LucePlan

About

Luceplan was founded in 1978, by three architects: Paolo Rizzato, Riccardo Sarfatti and Sandra Severi. They studied together at the Politechnico in Milan and founded LucePlan, an Italian company focused upon the production of innovative and creative lighting solutions for both home and office use.

At LucePlan the mission is simple, to create lighting with a humanistic approach. Luceplan starts with an idea and focuses solely on that one idea, separating it from the market, allowing them to work only in the direction of innovation.

Interview Ideas

Presentation Notes

The light source, its ambience and glow, is more important than the shape and form of the actual lamp.
Look at the past to understand design for the future.
A lamp doesn’t just provide light in a room. We also need to consider how that light source moves through the space. Light is free and mobile.

Lighting is affected by its surrounding evironment including walls, chairs, windows, lamps, desks, the shape of the space and everything else.

Luceplan approaches light design by first considering the actual light, the source where light is created, Only after that is realized, can the shape and fomr of the actual lamp be considered.

In order to develop new ides, one must look at the past for ideas, add new concepts to them and then develop their own.
LEDs are becoming a flexible option for lighting systems.

An important thing to note when designing is design something that people will not consume.
Process relies on the development without the public interest.

Video/Key Quotes

Click here to watch the Luceplan Lighting Lecture.

What We Learned

Measurement of Quality
The quality of LucePlan products is measured solely to address and respond to the needs of man without suggesting or implying extravagence. "[The Luceplan design response is] to answer the real needs of man without other suggestions. No fashion, no market, but only focusing at the level of human needs. This humanistic approach is what makes their products unique. Considering interaction and functionality first is what eventually shapes the form of a product.

Design vs. Self Expression
"If the small object you do is well connected with the context, you can create something of harmony. If you create something of fashion, for example with light, if you create something very strong, very special and very strange, this is not design. This is self expression." An object, whether it is a candle or a chair, is not one individual item working on its own. Every object should be designed for its environment, which is why during the 50’s and 60’s in Italy, designers who were trained initially as architects were good at other forms of design because they had gained a broad knowledge of the need to design things within their surrounding contexts. Recently, design schools in general have been developing specific programs aimed solely at one particular, and often highly specialized, part of design, producing more designers who are unable to understand the larger idea or where their own design fits within the larger context. This is good in a sense because there are people who specialize and become highly skilled in certain parts, but the field also needs people who have a general knowledge of the whole picture. An object designed with context and complexity in mind is a well designed object. Objects that are focused on style and decoration are merely a form of self expression.

Italian Attitude towards Quality
Geography plays an important role in Italy’s attitude towards quality. It’s central location on the Mediterranean Sea allowed influences from various surrounding civilizations with a wealth of knowledge and culture. “In Italy there was a great crossing of culture, which allows for quality.” Its position as a geographic focal point made the crossing and blending of cultures possible. Classical influences drawn from history and the influences of the Greeks, Egyptians, and others who had desires to create innovative, interesting and desirable objects triggered an attitude throughout the Mediterranean center for producing high quality products. This would ultimately influence Italy’s desire and attitude for producing a high level of quality. “I look to the past, only to be sure I don’t make something that already exists, and not just to take suggestions. I am a present man and I develop prototypes that should reflect the present and [what I hope for] the future. This is the most important element of the project. ”