The winners of the 2019 Surface Design Awards have been announced, hailing the best and most impressive use of materials in, and on, architectural projects from around the globe.

The beautiful new Maggie’s Centre Barts, London has been declared the Supreme Winner, capturing the judge’s hearts and minds. A beacon of design in the charity sector, the building by Steven Holl Architects’ was shortlisted in the Public Building Exterior category, gaining acclaim from the judges, including Christophe Egret, who stated “You really feel that a person dealing with cancer might feel elevated in this space”.

Across 13 categories entrants to the Awards comprised a who’s-who in architecture and design from around the world. Zaha Hadid Architects, Steven Holl Architects, Studio Egret West and Chris Dyson Architects from the UK, Rockwell Group from the USA, and Kengo Kuma & Associates from Japan were among the shortlist.

The Surface Design Awards, announced at the annual Surface Design Show, recognise and celebrate the best use of innovative surface materials in architecture and design internationally.

Launched five years ago, the Awards have grown year-on-year to become one of the most respected accolades in the design awards realm. The 2019 shortlist consisted of an impressive 43 projects from 9 countries, each entry an exemplary example of creative and innovative use of materials and lighting in both interior and exterior schemes. Some projects won nominations across several categories, resulting in 48 finalists.

The 2019 judging panel was co-chaired by Christophe Egret, Founding Partner at Studio Egret West, and Paul Priestman, Chairman at PriestmanGoode. The full panel comprised Cany Ash, Partner at Ash Sakula Architects; James Soane, Director at Project Orange architecture & interior design; Jeremy Offer, Chief Creative Officer at future-focused vehicle designers Arrival; Katie Greenyer, Creative Talent & Network Director at Pentland Group; Paul Edwards, Head of Creative Design at Airbus and Roz Barr, Director of Roz Barr Architects.

The Surface Design Awards 2019 winners in full (Project, Country, Designer):

Retail Interior – Aesop Flagship Store, United Kingdom, Snohetta
Retail Exterior – Lava Stone Shopfront, United Kingdom, STAC Architecture
Public Building Interior – Writ in Water, United Kingdom, Studio Octopi with Mark Wallinger
Public Building Exterior – Maggie’s Centre St Barts, United Kingdom, Steven Holl Architects
Commercial Interior – The Veil, United Kingdom, Giles Miller Studio & Orms
Commercial Exterior – Morpheus Hotel, China, Zaha Hadid Architects/Isometrix Lighting Design
Temporary Structure – TED Theatre, Canada, Rockwell Group
Sustainable Interior – SGS Berkeley Green, United Kingdom, Hewitt Studios
Sustainable Exterior – Cultural Village, United States of America, Kengo Kuma & Associates
Light & Surface Interior –
Gymbox, United Kingdom, Lightivity Lighting Design
Morpheus Hotel Atrium China Zaha Hadid Architects/Isometrix Lighting Design
Light & Surface Exterior –
Black Prince Road, United Kingdom, Michael Grubb Studio
Story Wall, Sweden, ÅF Lighting
Housing Interior – Powis Cloud, United Kingdom, Lily Jencks Studio
Housing Exterior – Fijal House, United Kingdom, Mole Architects

The 2019 Awards are sponsored by Business Design Centre, James Latham, FINSA, Soluis,Armourcoat, Roof Maker and The Specifiers Guide.

Above: Maggie’s St Barts.

Expanding UK event hire & production company, Colour Sound Experiment has invested in Chroma-Q®’s award-winning Space Force™ and Color Force II 72™ premium performance LED fixtures, to provide its Film, Entertainment and Live Events clients with the very latest innovations in creative lighting.
Purchased primarily for its Film/Broadcast, Photography and Corporate clients, the Chroma-Q Space Force LED soft light has also proven itself on some of Colour Sound’s entertainment projects due to its extremely high quality, variable white light.

Colour Sound Managing Director, Haydn Cruickshank commented “Recently we’ve had more and more requests for a versatile white space light, and the Space Force has really helped us to fill that gap. As an LED fixture, its cool running and no fans means no noise, which makes it perfect for the demands of Film and Production work. Also, its range of colour tones is a real strength for any lighting application.”

The Space Force fixtures were recently utilised on prestigious Esports competitive gaming tournament, FACEIT Major London 2018. Designed by LD and Production Manager, Simon Barrington, the competition culminated in a live final at the SSE Arena, Wembley in front of 10,000 fans and a global TV audience of millions.

Haydn has also been impressed with the Chroma-Q Color Force II 72 LED batten, cyc and washlight, which Colour Sound invested in last year to bolster its stock of the original Color Force 72™ fixture.

He commented: “Although our Color Force battens have been a fantastic product and are still for hire after many years of regular use, with the technology moving on we decided it was time to upgrade to the Color Force II.

Like its predecessor it has, in my opinion, significantly raised the performance bar again for an LED alternative to traditional cyc, wash and effects lighting sources.”

Summarising the relationship with Chroma-Q, Haydn commented: “Colour Sound has been using Chroma-Q LED fixtures for more than a decade. With innovative products such as theirs, we’ve built up an extremely strong offering for entertainment lighting over the years, and we have now expanded into our fourth warehouse this year.”

All of Colour Sound’s Chroma-Q fixtures have been supplied by UK distributor, A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd.

Haydn commented: “A.C.’s people are an absolute pleasure to work with. Their customer service is second to none. It’s not just that they’re friendly. The company invests in its people so that they’re knowledgeable too, and that’s a real benefit when needing a quick answer in this pressured industry.”

Image: Colour Sound Experiment MD Haydn Cruickshank with Space Force and Color Force II 72 Below.

SIXTY82, ‘The New Original’ manufacturer of next-generation trussing and staging systems, has expanded its global distribution network with the appointment of Electro Waves Oy as its exclusive distributor for Finland and Sweden, effective immediately.

Electro Waves is a company that has positioned itself as one of the leaders in audio-visual technology, digital signage, and water technology. They offer first-class solutions and bold innovations to their extensive customer network.

“We are very happy with our newly formed partnership with Electro Waves,” says SIXTY82 CEO Fokko Smeding. “It will help strengthen market synergy for SIXTY82 as it creates a solid foundation to penetrate the Scandinavian market.”

SIXTY82 Executive Account Manager, Date Jonkman continues: “Electro Waves is a highly regarded and well-renowned distributor in the trussing and staging industry. Their team is well experienced and, with their expertise and support, we are confident that, together, we can create something special.”

Electro Waves’ knowledge of the market will be invaluable in supporting SIXTY82 to provide Scandinavian customers with suitable solutions to their requests and a service that is second to none. The appointment will leverage SIXTY82’s extensive product range to address the Scandinavian market. 

Miko Nurkki, CEO of Electro Waves, comments: “In order to offer our customers holistic, quality solutions, we have gathered the best partners around us – SIXTY82 shares our passion as innovative forerunners and as professionals implementing unique solutions in an ever-changing world. They are a highly versatile, progressive and innovative manufacturer with a big future. So we are proud to be able to use our expertise to put them on the Scandinavian map”. 

Headquartered in Drachten, SIXTY82 has every component required to change the way that lightweight structural systems are used. With over 100 years of experience in the entertainment industry, the team of sixty82 is able to provide the growing demand for craftmanship and technical know-how. They are committed to the continuation of innovative means of improving product and service, driven by a passion for their craft, to ensure their customers can continue to build incredible stuff.

Photo: Right to left – Date Jonkman, executive account manager at SIXTY82, with Miko Nurkki, CEO of Electro Waves and his wife Eija Nurkki, CFO at Electro Waves

In the pink shirt – Andres Chamorro, blue jacket, black shirt – Guillermo Traverso, Robe’s Regional Sales Manager for Latin America, black jacket, blue shirt and sunnies is Harry von den Stemmen, Robe’s Sales Director, blue jacket, light blue shirt is Camilo Aranguren, MD of AV Com Colombia, Robe’s Colombian distributor. 

The Colombian entertainment technology and production industry is full of colourful personalities, and one of those is Andres Chamorro, entrepreneur event producer who has been an industry trailblazer for 25 years!

His very successful rental company is Chamorro Iluminación and his most recent ventures include opening two major live event venues – both called Chamorro City Hall – one in his hometown, the bustling metropolis of Bogota and another identical space in the vibrant commercial hub of second city Medellin.

Andres has invested in Robe moving lights to ensure that clients can receive the best and most comprehensive lighting packages when they are utilising these landmark venues which are unique in Colombia.

The 4000 capacity Bogota Chamorro City Hall is located in the north of the city and it’s already been a huge hit; an open space offering a full production set up – staging, lighting, sound, video, rigging, etc – tailored to each client’s needs, be it a band, a corporate entity or a private individual.

He’d been considering the venue venture for around 10 years, and finally the time was right to go ahead. It is a totally unique concept in Colombia, and the premium specification includes full dressing and green room facilities; office spaces with complete IT infrastructure for production and event management; lots of space for parking and unloading trucks and other vehicles; good weight loadings in the roof and plenty of power, etc.

The City Hall venues are acoustically treated for noise containment as they are both in residential areas and artists can have identical technical production for two locations, so they can easily do double shows.

The City Halls now represent around 20% of the income from Andres’ various commercial ventures, and they are a big hit with music promoters and event planners alike.

He originally started buying Robe products around 5 years ago when the Pointe was launched, and that was in fact the first time the brand made any substantial impact in Colombia.

“When I originally saw Robe, it was at trade shows in the US and Europe and I immediately recognised the quality”, he explained. He also started seeing the evolution and the way that Robe was moving in terms of product development.

He says with one of his characteristic cheeky smiles, “…even back then I told the competition – whose moving lights he had in stock – that they were falling behind!”

Andres is very influential in Colombia.

Many others in the industry will look at what he and his companies are doing and follow, and this was important for Robe’s growth in the country as he had around 500 competitor fixtures at the time he first noticed Robe, so it wasn’t like he was under pressure to change.

When that time came, “it wasn’t price driven, it was because I wanted to offer my customers something different and more exciting” he says.

The first purchase was for 40 Pointes… and he’s not looked back.

He followed up more recently with a purchase of Spiiders, and “the Chamorro effect” as it’s known has almost certainly had some influence; the last two years has seen a dramatic increase in business for Robe in this vibrant and emerging market. This trend has also been aided by the appointment of Bogota based AVcom Colombia as a distributor in 2016.

Andres likes the multi functionality of the most recent Robe products – BMFL, Pointe, Spiider, MegaPointe, and the fact you can do a lot with less actual fixtures, and because they are appropriate for so many different sectors.

Their Robe fixtures are used extensively in the TV work they service including high profile shows like the Nickelodeon Awards which have been staged for the last two years in the Bogota City Hall. “All the big shows and productions love using Robe” he stated.

He also noticed that lighting designers and directors were always happy to accept Robe when it was offered.

Chamorro Illuminacion is involved in TV and corporate work plus a lot of music events and the company’s distinctive yellow livery on trucks, flightcases and T-shirts can be regularly spotted working hard all over Colombia.

Photos by Louise Stickland

Undertaking an upgrade programme of 22,350 social housing properties is no mean feat and when it came to selecting new bulkhead lighting solutions for the residential buildings, Edinburgh Council needed to bear in mind the cost, performance and the time required to install the products. There was the added concern of the new lower communal ceiling height that had resulted from the thermal insulation renovation, which meant the need to search for an alternative fitting was looking likely. However, EVO`s unique ability to be recessed via removal of the mounting skirt meant it was the perfection solution, enabling the installation to go smoothly, with the fitting utilised in a greatly reduced vertical space.

Having looked at various products on the market, Scolmore’s Inceptor EVO standard bulkhead was selected, because, according to the council’s electrical and design teams, it provided an overall solution that no other competitor product could offer. The ability to remove the surface mount adaptor ring means that the fitting can be easily semi-recessed to overcome the problem of low ceilings and size of the fitting. Ease of installation, as well as cost and performance of the bulkheads were also cited as crucial for the project and they are now being installed in all the kitchens and bathrooms in the properties being renovated.

The emergency and microwave sensor versions of the EVO bulkhead are, at the same time, being installed in the communal areas of the two, multi-storey dwellings that make up part of Edinburgh Council’s social housing stock.  These EVO bulkheads offer a 3-hour emergency function in the event of a power failure, and feature a microwave sensor with 8 second to minute adjustment.  Their IP65 rating, robust housing and anti-tamper screws were also key features when the council’s electrical team leader was selecting these products.

As part of the renovation programme, the council is also upgrading the switches and sockets and has opted for Scolmore’s Mode range of electrical accessories to provide a highly cost-efficient replacement solution for all rooms and areas of the residential properties.   As well as offering exceptional value, Mode is a high quality, contemporary range that offers flexibility.  All Mode products are Antimicrobial Certified and are covered by Scolmore’s 20-year guarantee against any fault in materials or manufacture.

Edinburgh Council is aiming to complete between 1500 and 2000 property upgrades per year over the next 10 years or so and Scolmore is working in close partnership with the team to ensure the procurement and installation of the products is a smooth and efficient process.

Solution powered by the Microsoft Azure cloud platform enables cities to take control of their urban data assets with streetlight-based multi-sensor pods

Telensa today announced the Urban Data Project. Telensa has built a solution powered by the Microsoft Azure cloud platform that creates a trust infrastructure for urban data, one that enables cities to collect, protect and use their data for the benefit of all citizens. The first deployment will be in Cambridge in the UK.

Urban data is the mosaic of street-by-street, minute-by-minute information that makes up a city’s digital twin. It includes mapping how people use the city, the mix of traffic on the roads, the hyper-local air quality and noise levels. This data is incredibly valuable for designing better city infrastructure, delivering more efficient city services, and making everything more transparent to empower citizens. It is also potentially valuable to industries such as retail, real estate and insurance.

The use of urban data has been limited by two barriers. The first is the cost of single-purpose sensors, and the related cost of moving video data to the cloud. The second has been one of trust – how can a city’s Chief Data Officer apply best-practice policies to the data, and provide transparency to citizens on how that data is protected and used.

There are two key technology elements to the Urban Data Project:

• Data is collected by Telensa Multi-Sensor Pods installed on streetlight poles, with sensors including video and radar feeding into a powerful edge compute platform. The pods run on Microsoft Azure IoT Edge and feature real-time AI and machine learning to extract insights from the raw data.

• Data from the pods is combined with other city data in the City Data Guardian. This is the trust platform, built on Microsoft Azure, that enables cities to apply privacy policies, comply with data regulations, and make data available to improve services and drive future city revenues.

Following intensive product development during 2018, the first deployment is scheduled to take place in Cambridge in March.

Claire Ruskin, Executive Board Member for the Greater Cambridge Partnership and CEO of Cambridge Network, said: “Cambridge has pioneered a number of smart technologies, collaborating between the city’s world class academic and commercial R&D organisations and the local authorities. The Greater Cambridge Partnership has funded ‘Smart Cambridge’ to see how data supports activities that help to make Greater Cambridge even better to live and work in. The Urban Data Project is part of this innovative approach, helping to create a comprehensive ‘digital twin’, and providing the tools to use the data responsibly with policies that are transparent to our residents. Telensa is a world-class company based in Cambridge and we are very pleased to be able to assess the real use of IoT technology.”

Will Franks, CEO of Telensa, said: “We’ve been busy working with cities for the past ten years, making millions of streetlights smart and turning light poles into sensor hubs. But for us it was always about data, and finding an economic way for cities to take control of their urban data assets. We’re delighted to be working with the vision of Smart Cambridge, the innovation of Microsoft IoT and the power and reach of the Microsoft Azure family to make it happen.”

Bert Van Hoof, Partner Group Program Manager, Azure IoT, Microsoft, said: “Microsoft is committed to supporting cities achieve their goals of sustainability, resiliency, and inclusivity through digital transformation – powered by IoT, cloud, AI and Edge technologies. With a shared value of providing infrastructure built on trust, that enables cities to take control of their data strategy, working with Telensa on the Urban Data Project was a natural fit.”

Recolight, the WEEE compliance scheme, is pleased to announce the appointment of Glenn Christie from Tungsram Lighting to the Recolight Board.

Glenn, a Product Line Leader for lamps and drivers at Tungsram, brings with him 15 years of experience working in the electrical and electronic manufacturing sector.

On joining the Recolight board Glen said:

“With the introduction of WEEE Open Scope, I join Recolight in exciting times.  Scheme membership is increasing, and there is a great team of dedicated staff.  I look forward to working with the board as the business continues to grow.”

Commenting on the news, Recolight Chief Executive, Nigel Harvey said:

“We are delighted that Glenn is joining our Board.  His knowledge of the lighting sector will be a significant helps as Recolight’s strategy continues to evolve.”

Lighting control pioneer Lutron Electronics is demonstrating its continued investment in the European market at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) tradeshow (Stand 5-R80) in Amsterdam. The company is showcasing a range of its latest innovations in lighting and blind control for European professionals and consumers.

According to a recent report by Statista, smart home product penetration in Europe is expected to rise to 24.6 per cent by 2023, up from 9.3 per cent in 2018. This presents a great opportunity for Lutron installers to grow their smart lighting and blinds control businesses as more people seek to invest in smart home technology.

“At Lutron we are committed to expanding our offerings in Europe to meet market demand,” said David Ribbons, Senior Director of Sales, Europe and Africa at Lutron. “ISE is the ideal platform for us to reaffirm our commitment to European installers, electrical engineers and integrators, and provide them with a range of high-quality solutions for the commercial, hospitality and residential sectors.”

“We believe that people are more productive, comfortable, secure and happy when they are working, studying or living in the right environment. Our innovative solutions on display are designed to provide complete control and convenience to the end-user, through intuitive and intelligent technologies,” concluded Ribbons.

To illustrate this commitment, Lutron is demonstrating the latest in lighting, blind and temperature control solutions for commercial, residential and hospitality applications, including:

• Vive Wireless Lighting Control – VIVE is a simple,  scalable, wireless lighting control system for new and existing commercial buildings. With installation times up to 70 per cent faster than traditional wired systems, Vive reduces overall installation costs and minimises downtime and disruption. This allows more users to easily realise their energy saving goals and manage their space with Vive’s intuitive user interface. Vive is ideal for commercial office and educational spaces with options that specifically suit the unique needs of each space.

·         RA2 Select – RA2 Select is a new range of wireless whole-home lighting controls, allowing personalised lighting and blind control for any home and any budget. The easily retro-fittable components open smart-home opportunities to more installers responding for demand from users for more convenience, comfort and reliability. IoT integration, geo-fencing, and “smart-away” automatic-timed lighting features are now easy to deploy, alongside scene-setting from elegant engraved keypads. An app allows the homeowner to monitor and adjust lights and blinds on their smart device, even when they are away from home, using the optional free cloud service.

·         Palladiom Shading System – Palladiom is an all-new shading solution that features highly-crafted exposed hardware for the world’s most exquisite homes. This new aesthetically-driven system offers industry-leading shading performance and reliability, plus seamless integration with Lutron products and other third-party products. It creates an immersive light, blind and temperature control experience. 

• Alena drapery track with ripplefold – In order to help hospitality specifiers achieve the desired soft fabric aesthetic of their choice, the Alena drapery track, featuring pull-to-start,  is now offered in the ripplefold style, adding to the existing pinchpleat version with multiple options for fullness.

Sam Woodward, Customer Education Leader, Europe and Africa at Lutron, will also be delivering a series of presentations during the show:

Classroom Training Sessions:

Feb. 6^th, 11:30am – 1pm, Room 203: Lighting Controls – Embracing Emerging Trends (90 min)

Feb. 7^th,  9:30am – 1pm, Room 202: Advanced Lighting Design for Cinema Designers (3hrs)

Feb. 7^th,  2:00pm – 5:30pm: Room 203, Technology, Consumer Trends & Business Strategy Workshop (presenting as part of the CEDIA Tech Council team) (3.5 hrs)

CEDIA Booth Talks at 1-E20:

Feb. 5^th,  11am: “What’s so Human Centric about Human Centric Lighting?”

Feb. 6^th,  4pm: “From Fire to Photons – the evolution of lighting from filament lamps to LEDs”

About Lutron Electronics (lutron.com/europe, @Lutron_EU)

Founded in 1961, Lutron Electronics is headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. The company designs and manufactures more than 15,000 energy-saving products, which are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. In the U.S. alone, Lutron products save an estimated 10 billion kWh of electricity, or approximately $1 billion in utility costs per year. The company’s early inventions — including the company’s first dimmer design — are now at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Outside the U.S., notable installations include St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Wimbledon Centre Court, and the Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao).

Lutron, Vive, RA2 Select and Palladiom are trademarks of Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Below: Vive wireless lighting control.

Results from a pan-European survey reveal that current lighting in the workplace is not satisfying end-users and their needs, while at the same time it has a big impact on productivity and human wellbeing.

The survey, conducted as part of the Repro-light project, engaged with 1100 workers across Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria. Participants were asked to consider their working environment’s lighting and what changes they would like to see that could improve their productivity, mood, and performance.

56% of end users said they would like the better work place lighting. An astonishingly high level as workspace lighting should follow a strict lighting design code (e.g. EN. 12464-1), which guarantees, for instance, that a certain level of brightness is reached in a workplace. The survey showed, that the individual requirements for the lighting differ, showing that personalisable lighting is needed to satisfy all the users.

The results go to show that women significantly more often encouraged an improvement in workplace lighting, and the workers over 50 showed a greater desire for improvement of work place lighting. It is not only the need for improved light, over 50% said that the physical luminaire aesthetics where important to them, especially workers under 30. 80% of those questioned would like to have workplace lighting which automatically adapts to personal needs, with over 75% wanting their work light to change colour when it turns dark outside.

All of these factors play a role in the greater impact of lighting on the workforce of Europe, and not surprisingly over 90% of those asked said they believe their work lighting can impact their mood, 87% said it affects their performance, and 92% said it influence their vigilance in the work place.

As part of the Repro-light project’s first phase the survey, conducted by consortium members Bartenbach GmbH and Mondragon University, set out to investigate what end users really want in their workplace lighting in order to develop a user-centric lighting design solution for the future.

The result came back to prove that change is required in the working environments, both industrial spaces and in offices, and that people are now ready for the next large steps in lighting transformation. They are demanding personalisation, automation and adjustability to match their requirement and, most importantly, to boost productivity and general wellbeing.

The Repro-light project, as part of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 work programme, will now be moving into the next phases of investigation and design iteration to develop a ‘Luminaire of the Future’ that will endeavour to meet all the user needs discovered in this recent survey.

The full report can be downloaded from the Repro-light website https://www.repro-light.eu/downloads

To sign up for updates on the project, and for more information about Repro-light please visit the website www.repro-light.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 768780.