The future development of society in both developed countries and emerging economies are closely tied up with the ability to effectively light cities, homes, schools and recreation areas. The latest report released by the International Energy Agency shows that lighting represents almost 20% of global electricity consumption.
To raise global awareness of how light-based technologies can provide sustainable solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light (IYL).
Thanks to its role as an official sponsor of the UNESCO IYL, Light Middle East 2015 is set to open with a greater global focus.
The lighting exhibition will take place from 6-8 October at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and is a sponsor for the IYL in the same year that marks the 1000th anniversary of the seven volume treatise on optics by Arab scientist Ibn al-Haytham.
Born in 968 in present day Iraq, Ibn al-Haytham was a pioneering scientific thinker who made important contributions to the understanding of vision, optics and light. His ideas influenced European scholars including those of the Renaissance.
“It’s a privilege for Light Middle East to partner with such an internationally significant occasion such as the UNESCO IYL, as we draw on Ibn al-Haytham’s example and shine new light on cooperation and sustainability,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Light Middle East.
According to Pauwels, there are several significant trends that are shaping the current lighting market.
He says: “The biggest trend is the ongoing shift toward more energy efficient and environmentally friendly lighting solutions, particularly in the GCC, where governments are leading the way with the implementation of LEED compliant and Green Building codes. This will increase demand for LEDs, which are now a driving force in architectural lighting in the Middle East. As a result, the regional market is becoming more and more important for Europe’s foremost lighting manufacturers.
“From a lighting design perspective, perhaps the most pleasing trend is that the market is now combining energy efficiency and environmental friendliness with aesthetics and as a result, there are some spectacular lighting projects in the region that are truly world-class.”
With lighting being such a significant part of the interior design sector, Commercial Interior Design speaks to lighting suppliers you should know.
Future Designs
Future Designs has become an industry expert in the commercial use of LED and is instrumental in advising consulting engineers, architects, designers and end-user clients about the advantages and benefits of LED commercial lighting solutions in aesthetic, environmental and financial areas.
The advent of LED within lighting fixtures represents a greater leap than that of moving from incandescent lamps to fluorescent in the 1950s and 60s. The reduction in carbon usage, not just in operating LED but in the manufacturing process and disposing of the used components, will play a major part in this over the years to come.
As a progressive organisation, Future Designs has taken a more watchful and diligent approach to its research and development programmes. The business has partnered with Osram, Tridonic and Philips, three of the biggest component providers in the world, to test and develop products. Future Design aims to ensure its LED portfolio of products meets and surpasses industry standards and has the required after sales backup and care.
As a leading innovator, Future Designs hosts forums with select groups of professionals that represent different aspects of the property industry (end users, M&E, architects and designers) to continue to discuss the current and future use of LED, to ensure that its advantages in terms of cost, carbon reduction, design capabilities and ease of maintenance are being fully exploited by organisations.
Future Designs also supports the switch to LED lighting in the GCC region and feels that the region has the advantage of learning from the mistakes of the early-adopters in Europe.
David Clements, managing director of Future Designs says: “The government push for energy-efficiency in the UAE sends a clear message to businesses, and soon LED will become the product of choice for all aspects of lighting.”
info@futuredesigns.ae
www.futuredesigns.co.uk
Acoulite
Established in Dubai in 2005, Acoulite is a lighting and acoustics solutions company with business extending to Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Kuala Lumpur. Today, operations are managed by more than 60 employees.
Acoulite comprises a dedicated team of designers, engineers, technicians and project managers, and a proven track record of delivering the best lighting design and acoustic solutions from concept to completion.
Acoulite has provided lighting solutions for HSBC, Etihad Airways, Zuma, Mint Leaf, Al Manzil hotel, Dubai Festival City – Dubai and Doha, Al Wasl Mall, Yas Marina circuit and Prime Hospital to name a few.
Acoulite is constantly researching and reviewing the marketplace to insure it has access to the best and most innovative products for its clients and represents a broad spectrum of the lighting industry.
Some recent additions to its portfolio include Hidden from Mizar Lighting, Santfrom Halla, Exemplar from Future Designs and Cubis S2 from Lightnet.
One of the newcomers to Acoulite is CoeLux, an optical system based on nanotechnology that artificially reproduces the natural light and visual appearance of the sun and sky. CoeLux offers a breakthrough opportunity for indoor architecture by creating the sensation of infinite space.CoeLux offers a truly innovative alternative to daylight within spaces otherwise impossible for natural light to reach.
Acoulite will provide commercial and technical support in the GCC, educating key sectors about this distinctive system and its myriad of potential applications across the retail, residential, healthcare and hospitality sectors.
Some Acoulite brands can be found at The Furniture Practice, Media One Tower in Dubai Media City, where a mix of architectural, decorative and custom lighting is showcased, illustrating the depth and mix of its capability in delivering exciting and functional products.
www.acoulite.ae
www.coelux.com
Alger-Triton International
Tell us about your company
Alger-Triton International is a manufacturer of contract hospitality lighting for luxury hotels, resorts, casinos, spas, mansions and luxury yachts. An American-based company with headquarters in Culver City, California, it also has offices worldwide.
What are your latest products?
Natural quartz is a material that has been quite popular in many of our newest installations. We have also integrated LED technology into the design development of many of our fixtures. Staying on the forefront of this technology allows us to share our new design approach with our clients and open the door to more creative and innovative ways of illumination.
What projects have you been involved in?
Having a global presence allows us to accept projects in unique situations within many different countries all over the world. For instance, most recently, we manufactured and installed custom light fixtures for P&O Cruises’ Britannia ship in the Monfalcone shipyard in Italy.
What key challenges did they present?
As with any cruise ship or luxury yacht installation, there are key challenges that will be faced versus a dry land install. Fixtures cannot simply be mounted and a level used to ensure the chandeliers hang plumb. The ship still moves even when it is docked and when installing, each and every fixture must be hand measured down to the millimetre to guarantee a completely straight connection. The impact is that this process takes longer than simply using a level.
Where do we find you?
Kens Gourgue (representative)
Tel: +971 4 447 2324
kens@kensandcompany.com
www.alger-triton.com
Zumtobel
Tell us about your company
Zumtobel is a leading international supplier of integral lighting solutions and provides a wide range of high-quality luminaires and lighting management systems for the most varied application areas of professional interior lighting, including: offices and educational facilities; presentation and retail; hotels and wellness; health and care; art and culture; façade and architecture; as well as industry and engineering.
What are your latest products?
Sequence from Zumtobel has recently won the “Red Dot: Best of the Best” title. The jury singled out the LED pendant and surface-mounted luminaire for brilliant design and lighting quality, crowning it the best product in the Light and Luminaires category. INTRO LED spotlight system and AXON LED pendant luminaire both picked up Red Dot Product Design Awards.
What projects have you been involved in?
We provided lighting solutions for Siemens’ Headquarters in Masdar City, Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, Almaz by Momo’ restaurant in Dubai as well as Wadad Said Khoury Student Center in Beirut.
What key challenges did they present?
In order to achieve the LEED Platinum certification, Siemens’ headquarters was designed to use 45% less energy than typical buildings. The architects were challenged to help reduce energy demand by 65% and water consumption by 50%. Zumtobel was able to support this design vision with an energy-efficient lighting solution.
The key challenge working on the Museum of Islamic Art was that no daylight enters the spaciously designed galleries, which are subdivided into permanent and temporary exhibition rooms. The focus was on fully automatic spotlight control, so we added special built-in actuators to the Starflex spotlights.
Where do we find you?
Zumtobel Lighting
Al Quoz Industrial Area 1
Tel: +971 4 3404646
info@zumtobel.ae
www.zumtobel.ae
Preciosa
Tell us about your company
Preciosa Lighting is a leader in decorative lighting solutions and crystal installations for the most prestigious luxury interiors worldwide. The centuries-long tradition of Bohemian crystal and glass, together with cutting-edge technologies, innovations and eco-friendly lighting sources, wins the hearts of design devotees internationally.
What are your latest products?
Preciosa Lighting introduced its latest design concepts during the Milan Design Week 2015. The Crystal Fortune Concept installation made its debut at the Euroluce exhibition as a part of the iSaloni trade show. Mercury and Venus, new chandeliers designed by world-renowned Czech artist Rony Plesl, were among the most successful concepts. Plesl has given its basic elements new expression, creating a strong visual connection between past and present.
Preciosa also introduced its first lifestyle collection, Solitaires, a series of new light fittings designed for contemporary tastes. These pieces were created in co-operation with prominent Czech designers including Eva Eisler, Jakub Berdych, Jan Vacek and Martin Smid, based in Bohemia’s Crystal Valley –
“the cradle of Czech glass”.
What projects have you been involved in?
Our production extends back to 1724, and since then we have supplied our lighting products to almost every country in the world. Most recently in the Middle East, we have completed some amazing decorative lighting experiences at the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, Taj Hotel in Business Bay, Hilton Suites in Mecca and Sheraton Mall of the Emirates.
A few significant hotel projects worldwide include the Rainbow Room in the Rockefeller Center New York, exquisite Peninsula Hotel in Paris and Raffles Hotel and Residences in Jakarta.
What key challenges did they present?
It is in our company DNA continuously to create spectacular designs, exploring and developing new technologies and coming up with unique solutions, which are often on the edge of the possible. It is a never-ending and challenging process, but we love it!
Where do we find you?
PRECIOSA GULF FZCO
P. O. Box 18185, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 884 8234
info@preciosa.com
www.preciosalighting.com
Huda Lighting
Tell us about your company
Huda Lighting was established in 2000 in Beirut, Lebanon to supply complete lighting solutions for projects of any type and size. Huda Lighting offers the world’s leading lighting brands to satisfy client’s designs and ideas. Currently, Huda Lighting has grown to seven branches across the Middle East with two retail showrooms in Dubai and Jeddah. Huda Lighting’s success depends on having a team of highly qualified lighting specialists who are client-oriented and ensure customer satisfaction.
What are your recent projects?
Some of Huda Lighting’s recently completed projects range from commercial projects to public venues, as well as residential villas. More projects recently completed by Huda Lighting include: Level the Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi; Fitness One (VEGA) Gym, Amman; Rosewood Hotel, Abu Dhabi; Four Seasons Hotel, Dubai; and Hilton Hotel, Mecca.
What are your best selling products?
Each product is unique in its own way. Depending on the project requirements Huda Lighting guarantees to supply the most suitable products from its diverse range of brands. The brands at Huda are high-end and include names such as Lucent, ACDC, XAL, Osram, Arcluce, UFO, NJO, Iguzzini and KKDC.
What are you most looking forward to in this year?
The Huda Lighting team is always up to date with the trends in the industry and we are enthusiastic about taking part in the upcoming projects for Dubai’s Expo 2020. We also look for combining the finest traditions and crafts in Bohemian glassmaking with world-class research and development facilities for design, engineering, lighting technology, and metal manufacturing, all under one roof.
Where do we find you?
Huda Lighting has seven offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut and Doha. Dubai showroom is located on Umm Suqeim Road, Al Quoz and Jeddah showroom is located on Prince Sultan Street at Al Masarrah Plaza. You can also find us on Facebook and LinkedIn with Huda.