VBK LIGHTING Specialising in high-end residential properties, VBK Lighting offers a ‘full cycle’ Design and Management service, from concept design through to commissioning. Working across contemporary and traditional projects, we look at some recent highlights from its portfolio. Private Residence London, UK A contemporary renovation and extension of a detached residence in Highgate has been illuminated by a series of bespoke elements, among them a feature staircase rising six floors and a battery of skylights with integrated DMX LED nodes within a twin skin curved Barrisol membrane. The staircase has uninterrupted linear LEDs concealed within the thickness of the timber treads and risers, which illuminate the stringer wall throughout the entire height of the house. A mirrored surface applied to the structural steel both top and bottom, which separates the timbers from the walls, creates an impression of a fully independent suspended structure unsupported by any means. The Garden Room looking out on to the lawns is illuminated principally by a network of skylights within which a matrix of concealed DMX-controlled LED RGBW nodes supplement daylight and provide ‘artificial’ light during the hours of darkness. Wallwashers focus on artwork and fibre optics run through the house detailing millwork and providing accent light to sculpture.
Private Residence Hawaii, USA A large, front-line new build estate on Oahu, Hawaii for which the architects have imagined an open format oversized beach house; the entire soffit of both levels are formed of a series of coffers, timber to the roof structure and concrete to the lower floor. These are shaped as a visual nod to the local flora on the island, their form reflecting leaves and seed pods. Working on the project since 2016, VBK has developed the lighting concept to integrate and conceal all hardware using these structures as indirect light sources to illuminate the entire space. All luminaires are custom designed and extensive site mock-ups were carried out to determine exact performance. The concrete coffers have point source LED pucks embedded in to the High Performance Concrete moulds, with light emitting across the recesses from the corners. The timber coffers have a more conventional linear system set in to the cross members, uplighting the soffit, providing a rich, warm indirect light to the entire site. These also have a bird-deterrent current running through them to prevent nesting, roosting and soiling of the interior. All the windows have electrochromic glass filtering daylight, which will be coordinated with the artificial lighting as part of the programming.
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