Light+Building 2016 in Frankfurt – Preliminary Report

Free Guided Tours - Service for Architects

Digitalisation, which has long arrived in our society, now also gathers pace in the building industry. Where systems and trades all went their own way in the past, what actually belongs together now comes together. A building is a complex cosmos, which has to function so that people feel comfortable inside. This year’s Light + Building trade fair wants to show what is already feasible in respect of Smart Building – and how the cogs of a building system can mesh. World-Architects will be present once again and provide an ideal overview with the Guided Tours and their experts from practice.

Until recently, it was the term «sustainability» that was used by experts and media in an almost inflationary manner. They did so although many of them did not really know what this term actually means. If something is «sustainable», it simply sounds kind of nice. It has a taste of do-gooder, of a sense of responsibility. After a large number of articles and panel discussions, professionals in the building industry at least know that sustainability has to do with reasonableness towards people and the environment, with forward-looking planning and with a certain kind of proportionality. Not every building meets this demand, and so the market makes great efforts to attain clarity and transparency in this topic, for example through different environmental labels, which are meanwhile awarded in an equally inflationary fashion.

Currently, the political pressure is increasing and a whole industry is seeking solutions to make buildings even more energy-efficient. «The best energy is the one not consumed» Frankfurter Messegesellschaft logically titled the last Light + Building two years ago, back then a courageous topic, which could indeed be understood as a request to the industry. Too much energy was and still is lost because the systems in the cosmos of the “house” are not co-ordinated with one another. Thinking across the trades is especially difficult for those who like to follow their own path. However, at this point reality catches up with these loners in the form of the digital revolution, which has long permeated the society and is now increasingly progressing in the building industry. Theoretically speaking, individual consumers and generators in the building can perfectly communicate with each other and thus optimally distribute the energy flows. This would also work – even though this is still up in the air – within a whole town.

Networked into the future
So the industry has made out a new key to “efficiency success”, which is meanwhile used equally inflationary as sustainability in the past: in the future, buildings have to be «smart»! Here, the expert like to take the German meaning (klug/clever, gewitzt/crafty, pfiffig/sharp, patent/ingenious, raffiniert/sophisticated and ausgebufft/savvy»), even though in English the term rather refers to appliances, which are programmed so that they decide and act autonomously and independently of human support. In the case of our house, both may be the case, and so we stay with the term «smart». Even though this is not exactly new anymore, the possibilities resulting from digitalisation are still enormous.

For this year’s Light + Building, Messe Frankfurt has proclaimed the not quite as courageous but fully appropriate motto «Where modern spaces come to life: digital – individual – networked». Professionals in the construction sector, the industry as well as society shall thus be prepared for a future, where the house works as an omnipresent intelligent system: from lighting to blinds, from heating to coffee machine and from doorbell to the TV: the network is everywhere and can control the energy flows in exact coordination with the user. The house becomes a machine, which is – being centrally controlled and managed - always informed of what is happening inside. Suiting this, the ZVEH (Zentralverband der Deutschen Elektro- und Informationstechnischen Handwerke) demonstrates in the e-House how energy efficiency can already go hand in hand with an increase in comfort and security (Hall 8, Stand J60). Furthermore, the new special show «Digital Building» shows architects, project developers, engineers and others the current state of technology and provides prospects for the next development steps in digitally networked building services technology (open-air area between Halls 8, 9 and 11).

Light for people
For the lighting industry, many issues are this year also revolving around the trend theme of «Human Centric Lighting», that is the biological effect of light. At least after a third photoreceptor in the eye, which controls the day-night rhythm, was discovered in 2002, the lamp and luminaire manufacturers increasingly focus on lighting solutions, which are modelled on the natural course of daylight and thus the original biological rhythm of human beings. Here, the LED technology provides undreamt-of possibilities: biologically effective lighting can improve communication, encourage concentration and support convalescence. It enhances the feeling of wellbeing, which, in turn, promotes creativity, effectiveness and even the propensity to consume. In offices, employees are more effective and focused, their general wellbeing and motivation is increased. In schools, the students’ concentration can be strengthened through lighting, fears can be released and convalescence can be encouraged in hospitals, nursing homes record an increase in the concentration of people suffering from dementia and an improved day-night rhythm. Several examples during the trade fair will demonstrate how far this form of control through light can go. Planners will then be responsible for the discerning future application.

The supporting programme is varied
The Light + Building trade fair is and remains to be an industry platform, novelty show and signpost to the future concerning the topics of light and building services and building technology. Approximately 2,500 exhibitors will demonstrate this to the expected 200,000 visitors on 22 levels respectively an exhibition area of almost 250,000 m², complemented with a varied comprehensive supporting programme including lectures, competitions and special shows for architects, engineers, planners, interior architects, designers and craftsmen as well as trade and industry representatives. There is something for everyone: www.light-building.com/events

Something you should not miss: World-Architects Free Light + Building Guided Tours
In the vast trade fair jungle, it is definitely advantageous to have a competent partner at your side, who guides you to the most important stations. This year, World-Architects will be present as usual with the Guided Tours. During 11 tours, 13 guides will provide a detailed and individual overview of the really important trade fair topics. For about two hours, they will guide architects, interior architects, designers and everyone with an interest in lighting and building services technology through the trade fair halls, always with a special focus on products, manufacturers and also the stand architecture. Representatives at the trade fair stands are critically questioned, subsequent discussions in the group are not only possible but hoped-for. That’s all it takes: on every day of the trade fair, two guided tours are accompanied by our experts from lighting design and architecture.

Tour 01 – Sunday, 13 March – 15:00 to 17:00
Frank Vetter, Day & Light Lichtplanung, München & Christian Heuchel, O&O Baukunst, Köln
Tour 02 – Monday, 14 March – 11:00 to 13:00
Carla Wilkins, Lichtvision Design & Engineering, Berlin, London, Hong Kong
Tour 03 – Monday, 14 March – 15:00 to 17:00
Michael F. Rohde, L-Plan Lighting Design, Berlin
Tour 04 – Tuesday, 15 March – 11:00 to 13:00
Reinhard Germer, L-Plan Lighting Design, Berlin
Tour 05 – Tuesday, 15 March – 15:00 to 17:00
Gabriele Allendorf, Gabriele Allendorf – light identity, München
Tour 06 – Wednesday, 16 March – 11:00 to 13:00
Birgit Walter, BMLD Lighting design, Barcelona
Tour 07 – Wednesday, 16 March – 15:00 to 17:00
Ulrike Brandi, Ulrike Brandi Licht, Hamburg, München
Tour 08 – Thursday, 17 March – 11:00 to 13:00
Wilfried Kramb, a•g Licht, Bonn
Tour 09 –  Thursday, 17 March – 15:00 to 17:00
Andreas Schulz, Licht Kunst Licht AG, Bonn, Berlin
Tour 10 – Friday, 18 March – 11:00 to 13:00
Fernando Rojo, artec3 Studio, Barcelona, México City
Tour 11 –  Friday, 18 March – 14:00 to 16:00
Thomas Geuder, World-Architects & Robert Volhard, Stylepark

Meeting point of free Guided Tours Tours 1-10 is the Lounge in the foyer of Hall 4.2.
Meeting point of free Guided Tour 11  is the Stylepark-Lounge Halle 1.2  1.2 B.51
Registration at: www.world-architects.com/de/pages/page_item/LB-16-L
Multiple registrations are, of course, possible!

Light, art and culture in the evening: World-Architects free Luminale Guided Tours
When the trade fair closes at 18:00, there are many possible ways to explore the topic of «light» in a less commercial, but even more emotional level. For the eighth time, the Luminale invites to the urban light laboratory and floods the city space with creative and innovative installations. Light artists present their latest artworks, design objects, performances, light-sound installations and much more. All venues are perfectly connected by a public bus service – the only nicer way is the World-Architects Guided Tours, which will again exclusively bring participants to selected artworks. In about two and a half hours, a separate bus service will head for highlights, where artists and curators will partly explain their light ideas and be happy to answer questions. Thomas Geuder

The Guided Tours@Luminale take place from 13 to 17 March and always start at 20:00 at the meeting point Paulsplatz/Paulskirche.
Registration at: www.world-architects.com/en/pages/page_item/lb-16-luminale

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More than 600 attendants from 38 countries – In Partnership with Stylepark and Light+Building World-Architects organized 15 free guided tours with 11 lighting designers and journalists.  M. Hank Haeusler, Carla Wilkins, Michael F. Rohde, Reinhard Germer, Gabriele Allendorf, Mark Elliott, Ulrike Brandi, Jan Dinnebier & Jan Blieske and  Thomas Geuder & Robert Volhard. The tours started at the Outlook Lounge Hall 4.2 and lasted approximately 2 hours. Each of them showed individual highlights at Light+Building in Frankfurt from March 30 to April 4 2014. In the evenings March 30 - April 3 also were offered free Guided Tours to Luminale. See some nighttime impressions at the end of this video. (1st day of Light+Buiding & Luminale 2014 | Duration: 4:03 min.)

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