PHILOSOPHY
A visual understanding of the world is defined through both material and light, two seemingly opposite phenomena inextricably linked to one another. Light is revealed to the human eye through interactions with surfaces and objects, while these elements only visually exist in the presence of light. This interdependence between form and intangible atmospheres defines our interpretation of the environments we inhabit.
On a practical level light ensures visibility and can establish spatial hierarchies and sequences within a space. It can also define places of movement and pause. Beyond this functional application, light also renders our world in an endless array of visual permutations, revealing colors, textures, distances or the passing of time. It is in this capacity that light transforms in to a tool for triggering emotional reactions and defining our experience with or memory of a place.
Our goal as lighting designers is to harmonize the role natural and artificial lighting play in revealing the drama and nuance of the built environment. This awareness emerges in the way our design team consciously plays with the relationship of light and shadow, resulting in spaces that are made both more active and accessible through the use of light.
DESIGN APPROACH
From conception through completion, L’Observatoire remains consistently engaged in the design process.
Our intervention begins during the Schematic Design phase, in which we first provide an analysis of the project’s requirements, criteria, and constraints. In collaboration with the client, L'Observatoire's team of lighting designers and architects then develops an initial concept that is expanded upon in a comprehensive package submitted in Design Development. During the Construction Documents phase the design team packages final detail drawings and specifications for submission.
We continue to engage with the project throughout the construction process including financial, design, and technical review. At the project's completion L'Observatorie's team returns for final focusing and to furnish the client with the necessary information to for ongoing maintenance and control.
Throughout the duration of any project our design team continuously searches for new technologies that are both economically and energy conscious. We then employ the latest innovations in technology to create efficient solutions for our clients, bringing environmental conservation to the forefront of our design practice.
