New York, New York, USA

Interaction designers Shuo Yang, Wendy Evans Joseph, and Jose Luis Vidalon of Studio Joseph design a lighting installation on behalf of the Carleton College and the whole student community to enhance the enclosure of a courtyard between two science buildings.

The project has been recently awarded a 2021 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

The project is called Campfire and can be experienced from the inside and from the central lawn and is located at the west entry to the atrium.

Campfire is the soul of the building with its ability to inspire discourse and open conversation.

The installation is comprised of 80 acrylic tubes, 4 inches in diameter and 6 feet in length, hung with slender, powered cables in two overlapping tiers.

The tubes are evenly spaced within an eight-foot square perimeter. Each tube is lit by a ring of embedded LEDs that drive the light through the tube, illuminating bands of lacquer that are organized in random patterns.

There are eight different patterns of 1, 2, 3, and 4-inch strips. The tubes are sealed, but the bottom ring holds the light.

The LEDs are programmed to have a series of pre-set color displays as well as a dynamic mode that changes the light tone and color subtly and slowly over a period of time.

The technology allows for both ethereal variations of white light from cool to warm in addition to the full spectrum of colors.

Carleton’s theatrical studies department will work with this bespoke system so that over time, three can be special performances, celebrations, or just quiet moments of reflection.

Students gather beneath Campfire on comfy chairs for conversation, study groups, and informal seminars, but mostly, it’s a place for play to enjoy the effects of the light.

Project: Campfire Lighting Installation
Designers: Studio Joseph
Design Team: Wendy Evans Joseph, Jose Luis Vidalon, and Shuo Yang
Manufacturer: Flos Lighting