SOCIALIGHT

SOCIALIGHT

(Source: Alexandre Guilbeault, M.Arch. CLU Foundation Board Member)

The 2013 edition of the CLU Foundation’s competition brings the participants to reflect on the role of lighting in the urban areas of tomorrow. Whether it be a citizen, an end-user or a resident, how can lighting create a sociality between these individuals and meet their different needs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE THEME

« To an era of strictly functional public lighting followed a period where using lighting as tools of heritage beautification developed rapidly. Wouldn’t it now be time to think of the users and to invent what we could call a social light, meaning a light and ambiance responsive to the needs, the experiences and emotions of the users and citizens? » -  Roger Narboni : Ambiances et atmosphère en lumière urbaine

The 2013 edition of the CLU Foundation’s competition invites participants to consider the role of lighting in the urban areas of tomorrow. Think of the future. Imagine urban neighborhoods where there are, for example, no cars, that the territory belongs to the people and that we put value in community, natural, recreational and social environments. Whether it be a citizen, resident or end-user, how can lighting be conceived around this individual with needs, emotions and desires. Professionals in landscape architecture, architecture or urban planning recognize that neighborhoods need to reinvent themselves. We must put aside our paradigms and open ourselves to new ideas.

Functional needs of urban lighting, such as security, traffic and signaling, have been met with rational responses by designers. But if we look at lighting solutions from a completely different angle, bringing light to a person could generate a feeling of well-being, a sense of belonging to a place or be a way to create a strong identity. In this context, should we review the traditional luminous object that can be found everywhere? How will this physically change the light source?

Without falling into the clichés of Utopia,

• How will the many technological innovations in light help us improve the urban experience?
• How will they shape the life of the city in various public spaces, parks, and other areas that make up a neighborhood?
• How will the different modes of transport influence the way we illuminate the city?
• Will we use street lighting as tools that will improve and favor the well-being of the user, as tools of communication or as tools to create different moods?

It is clear that with the transformation of urban centers, we will need to propose new solutions to adjust to the new urban realities. These are questions that challenge the members of the CLU Foundation. Now it is up to you, lighting entusiasts, to reflect and propose your vision of the role of urban lighting for tomorrow.

REGISTRATION

Registration to the 2013 CLU fondation contest is free. Deadline for contest inscription is : 12th of september 2013, 23h59 (GMT-5) To obtain all rules and regulations to the contest and assure that all your questions are answered please fill out the registration form.

http://www.lumec.com/company/fondation_clu_2013-edition.html

AWARDS

Winners will be selected from all projects received. Prizes will be awarded on merit by a Jury composed of professionals from international renown in such fields as design and urban planning. The prizes will be distributed as follow:

• 1st Prize 2 500$
• 2nd Prize 1 500 $
• 3rd Prize 1 000 $

SCHEDULE

13th of march 2013: Launch of the 2013 Edition
09th of septembre 2013: Deadline for submittal of questions
12th of september 2013, 23h59 (GMT-5): Deadline for contest registration
13th of september 2013, 23h59 (GMT-5): Deadline for project submittal
October 2013: Publication of winners

QUESTIONS

All questions must be submitted before 9th of september 2013 and addressed to:
mailto:[email protected]

No individual questions will be answered, but a FAQ page at the CLU foundation website will be updated regularly.