IDS 360° Virtual Series: ANDlight

IDS 360°, presented by Volvo Cars Canada, is a new virtual series created by IDS in solidarity with the industry and designers we champion. Launched across all our platforms, it highlights handpicked, diverse brands with video Q+As, product launches, studio tours, and more. Not taking our voice and reach for granted, the national IDS platform is accessing individual designers, architects, and brands of all sizes to hear their visions, challenges, triumphs, and potential for a more thoughtful, more beautiful design practice, post-pandemic.

We are thrilled to continue the IDS 360° series with Vancouver-based ANDlight, a decorative luminaire design and manufacturer founded by Caine Heintzman, Lukas Peet and Matt Davis. We recently virtually met with Lukas and Caine to hear their thoughts on how evolving workplace structures have impacted their design process and how the relationship with our homes will affect design decisions in the future.

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LUKAS. 

Q: Have recent times and working from home had an effect on your perception of lighting design? Have you been inspired to design new products in a different way?

A: Working from home as many are familiar with by now has its positives and negatives, primarily the positives of the comforts from home, simplified routine, and familiarity of your surroundings while obviously being your space and not a shared space. These past months were the first I had spent working in my home throughout all aspects of the day. It took a few days to explore and rearrange some spaces and lights specifically to work for me which was interesting. 

Overall I feel my designs have always been comfortable in both residential, commercial, and hospitality environments. While I do have a selection of my designs at home it was the first time I was able to fully experience them at all aspects of the day within a residential setting, spending more time with them has been enjoyable as well as insightful for future works. 

Q: As more and more people will continue to work from home, does that perhaps open a door to a new need in terms of lighting? A new subcategory?

A: Yes, I feel there would be a greater need for decorative functional lighting that can work thought out the whole day and the changing lighting environment. Work well for spreadsheets and video calls with colleagues at the dining table in the morning and hosting a dinner in the evening.  As people explore their own spaces in new ways and find the area or areas that work best for their needs they will potentially require new forms of light or new demands from older typologies or even lights that they can take with them as they move about their space. 

Q: In your opinion what are the key components to a successful residential light fixture within the home? 

A: A unique creative expression in comparison to what is already offered to the market first and foremost; a collection of fixtures that could be used in various scales and ideally various locations of a residence, for instance, a complete collection of pendants, wall sconces, ceiling/surface mountable as well as table and floor options giving the client plenty of option. A fixture that is outspoken enough to stand on its own yet refined to work in multiples or multiple areas of the home without being overwhelming. 

Lastly, as with all ANDlight fixtures, we have a strong focus on functional lighting. We strongly believe in fixtures that can be used throughout the whole day through physical adjustment or dimming. 

Q: More generally, what do you try and accomplish in a product beyond illuminating a space?

A: A well-designed fixture needs to have the ability to alter and change the mood and use of a space at any moment.

Follow @lukas_peet to learn more.

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CAINE.

Q: Have recent times and working from home had an effect on your perception of lighting design? Have you been inspired to design new products in a different way?

A: Change of habit and environment evoked some questions about how these scenarios were playing out for myself and also other people.  My home studio work desk is adjacent to a big window — I found myself being very sensitive to how the qualities of natural day light change depending on time of day and weather, and how I would adjust to these variables as opposed to working with clock and in an environment with more artificial light.  In this mode I became aware that the light of day could be my daily timepiece, which obviously, feels quite natural.   This made me think about how different qualities of light affect our mood, alertness and productivity, and how these characteristics could possibly integrate with products in a beneficial way. 

Q: As more and more people will continue to work from home, does that perhaps open a door to a new need in terms of lighting? A new subcategory?

A: With the notion of ‘live/work’ comes the need for spatial flexibility — a dinner table also as a work table; as well as lighting which can be dynamic and purposed for various uses.   Fortunately, the approach we often take in our design towards lighting with ANDlight is that it must be functional in both commercial and residential spaces.  Commercial spaces drive rigorous requirements for light output, quality, and controllability — technical needs which we work hard to satisfy.  Residential decorative lighting demands an interesting and provocative aesthetic on top of being functionally sound.  By merging and balancing the two needs we can provide something which is unique and useful in a plethora of spaces.  I’m not sure if a new category or typology will emerge, however I do feel that there is need to constantly improve the functionality of these objects.

Q: In your opinion what are the key components to a successful residential light fixture within the home? 

A: Concept, adequate and high-quality illumination, controllability, and aesthetic.  There are ingenious ways to incorporate concept, function, and aesthetic through material, and process — The synthesis and refining of all of the above is what will potentially become a successful luminaire.

Q: More generally, what do you try and accomplish in a product beyond illuminating a space?

A: It is interesting to create an impact, or simply leave a remarkable impression on someone.  Fortunately, light is the original dramatic element.  This really helps make things pop when attempting to create an object which stands out.

Follow @cheintzman to learn more.

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About ANDlight

ANDlight, decorative luminaire design and manufacturer.

Born from a desire to produce functional lighting, luminaire design and manufacturer ANDlight aims to create honest products. With an authentic approach to the design process, the production, and the way of conducting business, ANDlight has established itself as a brand with substance since its launch in 2014.

“We like to consider adaptability in all aspects of a design. We work hard to develop luminaires that offer diversity in form and finish in order to fulfill the widest range of applications. We believe that elements of flexibility can improve the quality of a product.”

Versatility is key to ANDlight’s product line. It proposes approachable products that are timeless in form and reliability, refined in aesthetics, and that fulfil a wide range of applications. Upholding ANDlight’s technical know-how, its award-winning products rise to meet and exceed highly complex and demanding functional requirements across commercial and residential projects.

Furthermore, ANDlight focusses on creating luminaires with an efficient and functional light source with a low energy draw. ANDlight’s luminaires are dimmable— the output needs to vary within different environments to best suit the mood of a space, or recast light in one same space throughout the day.

ANDlight’s luminaire are assembled in Vancouver, Canada.

To learn more visit ANDlight.ca and follow along on Instagram @AND_light