The European design competition Lights of the Future at Light+Building, from 6 to 11 April 2008 in Frankfurt am Main, will honour energy-saving luminaires and energy-efficient lighting systems for both domestic and contract sectors. Ulrike Brandi, member of the jury for Lights of the Future, talks about the lighting of the future, trends in the world of lighting and her work as a lighting designer all over the world.
It is for the development of visionary luminaires with respect to energy efficiency that the Lights of the Future competition honours companies, designers and young, up-and-coming designers during Light+Building 2008. To take up the title of the competition: Ms. Brandi, what will the lighting of the future look like?
Luminaires of the future will give off natural daylight. And to that extent remain an illusion, as natural daylight can only ever be imitated. As a major proponent of natural daylight it is very important for me in my work to capture and channel natural daylight in our buildings in the best way we possibly can. Organic light emitting diodes (OLED) will be the light sources of the future, and the rich variety of lighting qualities will increase.
What trends in the field of lighting should be pursued further?
Energy saving bulbs and fluorescent bulbs should be developed further in the coming years. And discharge lamps, too, which function in a similar way to fluorescent lamps and are used in large buildings, have considerable potential.
The challenge of the competition is to link together technical innovation with outstanding design. – Hasn't the lighting industry resolved this antithesis a long time ago?
Yes, and it is precisely the European luminaires manufacturers who are taking the lead in combining technology and design with one another. In order to support this area further it is important to organise competitions like Lights of the Future in the coming years, too. An award like this offers companies and designers the opportunity to draw attention to the outstanding qualities of their products in their communication materials.
Why is Light+Building such a good platform for this kind of competition?
Light+Building has positioned itself as the biggest trade fair for lighting and building services engineering in the world. Nowhere else would the competition receive this degree of attention. The advantage of Light+Building is that it draws both technologists and designers together at a single trade fair. For to design really outstanding luminaires both sides need to work together and communicate with each other.
Why is lighting important in room design?
Light is of central importance when you are designing a room, since the lighting creates atmosphere, but if used wrongly, creates exactly the opposite effect. At all events, most of us are not consciously aware of the way in which lighting creates a pleasant or unpleasant ambience. Light is correctly used when it does not impose itself unduly. An additional important requirement of light is that it should help people to find their way around.
How much are you influenced in your job as a lighting planner by the issue of energy efficiency?
In my work, energy efficiency is quite an important aspect. Working from my own inner conviction to start with, I always take care, when I am designing a room, to try to achieve a big effect with a limited use of resources, that is to say with only a little light. That is where the art of lighting design lies. However, I do have to plan with energy efficiency in mind because of the specifications laid down by the building contractors. And thirdly, energy efficiency comes into play when we look at the heat that each light source generates. Too many powerful light sources demand higher specifications for air-conditioning units.
What do you find fascinating about light planning? What makes your work so interesting?
As a lighting designer I plan many different projects – from hospitals to airports and museums. In the end, my work covers all aspects of life. My job is also exciting, because I get to collaborate with interesting architects on complex buildings and because I get to know other cultures through my work worldwide.
Do you have to bear in mind individual cultural influences when you are involved in light planning – and, if so, what influence do they have on light planning?
Yes, the culture does influence light planning for buildings, as each culture has its own notion of what ‘perfect lighting' or just ‘pleasant lighting' is. In more northerly countries like Germany or Sweden, people prefer warm colours, whereas in countries that lie to the south people prefer a cooler light. The way light is used in China, for instance, is very different from the way it is used here in Germany. Over there, façades are illuminated as powerfully as possible, in order to demonstrate technological progress. One more difference: many Chinese that I have met prefer bright, light-flooded buildings, whereas my building contractors in Malaysia want only a little daylight to be allowed into the building, so that it doesn't heat up too much. It is precisely these cultural preferences and idiosyncrasies that make the job very enriching for me.
Outline CV of Ulrike Brandi:
- Born 1957 in Bad Bevensen
- Studied industrial design at the University of the Creative Arts in Hamburg.
- since 1986; Founder and Managing Director of Ulrike Brandi Licht GmbH, planning and advisory services for artificial and daylight in buildings and external areas
- since 1990 teaching post at the University of Düsseldorf Department of Architecture
- since1990 visiting lectureships at the University of Creative Arts, Braunschweig and at the University of Design, Linz, Department of Industrial Design
- www.ulrike-brandi.de
