COMPANION

Max Löw

April / April - 2018

Universität der Künste Berlin

Description

Companion is a self-sufficient, adaptive office lighting system. A clampable profile provides room lighting and replaces conventional ceiling lighting. Additional, freely placeable luminaires are used for individual workplace lighting. Flexible partition panels provide privacy if needed.

What is the Topic?

The workplace of the future will be characterized by agile processes and dynamic office infrastructures. Office lighting must be able to react to individual work and room situations. Companion provides an answer to the question of how lighting can adapt to this flexibility. The idea is to break existing lighting standards and replace them with a self-sufficient, adaptive system.

Why does it look like this?

The COMPANION lighting concept is strongly functional and user-driven. After intensive research, analysis and usability studies, it has become clear that today's office lighting is obsolete and does not respond much to current user needs. In formal terms, Companion is reminiscent of ceiling lighting tracks, which simply move closer to the table and thus to the user. The bracket allows the user to see underneath and the system does not block the field of vision. The bracket creates a striking statement that hip, up-and-coming start-ups and coworking spaces can use as a signboard for innovation and modernity.

What is special?

LED technology offers endless possibilities and ever smaller, stronger LED chips create enormous potential for new approaches and applications. The lighting industry is literally crying out for new, intelligent solutions. COMPANION creates a completely new approach and creates enormous flexibility and customizability. If one imagines an open space with several systems, these can communicate with each other and create a lighting situation optimised for the space. Wireless inductive energy transmission allows other devices such as mini fans to be operated in addition to the lighting modules. The light profile is controlled via the tablet. This also serves as a charging station. The frame can be attached to any table using a universal clamp.

What is new?

COMPANION sets a completely new lighting standard for modern, open office spaces. Dynamic teams no longer have to align their workplaces with the ceiling lighting - instead, the lighting moves with them. Of course, there are also other flexible ceiling luminaires, which are rarely used in young start-ups due to high costs. Companion is a reasonable and convincing alternative due to the manufacturing process. Power transmission via induction coils also has clear advantages and has not yet been used in current lighting systems. Contactless power transmission makes cables superfluous.