Meet the luminaire made of wood, wool and hemp
An innovative luminaire made from wood, wool and hemp is ‘challenging traditional luminaire design’ by omitting diffusers.
Instead, US firm Lightly uses two light sources aimed at an arch finished in highly reflective eco-friendly paint to deliver a low-glare glowing illumination without needing plastic diffusers. It says this method delivers 100 per cent direct optical distribution.
Since there are no diffusers, the light distribution is created by the internal shape—the profile—of the fixture itself. Its Butterfly fixture has the internal shape of a butterfly, and it creates a butterfly/batwing distribution.
The Butterfly fitting is also the world’s first commercial LED luminaire with a fixture housing that is free of metal, plastic and glass, according to the company.
The material in the Butterfly luminaire is 95 per cent biodegradable, 3 per cent recyclable and a mere 2 per cent goes to landfill.
Butterfly delivers an 80 per cent indirect / 20 per cent direct distribution with a distinctive open-web optical profile finished in highly reflective matte white eco-friendly paint.
‘Our design process started with the creation of a sustainable material library and laboratory where our engineers could play with the most sustainable materials available,’ says Lightly. ‘Then we start to shape new materials into familiar solutions.’
The LED engines are concealed from viewing from below, reducing glare and creating a unique open-air experience.
Lightly uses poplar for its products’ fixture bodies, wool felt for its gaskets, wood for its end caps, and beech dowels.
Lightly products are assembled by hand to reduce energy consumption, and are designed with the fewest number of components to accelerate the assembly process. The wood paints and finishes are VOC-free, and all packaging is recyclable.
‘Every single other lighting product in all of the world right now has plastic and metal in it,’ says Lightly’s general manager Benjamin Rapkin. ‘We’re trying to show the industry that it’s unnecessary for most lighting to have those materials, and that those materials should only be reserved where they’re absolutely needed.
• Don’t miss Circular Lighting Live 2023, Recolight’s flagship conference and exhibition taking place on Thursday 21 September 2023 at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Free to specifiers, Circular Lighting Live 2023 will feature leading experts, specifiers and policy makers who will share their insights into forthcoming standards and legislation, emerging technologies and new business models. For 2023, the organisers have moved to a bigger venue with more expansive exhibition floor and included a dedicated track for lighting designers. More info: www.circularlighting.live
