We nurture ambiances with smart lighting …
An ambiance is the coming together of different elements. In design we call it the GESTALT (wholeness) design approach. Often time it is also forgotten that good ambiance is a state of being and not just a state. Ever wondered what brings all these different elements together? What is that one common element that ties it all into a neat bouquet for you to enjoy its fragrance?
RELATIONSHIPS
How do things that come together hold more value than by themselves ? I think its simpler to understand this in terms of relationships. How one component relates to the other, how well does your furniture go with the light fixtures in that space? There is a ton of literature available about best space layouts and interplay of elements with shortest movement path (i still believe that the discovery of the work triangle in a kitchen is a fantastic achievement) in a space, i think the key thing is to keep different things in focus (at different times of the day) and really get down to tuning of these relationships from a point of view of the people inside them.
Is it a home? Are you living with your parents? Are you a newly married couple setting up a space? How comfortable are people in your home with technology?
Is it a Pub? What is the focal point of this public place? Do you intend for people to move in and out quickly or draw them in for a while and make them lounge?
Is it a workspace? What is the average age of the workforce? Is a lot of the work centered around a desk and a chair? What are the illumination standards that could be considered? Are you aware of opportunities in workspace lighting that have shown more than 20% growth in employee productivity?
Once we begin to understand that the real value is not just in things but in the things in-between, it almost feels criminal to think of lighting as an after-thought in a space. Lighting is the thread that binds the whole space together. Do you think its wise to think of the quality of mortar for your building blocks after setting up the bricks?
HOW WE DO THINGS…
At Rousing we love to explore this relationship between an ambiance and lighting. Good lighting is good ambiance. Ever walked into a space and felt “good” for no apparent reason at all but just because you were there? That’s the connect that the space has established with you just because during its design process, you were a central theme, and with your arrival it now feels complete! Lighting is that invisible thread that binds the space together with you in it.
We have a simple three step process when it comes to lighting design:
- Functional Needs — Why does something in a space exist and what is its primary function?
- Aesthetic Needs — What is the design style that we are going with?
- Play — Can we do some interesting play of light and shadows or something else that is unique to the space?
Just three questions. That’s all it takes for us to begin with a space. It might sound silly but we’ve seen things being ignored only because they were overlooked.
I always knew that lighting played an important role in setting an ambiance, but was surprised to learn about how important a role that was. More than half of a decision about how good an ambiance is, is affected by lighting. Makes our job as a lighting design company that much more crucial for an ambiance.
We are passionate about lighting and lighting design. Based on the needs of a space, we help you decide the amount of technology input needed. We have used bluetooth, wifi and zigbee based lighting products in our past projects and the results have been really great. If you’re setting up a new space or would just like to know how we could help you with your space (new or old) just give us a buzz…
Email — talktous@rousingdesigns.com
website — www.rousingdesigns.com
