Shining a light on collaboration, excellence and circular design

A circular economy lightbulb moment

Lighting trends come and go and too often lighting materials are replaced and discarded. Together with our project collaborators, we wanted to create an installation inviting designers, architects and, product manufacturers to consider the lifecycle of their designs – from conception to reuse – and highlight how design excellence can contribute to the circular economy. 

We created a tactile and immersive installation with two areas for visitors to explore highlighting the need for accessible design and materials.

The first space featured the Flos Parentesi luminaire designed in 1971 by Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzu and supplied in Australia by Euroluce. Using modular design and bluetooth-controlled light sources we show how excellence design can withstand time, remain relevant and is key for circular outcomes. Our acoustics team developed a soundscape for the space featuring the words of our firm’s sustainable development leaders and a vintage Italian disco soundtrack inspired by Flos design.

The second area was a passageway with a wall detailing the design process journey and the impact design excellence and collaboration can make over time. Sound and light locks kept the two experiences discrete but connected. 

Every element of the installation was built from reusable components and can be reused, including modular construction panels. Material selection was guided by simplicity of assembly, reusability, and design excellence. The installation has a circular lifespan and can be used again at other design shows or in another application.

Harnessing collaboration to deliver excellence

Like all the best designs, this installation was the result of collaboration between passionate design, lighting, architecture, building and materials experts. 

Compared to typical design and construction projects, the time from brief to delivery for the Design Show installation was short. With only six months to complete the installation, participants from nine organisations, including our frequent collaborators Woods-Bagot, Buildcorp and Euroluce, engaged in a fluid, intuitive process. We workshopped ideas and each partner contributed creative solutions as the project grew in scope. The installation’s title – {Whose Bright Idea?} – directly references this organic design culture, a truly collaborative effort that achieved an ideal balance between aesthetic value and sustainability considerations. 

Our consortium of partners extended the discussion of installation’s themes with a series of talks at Design Show Australia. We spoke about the benefits of lighting design, how different disciplines such as architects, interior designers, and lighting designers approach the subject, and how each needs to be involved to deliver the best result. The striking design and execution of our installation was the perfect example of such collaboration.