Lighting Design

Lighting is an essential part of any construction project, be it residential, retail or other. It can be the deciding factor in whether a project ‘works’ as a whole; great lighting can really highlight and compliment, but it can also ruin.

At designbysoap.co.uk we have recently launched a lighting design service aimed specifically at architects, covering the whole process from initial concepts through to final on-site commissioning. We have several years experience within the commercial lighting design industry with past clients such as:
- BAA, John Lewis, BBC, JP Morgan and Zaha Hadid.

We have been lucky enough to be involved in the following projects:
- BAA T5 CIP Lounges – Winner 2009 Low Carbon Lighting Design Award
- Cabot Circus,Bristol – Highly Commended 2010 Lighting Design Awards

We are currently offering the following services:
- Lighting calculations (Dialux)
- Lighting visualisations (2D/3D)
- CAD drawings
- Technical Specifications
- Architectural Photography

Example Project – Kitchen Lighting Rig

Designbysoap were commissioned by the architects, Andrew Thomas Associates, to produce a suspended lighting rig to illuminate a kitchen island unit in a private residence. After the initial brief was received and a client consultation undertaken, basic sketching was used to explore and then rough out some ideas.
A Dialux model was created to accurately calculate the power, type and number of fittings required to meet the illumination standards. Once this had been determined, the rest of the frame could be created around it.
When the concept had been developed enough, CAD drawings were produced to finalise the idea and detail the design. At this point all of the details such as final dimensions and tolerances, materials, finishes and fixings were specified. Final engineering drawings were then produced along with a specification for the fittings and passed on to the manufacturer.
The final product now hangs proudly in the kitchen.