Gratitude drives us to design thoughtful products for our customers and provide them with the best service possible. While 2020 has been a year unlike any other, it has given us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the relationships we have with people like you. For this and many other reasons, we are thankful to call you a member of our family.
Even though many of us have been working from home as a result of the global pandemic, our relationships with our customers and colleagues are stronger than ever. Together, we have illuminated world-class spaces, launched new products, and learned more about one another through our blog, Live Light.
Our team compiled some of the most memorable moments of the year for you to enjoy. We hope you find these anecdotes, successes, and words of wisdom as inspiring as we do as we take on 2021 together.
Words of Wisdom and Inspiration
Rachael Stoner works at EXP, an international architectural engineering firm, where she’s expanding the lighting department’s capabilities and presence at the company’s Chicago office. We were thrilled when she agreed to share her lighting design tips and inspirations with us, including one of her most profound memories with light.
“[I remember] any visit to art installations—James Turrell and Dan Flavin of course come to mind,” Stoner said during the interview. “They are a break away from the footcandle recommendations and code requirements. Visiting a Turrell exhibit is a reminder that lighting is creative. It is an expressive art form that should not be put into a box.”
Mason Barker, vice president of product development at Luminii, was recognized in LEDs Magazine’s inaugural 40 Under 40 Awards this year. His in-depth knowledge and passion for light inspires his team to push boundaries and develop groundbreaking LED technologies designed to support customers and their unique needs, as revealed in our interview with him about winning the award:
“Since joining Luminii, I’ve been focusing my product development energies on working with our customers to come up with customized solutions tailored to their project needs,” Barker said. “I work hand-in-hand with sales to provide this kind of support to our customers as a value-added service.”
“I’ve also focused part of my time on launching our Strategic Accounts Project Management department,” Barker continued. “This is a team of world-class project managers that work with our customers on every aspect of their project, from pre-quote to post-sale. I’ve established policies and procedures and implemented new tools for the department.”
The pandemic has caused many design and architecture professionals to shift they way they approach and complete projects. During our interview with Chip Israel, founder and CEO of Lighting Design Alliance, we learned how hard work is a critical ingredient to succeed in this new business environment:
“Work hard,” Israel said. “These are tough times and staffing cuts could impact your employment. That’s unfortunate and I am sorry. However, those who have always worked hard will be the last ones cut and the first ones rehired. That is a fact.”
“More importantly, by working hard, your level of knowledge and your personal career will benefit,” Israel continued. “Yes, we all want a balance of life and work and that is important. These world events may also show that folks can work remotely without affecting productivity, which will transform our work culture down the road.”
Product Launches
Our customers continued producing beautiful spaces for their clients throughout the year, motivating us to introduce several new products engineered with groundbreaking technologies and stylish profiles.
Here are some highlights:
- Senso Vesta Chandeliers: The revolutionary Senso Vesta chandelier collection was inspired by sleek, striking shapes and features several customization options, including finishes and trim colors. Learn how lighting design and architecture professionals are reimagining spaces with the architectural-grade chandeliers.
- Enhanced Kendo 45M, Kilo, and Linii Product Lines: Luminii made dramatic enhancements to three of its signature product lines: Kendo 45M, Kilo, and Linii. The high efficacy products meet aggressive Title 24 energy efficiency requirements and feature industry-leading color rendition enhancements of CRI/95+, R9/95+, Rf/95+, Rg/100+ for precise luminosity across the entire high-color range of products from 1900K-4100K. Explore the enhanced product lines and their capabilities.
- Express by Luminii: Express by Luminii products are always in stock and ready to ship, giving lighting designers, specifiers, and architects the flexibility they need to keep projects moving during the pandemic and beyond. Explore our most popular 100% field-configurable products at www.luminii.com/express.
- iLight by Luminii: Luminii acquired iLight in 2020, supporting the company’s mission to support professionals in creating stunning and highly custom designs. Bendable luminaires (Plexineon), color changing lights (Hypnotica), and handrail lighting systems support indoor and outdoor applications and are backed by iLight by Luminii’s signature customer service. Learn more in the official press release.
Brilliant Projects
The pandemic motivated lighting designers, architects, and artists to reimagine outdoor spaces with light. Outdoor art installations provided people with safe, open-air places to convene, while others helped stimulate business in neighborhoods negatively affected by COVID-19.
We spoke with Leela Shanker, the founder of Flint Collective NYC, and Rob Van Antwerp, director of Flint Collective NYC, to learn about “OPEN,” the first major art installation to debut in New York’s East Village during the pandemic.
“Vacancy is not a new issue on the streets of New York City,” Shanker said during our interview. “In the condition of the current pandemic and its resulting economic fallout, however, it is increasingly pronounced. Our installation was designed to raise awareness of the increasing blight caused by vacant spaces and start a dialogue about new opportunities within these spaces.”
Photo credit: Christina Wang, Copyright: Flint Collective NYC.
“‘OPEN’ was the first major art installation to go live in the neighborhood during the pandemic,” Shanker continued. “It allowed residents to experience art and their home in a new way while being socially distant. A number of the sites we had occupied had been vacant for months and have been rented with new businesses following the installations.”
Flint Collective NYC illuminated one of the boutiques with Luminii products, including the RGBW Tape Fixture, DMX driver and Decoder, and Aluminum Extrusion.
“The Luminii team was excellent,” Shanker said. “Ryan Raica-Scallan and Shelley Haniff are very knowledgeable about the product line and were very quick to help organize our list of materials. The team was also immensely helpful in managing the shipping process and confirming our timelines. We are grateful for their support and excitement to make this project happen in the interest of the community.”
Similar to “OPEN,” the Cincinnati Art Museum’s “Art Climb” encourages pedestrians to explore the great outdoors in a whole new way. Once visitors climb all 163 steps to the top of the staircase, they can enjoy views of Cincinnati’s skyline. They can also listen to music, exercise or sit down for a picnic along the way.
“‘Art Climb’ was not only designed as a bridge between the community and the Cincinnati Art Museum, but also as a bridge between nature and art,” said Chris Bodnar, an electrical engineer at CMTA, a national multi-service consulting engineering firm that worked on the project.
Luminii collaborated closely with architects, specifiers, and lighting designers during every step of the project to bring the installation to life.
“There are typically a few routes one can take when providing lighting solutions on projects, and each route can provide a different effect and feel in the space,” Ryan Poulsen, a lighting agent with Leesman Lighting who also worked on the installation, said in our interview. “Listening and understanding the end goal is crucial. From there, experience and education help in determining the best solutions moving forward, but always consider requesting a second opinion from a colleague or industry professional before settling. Collaboration breeds creativity.”
Looking Forward to 2021
Our team is greatly appreciative of the opportunities you have given us to help make the world a brighter place. We look forward to creating many more memories together in 2021 as we design new products, illuminate spaces, and make new friends.