MASTER THE POWERS OF LIGHT is an original method of lighting design imagined by ScenoLight Atelier breaking down our approach into five domains of expertise that guide us to master the light phenomenon and its powers applied to space.

The Powers of Light

We have defined five key powers of light that are always applied in space design, dim up and down to create the perfect balance or overlapping and variable in a space.

• FUNCTIONNALITY | The primary power of light is enabling legibility, for our safety in movements also our activities and tasks executions.

• ENHANCEMENT | We perceive our environment because there is light, a power applies to emphasis space and transform his appearance.

• COMFORT | Light impacts our mood and health, a power to control for adequate atmosphere while insuring our welfare and the environment preservation.

• ATTRACTIVITY | Light is the most powerful eye catcher, essential for communication and to be memorable yet iconic.

• EXPERIENCE | Light generates emotions and stimulates our imagination, a power used to convey stories and produce spectacular.

For this complex manipulation of the invisible we have created a range of creative and technical design pillars structured to control the light phenomenon and its powers.

The Light Phenomenon Unveiled

Lighting is one of the most fascinating phenomena known to humankind, playing a critical role in how we perceive and experience the world around us. As lighting designers this phenomenon is the backbone of our know-how.

But how this phenomenon exactly happens:

1. First a flux of energy is emitted from a powered system to spray into space, generally quantified at source in lumen.

2. Then the light waves impact matter, whose quantity is expressed in Lux / sqm, the illumination sequence.

3. Finally, these waves are reflected with alteration before being intercepted by our eyes, quantified in Candela this is the luminance sequence that activates our vision.

Major factors play a key role in how we perceive space: the lumen flux properties, the matter characteristics, and our vision abilities, so considering only Lux levels as targets is not sufficient. To truly capture the essence of space, we’ve developed an array of expertise that encompasses every aspect of the light phenomenon, and that guarantees accurate and creative lighting design for a lasting impact.

The Captivating Connection Between Lighting and Emotion

Since then, light is linked to our common culture and emotional memories, as dark represents unknown and fear, light shows us the way and it’s safe.

The scale of human emotion is large and diverse, from a subtle sensation to memorable impression. It requires a sensitive knowledge about the psychological role of light to translate a mood into spatial atmosphere, and a talent for narration to convey stories with light that we manage with our expertise in scenography.

Prioritizing Health Through Thoughtful Lighting

The rhythm of sunlight is crucial for the balance of our life and our natural environment, with tempos scheduled on the constant evolution of light directions, color temperature and intensity. However, when this rhythm is disrupted, negative consequences, even extinction, can occur.

Artificial light, when done right, can mimic the benefits of natural light through a circadian rhythm approach, with great applications in the fields of wellness. But light also has invisible wavelengths and can generate light pollution. That’s why it’s essential to design lighting systems carefully, minimizing harmful effects on both our bodies and the environment.

Our expertise in this field encompasses various aspects, including managing color temperature, reducing glare, controlling luminance levels, ensuring high-quality light sources, and implementing effective control systems. We stay abreast of scientific research and technological advancements to strike the perfect balance between human needs and preserving the beauty of the natural night sky – a mesmerizing expression of light that everyone should have the chance to experience.

Reveal the Matter with Light.

Our design approach merge light and matter, and the results are endless to reveal and transform our space perception: Play of colors, mirror effects, textures modeling, patterns projections, etc.

Lighting design mastering is then a lot about materials and color expertise, a combination of scientific knowledge and experimental process that allows us to push the limit of perfection to magnify space and generate wonder with the play of light.

Transforming Space Perception with Light

Our perception of space is shaped by the interplay of light and shadows. By understanding how light interacts with volumes, we have the ability to manipulate our perception of the world around us. To unlock the full potential of this dynamic duo, we’ve developed a three-step process.

First, we carefully sculpt the shadows and shades in a three-dimensional space, considering factors like illumination levels and light direction. Then, we strategically place the light source to achieve the desired effect, considering the unique characteristics of the space. Finally, we explore different approaches to integrating the lighting fixture itself, whether it’s hidden, seamlessly integrated, accentuated as a structural element, or used as an ornamental piece.

Merging light and space requires us to master both the intangible and tangible. Our expertise in architecture and scenography allows us to fully comprehend space and infuse theatrical illuminations effects, while our technical knowledge ensures precise and creative integration of light.

Light & Technology

The design Process.

We have established three big sequences that rhythm our design process and involvement in a project.

• The conceptual period first, from the context and program analysis till the approval of the strategy, the overall concept, and the budget target, in coordination with the other consultants with whom we link the overall nighttime experience from outdoor to indoor.

• Then the technical period elevates the project to details drawings and documentation, in coordination with the electrical engineer to power and control our system, and with the operator and investor regarding the selection of the lighting and control solution. The final documents are formatted as tender documentation.

• Finally, we ensure authorship supervision during the construction period, including shop drawings review and site visits at key stages. We also adjust the dimming schedules that will generate the lighting scenes, and we create original programming and media contents.

These three sequences can be divided up to a five phases mission, according to the scale and complexity of the project. We strongly advise involving us from concept till completion to ensure the reach of all project targets, and for the mastering of our art till the project is turn on!

Unlock the Powers of Light and Join us to Unleash Your Space’s Full Potential with ScenoLight Atelier

ScénoLight Atelier made a big impact at the recent Architect 23 event in Bangkok, Thailand. Our co-founder Cyril, along with SLA BKK
Director Mr. Gap, lighting designer Ms. Pute, and account manager Ms. Valerie welcomed hundreds of visitors to our booth to exchange ideas and discuss how we empower architectural projects with light.

At ScénoLight, we’re passionate about designing lighting systems that can transform spaces into something truly unique. Our creative
director Cyril expressed this sentiment, noting, “light plays an important role in any architectural project.” We’re proud to have showcased our
recent projects and demonstrated our commitment to innovative lighting schemes. By participating in Architect 23, we not only shared our expertise but also learned about exciting new lighting design trends and potential collaborations.

Join us in mastering the powers of light and let ScénoLight Atelier elevate your next project.

 

 

Cyril Lamy, our Creative Director, was invited to a meaningful seminar with the participation of the domestic and international Design Community in the VMARK Vietnam Design Week 2022, organized by the Design Association of Ho Chi Minh City (VDAS). The event took place at the most luxurious venue – HCMC GEM Center with great success. 

At VMARK Vietnam Design Week, Cyril and other speakers who are passionate and outstanding in Architect and Design had an opportunity to attend and share personal perspectives on the topic “Creative for Life”. The event also generated exciting activities and connections between large domestic and international businesses.

VMARK Vietnam Design Week 2022 welcomed a massive number of Architecture and Design enthusiasts, including University students, lecturers, and large domestic and international corporations. All of the missions of Architects and Designers are to add value to not only their clients but also to our lives, despite a variety of difficulties and challenges. As a result, the event was organized to contribute and strengthen Vietnam’s distinct conceptual identity, with the goal of ensuring that Vietnamese Design is recognized worldwide and sustainably developed.

SLA is grateful for the opportunity to attend a seminar of VDAS, where we were able to share our valuable design and architecture knowledge with other partnerships. We are looking forward to other related events that will cover a wide range of amazing and appealing topics, particularly in Lighting Design, which is our area of expertise; therefore, we will be able to share our comprehensive understanding and inspiration with anyone involved in lighting design, as this is not universally acknowledged in Vietnam.

The term Media façade has been used more and more in today’s world, it’s not only a stylistic feature anymore but an icon for the architecture itself. From the flashing illuminated advertising, Media façade is on the way to conversion and turned into a vast advertising medium, basically for sending messages. But the term Media façade is getting further nowadays with a more profound purpose rather than an advertising medium.

Architainment Media Façade

Imagine any glimpse of a moment from humans can create a different effect on the Media façade. Technically speaking, any impulses from the surrounding area are transmitted into computer-aid graphics, thanks to the sensors. Hence, the content of the Media façade is driven by the visitors. Interactive media façade was the work of lighting designers, architects, engineers, mathematicians, and programmers. Once the night comes, the building is alive, the light show becomes the main attraction. Media façade, in general, can evoke diverse emotions, a message can be impactful delivered, and buildings can be distinct from city light pollution. All of those elements well-combined together into a new wave of lighting design art form – Architainment media façade. Briefly, Architainment is still sharing the same purpose with the Media façade – sending information but in a more subtle way. The Architainment façade is more similar to art installation, making the building iconic. As you can imagine the sharp line between media façade becomes blurry, thanks to technology and lighting designers.

Our Concept

SLA Designers has developed an interesting architainment façade concept for a building located in Ho Chi Minh city. Based on the architectural philosophy of the building, a contemporary Japanese concept, we generated many forms, shapes, and patterns for the façade lighting layout which was inspired by east-Asian daily objects and design language.

Lastly, we installed sensors in the main lobby to detect any vibration in the frequency of sound, talking, chit-chatting, or basic noises would be beautifully visualized via our lighting façade design. Eventually, the façade would feature a colorful sound wave, and anyone who appeared in the surrounding would feel the liveliness inside the building. That is likely to enhance the lighting design more profoundly and poetically. In addition, implementing volume light on the rooftop can create more connection between rooftop light and façade lighting.

Besides the primary purpose of artificial light as it has been using nowadays for functional and security purposes, lighting also serves social and aesthetic functions by influencing how cities are used and perceived.
The urban perception after sunset is an important part of its character and take also a crucial role in tourism attraction. But to reach a level of global approach, the lighting master plan has to deal with multiple actors, private and governmental, which requires certain regulations not only technical, but also sensitive and creative. This approach has to takes into consideration the city landscape as a four dimensions public areas, the architectural structures at different space, which are the urban layout, literally the roads and scale, and the time, from the set to rise of the sun.

As creative lighting designers, we aim to think our projects with this global thinking, from the context analysis we extract the personality of the site that should be tells by night through a proper illumination, responding to the functional request with creative interpretation. To develop such lighting master plan we are used to work by layers of light, independently from the urban functions, but from a plastique point a of view, following four main approach: horizontals, vertical, landmarks and scenarios. Horizontal lighting give us a vision of the use of space. The lighting has brought by masts, bollards and trees are according to the traffic level and importance of the axis. Vertical lighting brings contrast and legibility at bigger scale to the urban landscape, some façades located on axis are then chosen to be light up because they are located on important sightlines and allow us to highlight some main crossroads and important activity zones. Landmarks lightings brings story in the nightscape, by generating breaks in terms of intensity, colors, or other lit effects, and also to create events.

Of course all this different layers have to be harmonized and in accordance with public safety, urban services as well as concern for consumption. But this functional aspect of the lighting should be forgotten from the user point of view, because the night ambient in our city are part of our culture, and lighting has big responsibility in the night environment sustainability.

Ha Long Premier Village Project

For this new urban area, SLA designers has been missioned to light the full urban areas, landscape and facades. First thing we had to consider is the position of the site on the sea side, it is why we proposed a global graduate illumination installation from the main road to the coast line, in order to avoid light pollution and to enjoy the stars sky. We also overlapped several horizontal layers, according to the different architectural styles of each zones, but still with a common logic, as a way to keep a general feeling of guidance and landmark. In terms of façade lighting, we chose to highlight the main roads façade with a strong reinforcement a the main gate. But inside the urban area, we selected only some facades because of their position and the visitor point of view. The general idea is to not overload the lighting, to generate contrast and maintain a graduation in the general illumination till very low luminance on the sea coast.

Writer: Phuc, Lighting Designer