If you’re looking for a way to modernize your home, look no further than the modern and energy-efficient LED lighting, We sat down with Robert Sonneman, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, SONNEMAN–A Way of Light, to learn about contemporary lighting design and their new Jax, a modern and provocative LED design composed of intersecting wands of illumination that form an abstract configuration about a vertical axis.
Can you explain the difference between LED and regular lighting?
No longer generated by burning fuel or filaments, lighting today is produced by exciting electronic signals that produce luminous energy, otherwise known as the LED — light-emitting diode — which is based on the electroluminescence of semiconductor materials.
What are some of the benefits of using LED lighting?
The quality, performance, and controllability of the light produced by LEDs is realized because of their unique compatibility with digital technologies that permit the incorporation of intelligence into lighting systems. By understanding that electronically generated illumination is a wave in the spectrum of energy we can control and direct, we are able to manage this illumination as a component of a broad-based integrated system of energy and deploy it across multiple applications of a building system. Our electronically managed information, communication, and entertainment will include the quality, colour, intensity, and mood of illumination as a synchronous component of a smart controlled environment.
What are your favourite styles of LED lighting right now?
I always lean towards simple efficiency. I will always be fond of the sculptural pieces that we continue to produce, but my current favourite would have to be downlights. Specifically, the SONNEMAN Intervals Recessed Downlights. We sought to encompass the best features and performance possible in a unified, integrated, and modern way, Intervals light engines feature cold-forged aluminum heatsinks that provide optimal thermal performance. This feature is a unique differentiator from other LED downlights on the market, as the cold-forged-aluminum material allows for smaller and lighter heatsinks than the extruded or die-cast aluminum options from other brands.
Where can you use LED lighting in your home?
LED lighting can be used throughout the entire home. Based on its vast controllability we can now impact the dynamics of human interaction and emotional well-being with the colour control of a dynamic lighting system. For example, we can implement the progression of colour tuning to align with natural daylight over the course of a day. Tunable white, warm dimming, and full-spectrum colour control connects the relationship of people, their moods, performance, and state of being to the dynamically, electronically lit environment. Because of these functionalities, I would recommend prioritizing any gathering spaces in the home.
Do you have any tips for someone looking to design with LED lighting?
With the advances in LED technology, lighting is no longer just an accessory to a designed environment. Rather, the dynamic capabilities of technologically sophisticated lighting within a space impact the emotional, physical, and psychological experience. It impacts the perception, utility, performance, and well-being of people as a synchronous component of a smart controlled environment. These are all crucial to keeping in mind when designing with LEDs.