An increasing proportion of our decorative lighting work is for offices—break-out rooms, board rooms, private dining rooms, chill-out areas. On the whole, they require the sort of lights we normally work with on hospitality and residential projects.
However, there is one type of decorative light fitting that specifically targets work spaces. They are collectively known as "acoustic", by which is meant sound-deadening. Sound-deadening light fittings will be part of a broader solution that might include items from acoustic specialists such as Luxxbox and BuzziSpace (such as the BuzziPlanter), or Holly Hunt's sound-absorbing wall coverings, Patcraft's Natural State flooring...
The benefits can then be spread more broadly. Instead of having a specific table that has the sound around it damped, the whole office can be treated. This improves well-being, and also aids comprehension. By modulating certain wavelengths, speech becomes clearer (and head aches caused by reverberation fewer). This matters, because offices post-Covid-19 will have to be more efficient, and also more attractive places to work....
So, why use acoustic lighting specifically?
Poor acoustics in open-plan offices cause loss of productivity:
So the cost of the acoustic lighting should be seen as an investment, creating greater savings over time.
The fine decorative lighting company that takes acoustic fittings most seriously is Luceplan, who have been addressing the issue since 2012. "Acoustic" is one of their categories of lighting (click here).
Farel represents one standard type of acoustic light: the large dome:
Over a single table, they can be positively cosy:
Diade respresents two other standard types: the panels positioned horizontally over a table...
...or the panels hung vertically, like screens:
In principle, the physical make-up of all acoustic light fittings is very simple: a light source with sound-deadening panels attached to it, as you can see more clearly here:
And, of course, if you have solid baffles over a table, as above, there has to be a light in it, because they will block out any other light sources above it.
The wonderful Silenzio has the panels mounted around the central light source. It comes in three sizes, (all H45cm): quite big (Ø90cm), big (Ø120cm) and very big (Ø150cm)!
Silenzio can create a focus, pulling a space together, whether used singly...
..or in multiples:
Here is part of large group…
...competing successfully with the vast panoramic views from Mont Blanc!
Pétale is a variation on the horizontal panel. In this case, the light source is within the white elastic cover. It comes in three shapes: round...
..and two roughly triangular shapes that can be hung together to create a composition:
The panels in Trypta are hung from a central pole, making it the most vertical of all acoustic lights. It is formal, architectural. Here is one displayed as if in a de Chirico...
...and two working in harmony together, as if dancing a slow sarabande:
Luceplan have produced a really interesting brochure about their sound-deadening designs, explaining the science and technology behind them. Click here.
Panzeri are also developing a specialization in acoustic light fittings. They began with Zig Zag, that has a faceted surface to break up reflected sound:
The standard length is 1m, but they also do specials:
They then took their Zero Round (one of the best ring-shaped pendants from any source, because it is so slim), and put a sound-absorbing panel across it:
This means that, besides being available in multiple finishes (white, black, bronze, matt brass and titanium), it can also be used in compositions with normal "empty" Zero Rounds, and with Arena, which is a Zero Round with spot lights attached:
To date, that is all that has been in the Acoustic section of Panzeri's web site.
But it is about to be populated by lighting from Luxxbox, the Australian specialists in office sound-proofing and noise reduction, which Panzeri will be distributing in Europe. The first two, the award-winning Birdcage...
and Vapor Echo...
…are already on the site. The addition of Luxxbox's acoustic ranges means that Panzeri will have the widest choice of specialist acoustic designs of any European fine lighting company. Click here to see the full Luxxbox collection. It is worth doing; they are amongst the most interesting designs in this category. The graphics at the top of this email are also from Luxxbox. Click here for the research paper substantiating the data.
While Luceplan and Panzeri are creating or acquiring specific ranges of acoustic lights, other brands may only have one or two in their collections, so they can easily be missed. For example, Hush from Martinelli Luce:
A central linear light fitting, which can be bought on its own…
...has acoustic panels hung either side of it, as you can see in these diagrams:
Various accessories allow them to be joined together to make rows…
or shapes…
There are wall-mounted versions, plus there are now fittings which allow the panels to be used on their own, with no light—on the wall, or hanging.
The sound-absorbing panels are made with Snowsound® technology (acoustic lights from good sources don't just wodge any old foam inside a sock....)
Truth be told, it is difficult to get excited about lights that incorporate acoustic panels. I've selected good designs to show you but, first and foremost, they have a job to do, and form follows function.
Then, at Euroluce last year, we went onto the stand of Penta and saw these:
They turned out to be Hang Out by BrogliatoTraverso, the designers of our Sommerso collection and Nelly! Who ever thought that acoustic lighting could be cool?!
There is a horizontal light-emitting bar to which you can attach a selection of carefully-shaped panels. And, don't worry, they don't have to be brightly coloured! See here:
Hang Out can be used in the boss’s fine corner office…
…and also in the workers’ office:
But sound has to be managed in other types of space, too. Penta’s Hang Out pendants can be invaluable in restaurants:
Here’s a close-up:
Of course, you may want to use them just because they look so great (and cast useful light). Here is a wall version of Hang Out in a domestic setting:
So I hope that this has been instructive. There are other acoustic lights available (from Karboxx and Rotaliana, for example), but these we've looked at, besides being good in themselves, have been chosen because they also demonstrate typical options. So, if you are interested in any of them, or wondering more generally about specifying lighting that will help with sound management, do get in touch with us. Customization is usually possible, whether size, colour....
