The Surface Design Show is in full swing at the moment and we took some time out from the office to explore what they had to offer.
One of the highlights was a mini workshop with Factory Lux and being able to produce a simple light fixture inside their custom van.
Under their supervision we mimicked the entire assembly process (including the bench-mounted iPad Minis), using the same tools and even undergoing the same testing and certification that each of their fixtures goes through.
Lots of fun and a great insight into the manufacturing and assembly process that they use.
Although the show primarily focused on materials, there were a number of lighting manufacturers exhibiting too. This mix demonstrated a great source of inspiration for us as lighting designers to discover first hand how light, shadow and reflection all interact with lots of new surfaces, textures and colours.
Within the exhibition itself there were some great talks at #LightSchool, notably from Emilio Hernandez, Kelli Zezulka and John Lau.
Kelli Zezulka said that "lighting only has materiality by proxy", which is not only true, but also a great way to sum up some of our thoughts from the exhibition itself.
The show is running until 5pm today so head down if you get the chance.