SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
The team of MVRDV architects and interior specialists, led by Jacob van Rijs, decided to make a feature of the difference between the way a luminaire is presented in a showroom and the less glamorous reality of how it is crafted and produced. A sustainable approach to the production of the new range was the starting point; the designers wanted to work with recycled materials where possible.
FROM OFFCUTS TO HIGH PROFILE
Profile lighting is a key part of architecture, but offcuts are often a residual product. These leftover elements became the starting point of the design. By varying the scale and size of the extensive Delta Light profile range, a series of luminaires could be created from these elements. The High Profile series presents a cube-shaped pendant luminaire, a wall fixture in the shape of an arch, and a freestanding model with profiles placed side by side. The industrial look is softened by giving the profiles a colour dip; the series comes in pink, white, turquoise and random, adding MVRDV’s well-known use of expressive colours to Delta Light’s typically white, black and gold range.
THE DESIGN PROCESS: THE PROFILE REMIXER
To make the design approach functional in the long-term, MVRDV’s technology taskforce MVRDV NEXT has developed a script called the “Profile Remixer” which can generate possible compositions with all 50 types of profile, and evaluate them using real-time data. With this tool, the High Profile concept allows for the ongoing development and adjustment of the design, accommodating the fluctuating availability of leftover profiles and changing demands for size, shape, and composition.
MUTUAL APPRECIATION
The name ‘High Profile’ illustrates the process of putting things which are normally found backstage into the spotlight. At the same time this series is a homage to craftsmanship, because each luminaire is carefully handmade, gathering together profiles that have been precisely engineered and designed.
REUSE WHAT’S ALREADY THERE
In addition to being made from industrial elements, High Profile also homes in on the reuse of materials and sustainability throughout the production process. By reusing what is already there, new aluminium parts don’t need to be manufactured or transported from the production plant – significantly reducing the environmental impact. The luminaires can also be disassembled, allowing part of the raw materials to be reused. The design therefore invites consumers to think carefully about the materials that are all around them; to see beauty in the everyday, and to see opportunity in what we usually ignore.