BRIGHT SPARKS

BRIGHT SPARKS

Matthew Grech is the managing director at Glow, a lighting supply studio specialising in architectural lighting design. He speaks to MONEY about his venture and his vision of lighting design for innovative architecture.

Can you tell us what drove you to start working in the lighting industry?

I completed a seven-year university Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in architecture in London, and came back to Malta in 2008 where I took some time to analyse what I wanted to do. At the time, the architecture industry and economy was not what it is today; in fact, it had just taken a downturn. I was doing some private, freelance architecture work whilst looking for the ‘right’ job to try and obtain my local warrant.

One of the projects that I was working on was the renovation of a large office façade which I wanted to illuminate in an advanced and innovative way. Meanwhile, I was also working on some interior projects which also needed new lighting.

I started researching about lighting and LEDs – a technology which had been around for a while, but was mainly used in aviation and other similar industries were they needed tiny lights. However, like many other technologies, LEDs were finding their way into the mainstream industry of every day lighting.

I was amazed at the overall saving on electricity costs and their environmental benefits; for example, a standard incandescent bulb needs to be replaced approximately once a year – think about the waste that this generates. ‘Energy saver’ bulbs last a little longer but emit a horrible light and are full of toxic chemicals which are then dumped in landfills. LEDs are small, clean, and efficient.

Matthew Grech

Photos by Chris Sant Fournier / MONEY

I started pondering with the idea of getting into this new industry. I used the projects that I was working on to experiment with new LEDs that I had found on the market. I also visited international lighting exhibitions and started working with some European and Asian companies.

Eventually I began offering these products to other architects and designers and decided to upgrade my home office to a small studio. We started working on projects for these architects and we slowly grew our product portfolio to be able to realise different kinds of lighting projects with varied budgets.

We now represent, and make use of, over 25 brands of lighting products ranging from low-end and white label goods from China, to the most high-end products available from all over Europe such as, Super Modular, Luce Plan and Flos.

You have undergone a re-branding exercise. What's new?

Yes, after being in the industry for around 10 years, we thought that it would be a good time to refresh our brand and online identity. It is easy to get stuck in the daily, mundane routine and forget the bigger picture, so the rebranding exercise also served to bring in fresh ideas and enthusiasm.

We are simultaneously launching our new website www.glow.com.mt where we explain the way we work and exhibit some of the best projects we’ve completed which we hope will help to attract more clients.

Which names do you work for and which brands do you represent?

We started out working with a few brands – the main one being Moltoluce who are still one of our main suppliers – and these brands become ‘your world’.

Over the years we have added brands to our portfolio, which is not always easy since most of the main brands would already have working relationships with other local companies; however, over time and with much effort, we introduced several brands including Super Modular and Luce Plan, and currently our latest big player is the renowned Flos.

Can you give us an insight of how you go about your work in terms of operations?

The way in which we operate is the most important part of our service. We like to stick to our origins of being an architectural-based lighting design and supply company; being an architect myself, I try to look at lighting from this point of view which influences the way we work too.

We use 3D lighting software to visualise our work, as well as being able to check our lighting levels and present these to our clients. We also use architectural 2D drawing programs to work on architects’ plans and carry out lighting layouts. We are currently a team of six people in the office. Four are lighting designers, and two are qualified architects.

We have a person who is fully dedicated to orders and shipping, and the packing of goods is done in-house preferably by the person carrying out the project. Everything is packed and labelled in detail and with thought. This is very important as lights can get quite complicated so doing a good job from the start avoids having problems later, such as lights being installed without drivers or other mishaps which can easily happen in the mad rush on site.

Our bespoke service is the way in which we distinguish ourselves from the competition and we try to do this in the best way possible.

How is the landscape changing in the lighting industry?

When I started working in lighting LEDs were a new thing, now almost all lights are LED. In Malta, I think architectural design has come a long way in the last 10 years. We are seeing architecture which is designed well and looks appealing, and developers are realising that good design also pays.

Glow team

technologically advanced; possibly due to the fact that there are many foreign companies operating here. People are realising that good lighting can change the perception of a space if thought is put into it. Before, lighting was a bit of an afterthought, both in terms of design and budget as unfortunately this is where cuts were usually made.

However, clients are taking lighting more seriously and understand that this needs to be planned in detail in order to have a decent result. So, like other items in the costings of a project, lighting needs to have its allocated share to be successful and to add to the overall value of a project.

Any future plans?

Future plans would be to carry on doing what we are doing, and trying to work on better projects. We already worked on some of the most advanced offices on the island such as GIG Beach, Pender Gardens, Casumo and Catena Media, as well as many others. Our vision is never to become suppliers to the mass market or compete on high quantity wholesale deals, but to be the leaders in good quality lighting. Offering an unparalleled lighting design service and supply to the professional lighting sector.

Presenting the new logo