How Do We Do It? Stobo Castle Exterior and Flambeaux

How does lighting design happen? First there is a place to be lit, then there is inspiration, then creativity, then a lot of hard work, and finally the end result, a beautifully-lit space. See how we did it at Stobo Castle Hotel & Spa in these videos.

KSLD was chosen to update the exterior lighting at Stobo Castle Hotel & Spa near Peebles, Scotland. Led by former Senior Lighting Designer Claire Hope, a team of KSLD’s designers worked to create a plan that would bring out the natural historical beauty of the castle. Warm lighting was chosen to accentuate the stonework of the facade and key elements such as the battlements, turrets and coach porch. Each light position was tested to ensure that neither the rural location nor the guests inside would not be disturbed with obtrusive light. It was decided that the historic entrance would be revived with gas flame flambeaux, which were custom designed by Claire Hope and Beltane Studios. 

Once the plan was accepted, and Scotlight installed the luminaires, Claire led a group of three designers with Fin Barber & crew of Scotlight out to Stobo Castle to focus the luminaires. After all, a light that is pointed in the wrong direction won’t look very nice, and is just a waste of electricity. Watch in this video KSLD’s designers and Scotlight’s electricians as they zip around in the cold winter night ensuring that Stobo Castle looks good even in the dark. (Watch how the Scottish saltire flag is lit!)

Illuminating Stobo Castle - Lighting Designers from KSLD Focus the Luminaires on the Exterior of Stobo Castle in Scotland from Kevan Shaw Lighting Design on Vimeo.

The gas flambeaux were installed by Scotlight after the main exterior facade was lit. (Check out those awesome Scotlight engineers in that group photo!) These torches were custom designed by Claire Hope. Speaking with Stobo Castle, she was inspired by the historical building to create a uniquely Scottish design, incorporating elements from the beautiful Scottish Borders surrounding the castle. Scottish thistle and the antlers from wild deer were the source of the design to bring out the wild in the rising flame that would welcome visitors. 

The production of the flambeaux was carried out by local Beltane Studios, who melted and cooled each individual piece to make these extraordinary creations. There is nothing like watching molten metal being poured into a mould!

Stobo Castle Flambeaux - The Design, Production and Installation of Custom Designed Gas Flambeaux from Kevan Shaw Lighting Design on Vimeo.

The videos were filmed and edited by Glasgow filmographer Daryl Cockburn.

We encourage all owners of beautiful historic buildings to consider how they are lit. Are the lights showing off the most important or most beautiful aspects of the building? Are they efficient in their lighting, with little light flooding into windows or blurring out stars? Good light is good art, and good light can bring out the best in a location. And in people.

More Blogs

Cleaning the Old KSLD Neon Sign

MIT announce research into high efficiency incandescent lights

Pumpkin Carving

MIT announce research into high efficiency incandescent

Peter Bermel , Gang Chen, John D. Joannopoulos ,Ivan Celanovic and Marin Soljačić from MIT published a letter in Nature Nanotechnology pre-anouncing work they have been doing with an efficient incandescent light source.

The basic principle is using nanotechnology reflectors to return the non visual radiation, specifically IR to the emitting filament that is optimised to reabsorb the energy to emit as light in the visible spectrum.  

The experimental solution delivers light at around 3,000K and the technology is predicted to deliver an absolute efficiency close to 40% when developed compared with conventional incandescent at 2% fluorescent between 7% and 13% and LED between 5% and 15%.

From the article I would expect this solution to be highly efficient at full output, however it may be challenged by dimming. I really hope that this develop,ent achieves sufficient commercial support to make it out of the lab and into the market. The evidence is clear that the natural light quality delivered by incandescent sources is much appreciated by people. The number of “loophole” based lighting solutions in bars and restaurants since the advent of the incandescent ban proves that the qualities of this light is very appealing.

The main risk to these developments are regulatory developments particularly in Europe that will limit the ability to market new technologies such as this in the early stages where efficiencies will be lower and prices higher than current LED. As we stand now it is likely that, had we been facing such demanding energy efficiency goals 15 years ago when LED first appeared in the lighting market it is unlikely we would have seen the development expenditure and advances we have seen in the past 15 years. We must avoid a regulatory situation that stunts the growth of new technologies and developments.

Kevan Shaw 12 January 2016

More Blogs

How Do We Do It? Stobo Castle Exterior and Flambeaux

Pumpkin Carving

Kevan at Lights in Alingsas

Pumpkin Carving

For some members of staff, this was a first. Kevan had said that he had carved turnips in the past, and while Efi was familiar with cooking with pumpkins she had never carved one for a holiday. But everyone got right into it! Silence fell as each designer used knife, box cutter or scalpel to etch their designs in. 

The results were spectacular. Note the textures on Claire’s trees, and the gentle uplighting of the mohawk on Kevan’s Punk-kin. The use of the pumpkin’s own textures made Becky’s particularly horrifying, while the tail on Natalie’s cat made some spectacular shadows. Kristjan’s Janus pumpkin brought a bit of variety, and Efi’s had a spooky grin and a beautifully creepy spider on the back.

The creation of these pumpkins involved a moodboard of examples of pumpkins online, a small discussion of techniques, a variety of tools, and severals tests with tea lights in a darkened corner to see how the work progressed. The pumpkins were donated to Natalie’s Halloween party.

More Blogs

MIT announce research into high efficiency incandescent lights

Kevan at Lights in Alingsas

Claire & Natalie Raise £285 for Edinburgh Sick Kids

Kevan at Lights in Alingsås

Lights in Alingsås is an annual lighting design event held in Alingsås, Sweden by Alingsås Municipality and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This year, Kevan Shaw was among seven lighting designers chosen to lead in creating a light art installation for visitors. 

The photographs here are taken by photographer Patrik Gunnar Helin and copyright Alingsås Kommun.

Kevan’s team was:

Ekblom Andreas, Oscar Bartenius, Eliran Benshoshan, Tim Berglund, Markus Bergstrand, Eric Berntsson, Emil Eld, Lukas Larsson, Sun Tuan Huynh, Eliya Monderer, Claudine Park, Gemma Thompson, Geremia Tonarelli and Eirik Tovar.

The installation was inspired by natural light, illustrating a lightning storm in a forest, sending a single bright bolt to the ground, creating a roaring fire among the trees. A dynamic lighting installation, the still photographs hardly do the pace and motion of the piece justice. Check out the video of his team’s light art installation on our Facebook!

More Blogs

Pumpkin Carving

Illuminance or Luminance? Light Levels and Light Perception

Claire & Natalie Raise £285 for Edinburgh Sick Kids

Claire & Natalie Raise £285 for Edinburgh Sick Kids

Claire Hope and Natalie Redford ran the Scottish Half Marathon on 19 September 2015 to raise money for Edinburgh Sick Kids

Claire and Natalie both completed the marathon in excellent time. Claire, running with her brother Tom, finished in 2 hours, 33 minutes and 19 seconds, while Natalie finished in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 27 seconds. There are exorbitantly priced photos available, although due to a clerical error Claire is listed as Melissa Riley.

£285 has been raised for Edinburgh Sick Kids so far through Natalie’s Just Giving page. Edinburgh Sick Kids is a charity based in Edinburgh which provides equipment, comforts, emotional support, training and research into pediatric care in Scotland. They work closely with the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, helping families stay together with accommodation assistance, and helping individual children through their illness with distractions and art. 

Natalie and Claire originally set a goal of £500, which would provide 10 portable DVD players for children, and have raised £285 of that with the help of Zumbotel Lighting, Mode Lighting, Mike Stoane Lighting and individual donors. The fundraising page will be active until the end of the month, so if you haven’t already donated a few pounds to help some Scottish children and families, you can still do so.

Good job to Natalie, Claire, Claire’s brother Tom, and all the other runners in the marathon!

More Blogs

Kevan at Lights in Alingsas

Illuminance or Luminance? Light Levels and Visual Perception

KSLD BBQ 2015 - A Festival of Flame

Illuminance or Luminance?: Light Levels and Visual Perception

Above you will see two images of my work station in the KSLD studio. The one of the left is daylight only, measuring 650 lux; the one on the right is both daylight and artificial light, measuring 815 lux. Noting the amount of light (horizontal illuminance) in both cases, someone could say that there is plenty of light in order to fulfil the light requirements for the task area, giving an amount of light more than regulations indicate. However, in the first case where there is only daylight, I don’t feel that there is enough light and that it is not a comfortable visual environment for work. In contrast, in the second scene where there is both daylight and artificial light, even if the light levels don’t change dramatically, the visual perception that I have is this one of a brighter space where there is visual comfort to better complete tasks.

In trying to understand and explain the reasons for this, I will build my explanation upon two points.

One point is the geographical and visual references that I have since I come from Greece, a country that has quite different daylight conditions than Scotland. It is not only the daylight conditions that provide a brighter outdoor atmosphere but that usually is transferred to the indoor environment where we usually prefer brighter atmospheres than in Northern Europe.  Having spent four years in Sweden and one in Scotland, I could say that our visual memories and references are really strong and are important to creating a visual atmosphere where we feel comfortable enough.  

The second point is the vertical illuminance and luminance. Recommendations and regulations usually take into consideration only the horizontal illuminance. However, it is really important to think and design while also having in our minds the vertical illuminance, the luminance in the space and the visual perception of the user. Taking all the above into consideration and keeping in mind the three dimensionality of the space, we can deliver a better visual result. In recent years this combination of variables is an ongoing discussion in the field of lighting design. It is definitely time to consider the luminance and visual perception in our lighting design projects.

Efi Stragali 27 July 2015

More Blogs

Claire & Natalie Raise £285 for Edinburgh Sick Kids

KSLD BBQ 2015 - A Festival of Flame

Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2015

KSLD BBQ 2015 - A Festival of Flame

KSLD held their annual BBQ on 19 June 2015 at Longniddry. Some 20-odd guests arrived to grill up some burgers, sausages, peppers and other delights. Three dogs, multiple children, and several different companies represented (including but not limited to Mike Stoane Lighting, Kelvin Lighting, and Speirs & Major), we created flammable sculptures out of cardboard and scrap wood and burned them on the beach.

KSLD arrived to set up the grill, and guests were arriving before the coals were even ready. The wind may have been blowing a bit, but it made for fine kite weather. The dogs didn’t mind at all, and the children running around were just glad it wasn’t raining. After the coals were finally ready everyone helped themselves to the bounty of food. 

The main event was the creation and destruction of the flammable sculptures. Mike Stoane Lighting had brought scrap wood for the bonfire, KSLD had brought some piles of newspaper and cardboard, and some other guests had brought their own cardboard boxes and tubes. The end results were varied, from a modernist Rocking Horse, to an anthropomorphic Bob in A Box, to a minimalist giraffe, to the towering rocket ship, to the perplexing and potentially political “Caution Hot” incorporating a sign reading the same, a birdhouse, and what can only be described as “Olympic” rings.

After the sculptures were made, they were brought out to the beach and one by one were lit on fire, to different results. Even though the Rocket was lit first, Bob in A Box quickly caught up to it, and both were eclipsed by the Newspaper FlagPole which burned at a fantastic rate. The Giraffe was finally sacrificed to the Rocket’s fire, as it refused to light. But in the end, all sculptures were a wonderful display of fire and flame.

Once the fires dimmed on the beach, everyone returned to the bonfire to roast marshmallows, eat biscuits and nibble on chocolate. As the sun set over the Longniddry coast, all agreed it was an excellent way to celebrate the solstice.

More Blogs

Illuminance or Luminance? Light Levels and Visual Perception

Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2015

Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2015

The adventures of Kevan Shaw in China...

Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2015

This is the 20th edition of this exhibition and the first time I have been here in 6 or 7 years. Guangzhou itself has changed. The oppressive yellow smog has lifted. Much of the manufacturing and the older power stations have gone, there are many new buildings including towers of significant height. The exhibition has also grown, more than doubling in floor area and number of stands. Almost everything is LED apart from one hold out chandelier company with only incandescent lamps in their products. 

Conventional incandescent doesn’t exist either though many are offering halogen GLS and the antique shape single strand lamps. The filament pattern LED is also well in evidence. Apparently this technology was developed in Taiwan. The quality is generally good with one or two exceptions, one looking like high pressure sodium! I even found one that dimmed to extinction quite believably on a standard rotary dimmer. The weird application was putting these filament units in a four finger CFL envelope, one really does have to ask why?

Innovation was somewhat lacking. When asked about new products I was offered a factory tour. It seems even the Chinese companies are now fearful of copying! The
“No Photos” signs typical of European trade shows were much in evidence. One brave manufacturer was displaying a unique product and had his Chinese patent number well displayed all over their stand. I asked the salesman if this protected his product and he just smiled and almost laughed. Interestingly the product did not photograph well!

There is every indication that the general quality of products has improved and the most blatant copies of European fittings were not on show this time. One interesting development is the use of large lenses to control the beam of the bigger COB arrays. These are even appearing on very basic floodlights. Lenses to provide typical roadway lighting distributions were also in evidence as is wholesale relighting of Guangzhou’s roads and streets with LED a lot of it at 3000K.

What is surprising is the low ex-works prices for most of the lamps and fittings on display. As these are openly advertised it is clear that discounts can be negotiated from these. Despite import duties and freight it does give some idea of the profitability of the lamps and certainly retail light fittings.

Bridgelux COB cookie

Finally, cutest freebie of the show is the Bridgelux COB Cookie!

Further Diary Entries...

In the course of a visit to Chonqing as a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Chinese Lighting Designers Association, Kevan has discovered a significant alternative causal factor of Global Warming.

Chonqing is believed to be the worlds largest city with a population estimated at around 18 million people in the city with an area of 2,113.1 square miles and 30 million in the surrounding municipality .  The local cuisine is typical of the Sichuan region and the particular speciality of the city is the Hotpot.

Chinese Hotpot

Effects of frequent Hotpot consumption on Chongqing student

Hotpot is typically served in restaurants with square tables. In the centre of each is a circular aperture with a 4 Kw gas ring. The hot pot itself is a large wok shaped vessel either with a divider or with a second bowl in the centre. Typically a small restaurant will have around 12 tables with seating for 96. The Hotpot contains a cooking broth the contents of which are the real subject for the story. A large number of red chillies and a spectacular number of whole peppercorns are fried in oil then a prepared broth with noodles and vegetables is added and the whole lot placed on the gas ring on the table. Various interesting things are provided to be cooked in the hot pot, interesting as being unidentifiable as any recognisable part of a vegetable, animal or fish. While the copious use of gas to keep the hotpot boiling for the duration of the meal certainly produces considerable CO2 it is the thermal potential of the cooking broth that is the major source of concern as a factor in global warming. 

Certainly the copious sweating, reddening of the skin and tingling sensations resulting from the consumption of the items cooked in this broth suggests that irrespective of the CO2 the heating factor of the food could cause as much as a 1° rise in the global temperature given the size of the population regularly ingesting this food!

Members of the International Advisory Committee to the Chinese Lighting Designer’s Association investigating the Hotpot theory following the opening of the 100 Lighting Design Projects exhibition at the Chongqing Art University.

Further Reading

Blog: KSLD BBQ 2015 - A Festival of Flame

Article: Higher Ground

Article: KIPCO Tower