We are looking for a technical support person with strong AGI and AutoCAD skills. Revit and Adobe suite skills would be advantageous.

You will be based in our Melbourne studio working on some of our fabulous projects which range from hospitality and gaming through to retail, high-end residential and university projects.

This position will not be advertised conventionally – we are looking for someone who follows us through our blog and social media channels and hence is in tune with who we are and what we’re all about. For background reading see our facebook and twitter pages.

Does this sound like the job for you? If so please email our practice manager Elisha Howard elisha (at) electrolight.com.au with a cover letter telling us all about yourself and a CV and folio.

Multi-award winning Lighting Designer Donn Salisbury has been appointed Director of the new Electrolight Sydney studio. Joining Donn is on-the-rise lighting designer Ryan Shamier.

Electrolight’s founding director Paul Beale said “I have been asked countless times when we will open a Sydney studio to build on the successful projects such as Westfield Sydney, Sneakerology and The Star Casino. In Donn and Ryan we have the perfect blend of creativity, experience and leadership and I’m proud to now be able to say “we’re open for business”.

Donn and Ryan have worked together since 2010 at WSP and bring with them an extensive repertoire of project and industry achievements. Donn and Ryan, as part of WSP’s team, were instrumental in designing signature projects such as  One Shelley Street KSW and the enchanting Museum of Old and New Art which recently received the IESANZ Vic/Tas Award of Excellence.

Ryan

Donn

The Shed Light Project is an initiative where designers were invited to design – and build – a shelter within Fed Square’s amazing plaza for the duration of the Light in Winter festival. The shelters will all feature light in an interesting way and reference the theme of the festival which is ‘the written word’.

We have been given a sneak peak of Di Mase Architects’ submission which promises to be beautiful – enjoy.

In April 2012, reflector lamps over 37W will be phased out by the Australian Government. Below is an article our director Paul Beale wrote on the subject for Engineers Australia magazine.

Dear Dichroic,

I am saddened at the news of your impending demise. You have been part of my life for such a long time it’s almost unimaginable to think of a future without you. But maybe the time’s right because for a while, I’m afraid, things haven’t been the same between us. It’s always hard when you realise that a love affair is over.

But we have had some good times along the way, didn’t we? Before you came along all we had were warm and fuzzy lamps and fixtures that cast their light everywhere; where you want it and where you didn’t. Our shops were lit with fluoros and it was all a bit safe, all a bit boring. Then you came into our lives and you changed everything. There you were, with your precision beams of various angles, a wide range of wattages and all in the sexiest little package. I remember marveling at the little facets that combined to produce your wonderfully precise beam. I hadn’t seen anything quite like it before and I must admit I was enchanted. Overnight, you became the darling of the architectural lighting world.

Didn’t we have some fun together? I’ll never forget how you grazed light down the walls of Bistro Guillaume in such a delightful way. Nor the revelation of the depth of colour in the timber walls at Perth Theatre. You can rest assured that your LED and fluorescent successors won’t be able to match the beauty we created in these spaces.

Nothing good lasts forever, I understand that, and to be honest the cracks started to appear some time ago. Your popularity became your downfall. While the ‘Big 3’ (Osram, Philips and GE) were manufacturing good quality dichroics, a whole host of other, less conscientious manufacturers got in on the act and the the market (and most supermarkets) became awash with your poor quality cousins. I’m sure I’m not the only one to have felt let down by stryated beams and unacceptable efficacy.

When the developers saw you as a cheap way of providing ‘architectural’ lighting in their McMansions the writing was on the wall. In the suburbs people were buying houses with dozens upon dozens of $12 downlights complete with Chinese made 50W dichroic lamps. Not only were the resulting lit environments a crime against aesthetics and functionality, the owners were faced with exorbitant electricity bills. Something had to change and you were the fall guy.

Don’t worry about us, the ones you’ve left behind. We have some great alternatives. We have our cute little CFLs. Yes I know they are expensive, have a worrying 5mg of mercury per lamp, produce cold, flat and unnatural light which can’t be easily dimmed. But hey, they last longer and produce more light per Watt so that’s alright. And we also have LED. At $60 for a decent replacement for a $5 50W dichroic they can seem expensive. In fact, considering they have inferior colour rendering and a whirring on-board electric fan to keep them cool, I would go as far as saying they are expensive, period. Despite claims of 50,000 hour life, you won’t see many warranties beyond 3 years. But there you go, them’s the breaks.

So please rest peacefully in the chandelier in the sky. You won’t be lonely there. Our old friend the GLS has been there a while now and you’ll soon be joined by PAR 38, PAR 30, R40 and any other lamps that are mass produced with low profit margins for the manufacturers. If form is anything to go by this will happen before you know it; in Australia we are truly world leaders in banning this kind of stuff. Don’t expect to see a ‘light bulb socialism’ movement like in the US where public pressure has led to a postponement of the phase-out of the GLS lamp.

Thanks for the memories.

Paul Beale, February 2012

The winner of the prize was Nick Stephenson (who also won LightCycle outright in 2007).  Since the competition, Dean and Nick have been collaborating, working together to figure out how to reproduce such a delicate and exquisite piece for inclusion in the 2012 Dean Phillips rage of products.  Dean sent through the below photos showing Nick and himself working on the project which involved a trip to visit a specialist workshop in country Victoria. We are not sure what the dog had to do with it but it looks like they were all having fun.  Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for the finished product to hit the Dean Phillips range later this year.

Nick Stephenson's winning entry

The art of making

Hi there down under. This is a zombie calling – just waking up from months of hibernating. Right now the world is bright. Not because of the long hours with sunlight, but because the sun is actually showing itself a little bit longer every day. And now, when everything is white, wrapped in pure snow, the eyes stings when faced with this unusual experience of brightness. Funny, how I forget this sudden abrupt pain every year.   Well, I do think this is the reason why Norwegians are so crazy about skiing. It is because we go out and drink light every February. The body, and mind I should add, is so starved, that it feels like taking a drug when you glide into Narnia in minus 10 Celsius.

Nothing makes me happier than the return of the daylight. Mind you, there are all kinds of light in the absence of the sun. The beautiful light is the natural cycles of blue hours, full moon and northern light. The northern Light is right now in a 11 year cycle peak with a lot of spectacular scenarios on the sky. This will happen for a few years, maybe even stronger next winter. So if you need a cooling experience next summer, take a trip to the north during January.  I am sure you will be tempted when you have checked out this link and this link.

The NOT so beautiful light is the artificial light in most of our urban spaces in Norway. I am not saying all, because there is some progression to notice. But not nearly as much as there should be in a country with such a long dark period. It is funny how we humans just accept how artificial lighting looks with very little ability to judge if it is good or bad. The human brain is simply not developed to consider the quality of the light that reveals our physical world. The brain needs to be trained in order to see what is the good quality and what is the poor. So this is what I do a lot during wintertime. I give lectures about the importance of master lighting plans. I feel like a religious preacher. And actually, quite a few are seeing the light, and are eager to start the work of city beautification with light.

I am a firm beliver in lighting masterplan for urban spaces. Only by better distribution of the light can we bring down the consumption of energy. When the whole scenario is addressed, perception of the overall picture can be improved. The darktime identity can be revealed. This means removing unnecessary blinding and glary sources that make the surroundings appear darker. It means making sure the users of the urban space is satisfied and feels safe? It means taking best advantage of the technology? It means preserving natural light and the cycle of it?

Another thing I am trying to salvage the Norwegians to try is a light festival during dark time. And this year things are starting to happen. This coming weekend is the Oslo Light Festival. Svolver is a small town up north in Lofoten and they will be arranging a festival next year.  All this is good news but there is a lot more salvation and teaching to be done. Norwegians are short sighted about the very special and beautiful natural light conditions of the arctic area. And they did not put the right glasses on in order to discover the great possibilities that artificial lighting design can offer. But one day maybe you Aussies will come to see both the natural and artificial light of the north. Meanwhile here are some photos of summer from the north and the winter in the south.

Kristin Bredal, Oslo, Norway 2011

Kristin Bredal is the design leader of Norwegian lighting design firm Zenisk

Early December afternoon in Oslo

Jostedal glacier, western Norway

Jostedal glacier, western Norway

Midnight summer sun, northern Norway

The Northern Lights, northern Norway

Brrrrr... winter in Oslo

The theme of the 2012 festival is ‘The Word’ – for more details and how to apply for the EOI click here.  Fed Square has pledged to  make a generous contribution towards the costs of constructing the sheds for the lucky entrants.  Get your skates on; EOIs close March 9.

Does this sound like the job for you? We hope so.  This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Australian design in one of the most interesting lighting festivals on the planet.

I have just returned from an interesting trip to Chicago to visit the IALD (I sit on the membership committee). I am very pleased to report that I find the IALD in very good shape, which represents good news for our profession.

IALD’s Executive Vice President Marsha Turner’s presence and contribution is now starting to show real results. Under her leadership and with the support of volunteer committees and the board of directors, the Association moves into the unchartered waters of credentialing, a move that could lead to an improved status for the lighting designers. See this link for an excellent article on the subject by IALD’s new President Kevin Theobald.

Mr Theobold started his presidency this year for a two year term. He is an independent sole practitioner from the UK with a long association with the IALD. Kevin promises to bring a fresh perspective and we will watch with interest how his term plays out; we wish him all the very best in his endeavours.

Meanwhile, look out for a reinvigorated IALD in 2012. Not only are there new (and very nicely lit) headquarters, but additional staff are also planned to bring improved member benefits and services.

Could it be you?

You will be based in our Melbourne studio working on some of our fabulous projects which range from hospitality and gaming through to retail, high-end residential and university projects. Oh, and a hospital as well.

This position will not be advertised conventionally – we are looking for someone who follows us through our blog and social media channels and hence is in tune with who we are and what we’re all about. For background reading see our facebook and twitter pages.

Who should apply? Firstly, you should be a lighting enthusiast. The sort of person who never stops looking at, thinking about and messing around with light. The sort of person who talks about lighting at parties. You’ll need to be friendly, open-minded, collaborative, flexible, creative and not take life too seriously.  You should also be a proficient, independent user of AutoCAD, Photoshop, Indesign and one of the lighting analysis programs (we use AGI 32). Having good sketching and 3D CAD (we use revit) skills would be good. You’ll probably have about 5 year’s experience in lighting design.

While there is room for flexibility from our end, we would envisage a period of employment initially for 6 months, based in our Melbourne studio. For international candidates we will assess the visa situation but would not foresee any issues (we have had 2 x guest designers from the UK previously). Ideally, we would like to appoint the successful candidate as soon as possible.

Does this sound like the job for you? If so please email our practice manager Elisha Howard elisha (at) electrolight.com.au with a cover letter telling us all about yourself and a CV and folio.

Community projects

2011 was by far our biggest year for community projects. In February we organised a fundraiser called Floodlight for victims if the QLD and VIC floods. We also got heavily involved with the Light in Winter festival at Fed Square, organising the Meaning of Light, Ready Steady Light and Fabulous Foyers and Facades. Then to cap it all off we orgaised another installment of LightCycle, a sustainable light fixture design competition as part of the State of Design Festival. These events we principally aimed at challenging people to think about light, perhaps in a different way and to continue the lighting conversation.

LightCycle 2011 opening party

Awards

We were very proud to collect a further 3 IESANZ design awards for Lonsdale Street, Victoria State Legislative Chamber and Westfield Sydney, bringing our practice’s tally to 14 gongs.

The lighting conversation

2011 saw us make a significant contribution to the online lighting conversation. We tweeted, we facebooked, we wrote blog posts, we asked and answered questions on LinkedIn. And we made some new friends in the process.

Our team

While it has been sad to bid farewell to some departing team members, in 2011 we were pleased to welcome some fabulous new faces to the team. We were joined by Jim Birch, Tina Atic and then Christopher Knowlton who all joined us for periods as a guest designer; all of whom made a significant contribution to our work and have provided new perspectives on our design thinking. We were also joined by Elisha Howard, our super practice manager.

Speaking engagements

Members of Electrolight’s team were invited to speak at a number of events in 2011. We gave papers at the Future of Light Summit in Melbourne as well as the PLDC conference in Madrid. In addition to that, our Dave Anderson co-organised the world’s first lighting Pecha Kucha which was incredibly well received.  Sharing ideas and hearing the ideas of others is a great source of inspiration for our practice.

We look forward to seeing what 2012 will bring.