed videos I did at the start of the COVID-19 shutdown was about Senso. After the acquisition by Luminii, I got to know this factory (which admittedly, I didn't know much about), and I was blown away by their capabilities. I've written about Senso before. I remain impressed by the quality of their product and their ability to adapt and modify products to meet the project's needs.
Leto 11
This versatile family of cylinders comes in a variety of sizes and mounts. With its various optics lumen outputs, it truly can become a design workhorse cylinder.
Artemis 3
The Artemis line uses the same faceted reflector as the Leto and creates very quiet ceilings by tucking the LED source deep within the aperture. This downlight family offers unique characteristics, including a 2500K option, up to 3000 lumens delivered, and honeycomb louvers. Taken with the Leto family, these can provide a and optically tranquil opportunity for conditions requiring a recessed option.
Dao
Dao is a recessed linear profile for drywall ceilings. It offers a couple of really nice design features, including the option for a black lens, tunable white and RGB color, and static CCT as low are 2200K. It's a stunning linear option with the potential to fit into the hospitality and residential markets easily.
Nine new reasons to look at Williams this season.
HE Williams is the biggest "little" factory in the lighting industry. When you think of an all-purpose lighting company, you probably think about an Acuity or a Signify. It's time to look at HE Williams for your everyday needs as well.
Williams is consistently adding to its product portfolio to keep up with design trends while bringing products to market that are aggressive on price and performance.
Over the last few months, Williams has introduced several new products that we'll discuss.
Solving Acoustical Challenges in Office Spaces with ALW Harmonics
In this interview with Cory Tysoe of ALW, I go through ALW's new Harmonics family. Acoustics became trendy for lighting manufacturers to talk toward the end of 2019 with various companies getting in the acoustic game. ALW didn't leap out in front, instead they methodically thought through how to make the best acoustical offering possible and that's how the ALW Acoustics line was born. In this video we talk through why ALW went all-in on acoustics as part of their credo to "Light the Soul." Then we go through the products ALW has included in their harmonics line.
Book a Presentation
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Get to Know Elliptipar's New Line up for 2020
Asymmetric lighting is both an art and a science and no one does it better than Elliptipar. Quietly, Elliptipar has been releasing a slew of new products with smaller form factors as well as full recessed (!) versions of their amazing wall washers. This collection of videos will take you through the new offering.
I recently got to sit down with the team from Elliptipar and talk about all of the new products for 2020. The webinar above is extensive, covering all of the new products and taking about 49 minutes. I’ve broken the webinar into bite size segments that cover specific products or concepts.
S104 and S170 <2MIN
Classic Elliptipar shapes for interior and exterior but with vastly improved performance.
S100 < 5min
The S100 is a small form factor linear wall and ceiling washer about the size of a quarter with remote drivers. It’s a sleek architectural form factor that delivers performance. You’ll want to watch this one to understand the visors, louvers and accessories.
S22x an S230 < 6min
Semi-recessed and now fully recessed wall washers from Elliptipar! If you’re interested in creating beautifully illuminated walls with minimal architectural impact, these recessed products will get it done. You'll want to watch this clip as we go through spacing and setback recommendations.
The Ensconce Series < 7min
This might be the most exciting development from Elliptipar in the last year. As optical options have improved long with chipset efficacy, Elliptipar has been able to create small form factor ceiling and wall wash fixtures called the Ensconce series. I know this is a longer clip, but I truly think these fixtures can find a place in many open plan offie environments as well as healthcare and educational facilities where softly lit ceilings with zero glare are desirable.
S410 < 3 min.
Finally, this one might be my personal favorite, mostly because I love big bright light fixtures. The S410 series was designed to make use of new LED technology to deliver Elliptipar level performance in large forma factors for asymmetrically lighting natatoriums, gymnasiums and atrium spaces. With tremendous efficacy these fixtures finally deliver not just the quantity of light but the optical performance necessary to beautifully light these spaces.
Bonus Video: Me in the shed with the S410…
Book a Presentation
Ready to learn more about any of the new TLQ products? Use the calendar below to book a product demonstration. When you do, you’ll get a free $20 Grubhub credit!
Coronet Launched Four New Products for 2020 - Here's the Run Down
Coronet is constantly innovating and creating exciting iterations on their existing products or whole new items meant to solve design problems. Above is the complete webinar which runs about 34 minutes. Below is each segment and new product.
LS2DL
Key points on LS2DL:
The modules are available as fixed downlights, adjustable or wall washers. The adjustable are available with 30 degree tilt and 360 degree rotation.
Beam spreads from 20 to 80 degrees.
Modules can be places anywhere within the run of LS2.
LS Curve
Key Points on the LS Curve
90 degree and 135 degree curves are standard and will hold to the 10 day lead time standard from Coronet. Other curves are possible, but they are custom bends and will increase lead time.
Recessed, Surface Mounted or Pendant with Direct/Indirect.
Joint
Key Points on Joint
The joint is a kit available for the Rush series. Its a simple kit of joiners that allows designers to create simple 2D and 3D patterns without the need for lit corners. Using the Joint kit keeps the lead time to the Coronet 10 day standard and substantially reduces cost.
Lucie
Key Points on Lucie
4’ x 8’ Luminous cloud (smaller sizes available as a modification)
12000-20,000 lumens
Only 3.4” tall!
Suspended, Surface Mounted or recessed into a grid or dry wall ceiling.
Book an Presentation
Ready to learn more about Coronet’s new products or anything else they are launching? Use the calendar below to book an appointment, when you do, you get a $20 Grubhub credit!
Meet the New Inter-Lux P20
Book a Presentation
Inter-Lux offers a variety of products beyond the P20 family. Book a virtual presentation so you can learn more. When you do, you’ll get a $20 Grubhub credit!
VIDEO: Get to know the Selux MRC Linear Wallwasher
In this quick demonstration Cynthia Turner of Selux takes us through the new MRC wall washer. The MRC builds on the M36 extrusion meaning it can be used in conjunction with all of Selux's existing optics in that line. In our video demo and with some still images, you'll see how well the fixture performs, recommended spacing, and how to specify patterns.