SDA 2022 Entries

• Light + Surface - The innovative use of light and the way it is inextricably linked to surfaces, whether it’s the effect the light has on the surrounding surfaces or the materials used to create the light.  

"Lux Progressio" (Latin for Light Evolution) had a project price of £45’000 installed and was completed end of August 2021.
The piece forms a stunning organic 3D ceiling surface within a modern grand luxury home. It spans some 9 square meters and it’s made up of over 3500 small handcrafted textured porcelain pieces.
Housed within the piece is a LED light source that diffuses as it passes through the translucent porcelain, breathing life throughout the breadth of the piece, giving it a somewhat living appearance.

The client requested a low relief porcelain surface with lighting to organically appear as if growing upon and from the ceiling. The piece was to be sited within the main open plan living area of the house which forms a focal point while offering an ambient light source within the room. The piece should reflect their lifestyle choices bringing nature not only closer but within their home. Their newly constructed home is of some substantial size built in poured concrete with glass frontage spanning huge open spaces. The interior is very minimalist and modern. They draw inspiration from their local surroundings. The house is set within typical English woodlands with their own large landscaped private pond. The clients maintain a good relationship with nature inviting it to be a part of their life, both inside and out. There are many walks around the local area to which they walk most mornings.

Through what you could find during these walks became their inspiration as to what they desired the piece to be formed from.
They wanted to feel inspired the moment they wake up and enter the room and the moment they get back into their home after a full work day. They value a place where they can stay and get together and feeling inspired everyday.
A final intricate organic form was confirmed appearing like it’s growing and spreading up onto the ceiling. This would be surfaced with textured porcelain inspired by tree barks and leaves.
Each porcelain piece has got its own story as each part of the tree bark has got its own unique textures, fissures, crevices, layers.
Tree bark is the home for various species of insects and also for plant communities.
The texture of the bark is altered during the lifetime of the tree.
We captured all these nuances in the textures created, truly remarkable and unique surfaces that will never be produced ever again for another client.
These surfaces rely on the power of the accumulative mass of translucent porcelain pieces. Together they form something magnificent, visually bringing their individuality by being in a group. Each piece tells its own story but together they bring a whole new captivating tale, out of which the Lux Progressio takes its first breath as it comes to life.

The primary material used is porcelain. This makes up the body and forms the outer skin of the installation, giving it a unique texture while allowing light to pass through, further enhancing the texture created within each of the 3500 individual pieces. This gives two surfaces to the ceiling. The pattern within its imprinted texture and then again the shape, position and composition of each piece to one another.

A plaster mould is first made, with its unique textured surface, surface used to emboss each piece of porcelain before it’s cut, edged, stamped & holed for its attachment point. The porcelain is so thin that once fired it takes on a translucency that also high in strength.

Structurally, a steel frame and aluminium expanded mesh were used to create the main form onto which the porcelain pieces are attached, while stainless steel wire & fixings are used to attach each piece.
For lighting, the Auragami LED Light sheets from Applelec were used, cut to the exact shape of the light installation to beautifully shine through the clusters of porcelain pieces.
The Auragami LED sheets are another innovative way of using lighting. Extremely adaptable, easily cuttable with scissors to the desired form, this product understands the essential properties of lighting. Simply put, the light follows form.
The merge of porcelain and lighting is a result of uniquely expressive and meaningful surfaces that push the boundaries of conventional use of porcelain while keeping it sustainable and worthy for the SDA2022.

By its nature, porcelain is an environmentally friendly clay readily available in most areas, meaning that renewability is not an issue and CO2 emissions are lower as a result of lower transport costs. Low maintenance means low energy and chemical consumption. Porcelain will last a lifetime, is easy to clean & is almost totally inert and does not produce any fumes or toxins even in the event of fire.
We monitor suppliers’ sourcing as local as possible whilst checking environmental status and policies of those suppliers, along with the recycling of all packaging.

The porcelain pieces have been irregularly cut hence no waste in creation of the forms.
No breakages in the kiln because of size and any broken pieces before firing are used to make the slip for other work.
There has been no glazes used, keeping it all natural, non toxic and hence no bisque firing needed (bisque firing is needed to convert greenware to a durable, semi-vitrified porous stage where it can be safely handled during the glazing process). That meant straight single firing to top temperature saving energy on multiple firings for same batch.

The off cuts of mesh or led light sheets are used in small products ie- samples.
We also recycle anything that cannot be reused by ourselves by sorting it appropriately & delivering it to the local processing facility ie: local scrap merchants J Watson & Sons Ltd.

The aluminium expanded mesh is produced in factory with practically no waste. First creating multiple slits in the sheet, and then stretching the sheet. The stretching creates a unique diamond pattern opening. This process creates no waste (thus keeping down production costs) and it also adds structural strength to the product.

The steel structure is handcrafted by local blacksmith in Staffordshire, aiding not only local craftsmen but a trade that is steadily declining.
Local materials - Porcelain from Staffordshire, UK. Aluminium expanded mesh from factory in Durham, UK. Stainless steel, marine grade wire in Essex, UK.
Applelec LED Light sheets from Yorkshire, UK.

There is also an emotional connection, that emotional relation between the client and the lighting, that has been established from the very beginning. The client’s story is told through textured porcelain and giving life by light, uplifting the mood the energy for the space also. A connection between the client and their ceiling lighting is developed that will stand the test of time not only through the natural materials and the lifetime warranty of the product (with the exception of the LED’s) but through this unique emotional relation.
It’s like magic maintaining these lighting surfaces timeless.

The porcelain surfaces created are like living entities. Every interior has a different impact upon each piece we create, some want a dramatic impact while others want a more subtle feel, a symbiotic relationship with their surroundings.
Choosing such an intricate outline of the surface area challenged us from creating the form and supporting it while it was built up to not change its shape. Right down to the cutting the flexible LED light sheets to the desired shape and hiding all the electrics. Once each piece is built then came how do you transport each of the 5 segments to site, then the mounting of each segment onto the ceiling and finally seamlessly linking it all together.

Having a 3D low relief surface proved tricky to achieve as we didn’t want fixings to be visible, yet they had to be strong enough to support the weight of the installation. The whole piece had to be a close fit to the ceiling as to come from within the ceiling & not be sat upon it.

As each part of the pieces structure was created the shape slightly changes as nothing was made to jig or mould. Thus from the local blacksmith bending the frame to hand drawn stencil, to the wrapping of the mesh around the structure from which you wire each piece of porcelain. Sinuous forms are created along the way by thousands of intricate small porcelain pieces like the craziest puzzle to form a striking cohesive 3D ceiling surface.