frequency ambient lighting system
frequency is an ambient mood lighting system for architectural, commercial and retail applications.
inspiration
biophilia, noun – a love of life and the living world; the human affinity for other life forms and nature.
shenandoah sunsets & mountain ridgelines
applied to:
pink neon, whitespace, & architectural lighting systems
early prototype
form exploration
a 10x10 grid & black paper strips were used to experiment with wave forms.
the grid allowed for some regularity while still giving me the flexibility to explore.
collaborative design
making the grid a collaborative exercise for those around the studio informed me what waveforms others liked best.
cnc foam prototypes
2” insulation foam machines quickly and accurately on the ShopBot CNC router, perfect for a form mock-up.
playing with physical waveforms in 3D space informed my decision for the final wall orientation in the finished piece.
prototype 2.0
angling towards the consumer market, prototype 2.0 was intended to be easily installable by the average joe.
i decided the maple wall rack was too visually disruptive and instead opted to mount the waves directly to the wall, which will take professional, architectural installation.
diffusion distance testing
neon LEDs throw light on the wall differently when set at varying distances.
- 0.5” from the wall results in a sharp, high contrast light.
- 3” from the wall results in a diffuse, ambient light.
this system is flexible to the client’s personal taste in light quality. diffusion level is set during installation.
material iterations
brass edgebanding / walnut core
stainless steel edgebanding / maple core
copper edgebanding / cherry core
waterjet machining
the final stainless steel parts are cut with a high-pressure waterjet machine.
cnc mold making
3” thick MDF was machined on the CNC router to produce male & female molds for the bent lamination process.
bent lamination
two part epoxy, accurate molds, and clamping pressure can make anything hold a bent shape.
finish treatment
a directional brushed texture was added to the stainless steel with 80 grit sandpaper & some elbow grease.
installation
this final prototype is a sample of seven strips mounted to a faux wall to demonstrate the effect an entire facade of waves would produce.
