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Everything Is Illuminated

If you’re unsure how strongly interior lighting affects us, just conjure up two images: one of the flat, fluorescent glare of a McDonalds at 3am, and the other of a cosy low-lit bistro, with tables centred under gentle pools of light. Good light is vital to good health, says lighting designer Helmut Waldhuber, and his new company, Lightgeist, is all about inproving people’s lives through light. “Light works on a subtle level where it affects the human spirit,” he explains. “Our emotional reaction to buildings is shaped by the control of light and shadow.”

Lightgeist (a name inspired by Waldhuber’s German heritage) is an architectural lighting firm, meaning that the lighting is the focus, not the lights themselves. “For me, architectural lighting is not about product. The product is only a tool to facilitate a lighting effect and should be ideally concealed,” says Waldhuber. “In that sense, what you see is a play of light and shadow that illuminates the architecture and takes the spirit of light beyond the four walls.”

Waldhuber knows a thing or two about artfully lighting subjects to accentuate their best angles. For several years he worked around the world as a model, before settling in New Zealand in early 2003. After working with the lighting firm Lumen Design, he launched Lightgeist this year. Recently, he has completed work on a private residence in Wanaka with Peter Sargisson, is designing a lighting upgrade for Red11 Models (his New Zealand agency) and is developing an architectural lighting range in collaboration with a company in Singapore, using LED technology and renewable sources.

Lighting is something that should be considered at the earliest stages of the architectural process, he says. “I am also very determined that my projects are not only good looking but also utilise energy-efficient lighting systems.” He draws inspiration from several designers, including Richard Kelly (“the Godfather of architectural lighting”) and Motoko Ishii, a fine arts-trained lighting designer who is one of the most successful female designers in a male-dominated industry. But mostly, he finds his ideas in an esoteric way, from the ‘geist’ or ‘spirit’ referred to in the company name. “To be inspired is to be in spirit, to be connected with the divine. So I am inspired by anything that touches me on a deeper level; beautiful music, stunning architecture, ingenious product design or breathtaking nature. Often I get ideas when I meditate, when I put my ego aside.” MW

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