Last week, we announced the winners of the 6^th annual CLU Foundation contest whose main purpose is to encourage young designers to develop innovative lighting concepts for exterior public spaces. In the first of four installments with the winners, we present an interview with the 1^st prize laureate, Mr. Ninad Jogdand from India. In addition to having submitted a draft of a higher difficulty level, Mr. Jogdand seized an opportunity by reusing the energy generated on site for other purposes.

Congratulations on winning the 1^st prize of the 2010-2011 CLU Foundation contest.

I would like to thank Philips Lumec and all the jury members of the CLU Foundation for their time and efforts. I would also like to congratulate all the winners and participants of the contest.

Tell me about yourself, your career and your education.

I am an architect from Pune, a city in West India. I am 30 years old and have been working with a lighting design firm in Goa, India. After studying architecture from the University of Pune, I happened to come across a Masters program in Architectural Lighting which I subsequently completed from Wismar, Germany, in 2007. It has been an interesting journey through the field of lighting since then.

What has brought you into industrial design?

The use of daylight in architecture has always fascinated me. It is an element that reveals architecture and has an effect on both perception of physical spaces and emotional response of those who use the space. The modern day architecture also demands use of artificial light. I find it very interesting how the use of artificial light can enhance an architectural space or give it a completely different meaning. With light as a medium, one can play with textures, building materials and colors in order to create an atmosphere.

What kind of challenges do you have to overcome, being an emerging lighting designer in India?

Architectural Lighting is an emerging field in India and there is not much awareness about the subject. Here, lighting is often provided as a part of interior design or building services and not as an independent design based on the specific requirements of the project. However, working as a lighting designer with a background in architecture helps me understand the requirements of the clients in a better way and provide an optimized solution. The cultural and socio-economic factors also play an important role in planning a design. At the same time, it is also necessary to keep myself updated with current technologies in lighting and construction as the architecture of modern buildings requires varied lighting solutions.

What motivated you to enter the CLU Foundation contest?

The CLU Foundation contest has offered me an international platform to showcase my ideas in lighting. I especially find the theme of the contest “Light it for Humanity” very interesting this year. It makes one think not only about the issues related to public lighting but also about the social, economic and cultural background of a community.

What does your 1^st prize standing at the CLU Foundation contest represent?

I feel that winning the first prize at the CLU Foundation contest is just a start. I am pleased that my ideas are well accepted and are not vague. I would be even happier if I could take these ideas forward, transform them into reality or apply them in my projects.

How did your idea for the LightPot project come about and evolve?

For my design proposal for the contest, I started off with a completely different concept and was looking for information on recycling material. In the process, I came to know about Dharavi, a place in Mumbai, which has a large recycling industry along with traditional pottery and textile industries. There have been several plans for redevelopment of Dharavi but none has been realized so far. So I thought of developing a lighting solution for the place, which is sustainable and can be implemented with the expertise of the local workers. Different business activities are carried out along the narrow lanes of Dharavi. This called for a luminaire which provides functional light after dark as well as promotes interaction between people of all ages. The design of the luminaire was of course inspired by the shape of an earthen pot.

How would you feel if your LightPot solution became a reality and was achievable?

I would be happy to see this project realized. I am quite sure that the task is achievable, given the right kind of support and resources. The main objective of the design was to extend the day ambience of the place into the night and thus increasing safety in the frequently used areas. The important question for me would be “how the residents or the users feel about it and if they are satisfied”.

How would it change that environment?

The aim of the proposed solution was to provide functional light for day to day activities of the residents as well as to create a safe environment at night which encourages interaction. Use of colored light at squares and gathering places would add to the atmosphere during the festivals.

How could your project eventually become a reality?

At the moment, it is just a design concept that I have submitted for the project. Extensive site surveys are required to check the feasibility of the project. There is still a huge task ahead to realize a project of this scale. It is however a good start and I would like to take it forward.

What is the most important thing that you have learned by participating in this contest?

The goal of the contest was to design a ‘‘friendly public lighting’’ scheme which is accessible to all the people living in a society. And it was a good opportunity for me to look at other interesting ideas or ‘‘perspectives’’ from which one can look at the same thing.

What do you think of urban lighting in the future?

With the introduction of advanced lighting technologies, the use of artificial light is ever increasing in urban spaces. Therefore, we, as lighting designers, have a greater responsibility of using light sensibly and only in places where it is required. Artificial light plays an important role in overall presentation of the cities and one has to consider the topography, the history, the culture of a place for planning at a bigger scale. The concept can then be applied for planning at local level in order to create a uniform nightscape in urban spaces.

How do you see your career evolving?

As I mentioned before, architectural lighting is an emerging field in India and there is not much awareness about the industry. I feel that working as a lighting designer in this environment is a challenging job as we spend a lot of time educating our clients, the architects and also the interior designers about lighting in general. However, in the future, I hope to complete some projects wherein I can implement new ideas that contribute to improving the lifestyle of a society in general.