Application fields
‘Har Hollands Lichtarchitect’, founded in 1998, is an independent operating lighting design office. Although based in Eindhoven , ‘the city of light’, in the Netherlands, we work internationally. Our lighting design services are aimed for creating appropriate and adaptable architectural lighting effects and climates for respectively the exterior of buildings and for interior spaces. We also design the lighting for shopping centres, public – paved or green – areas, historical sites, industrial heritage, landmarks and civil works of engineering. We also create autonomous lighting installations where the poetic, dramatic and magical power of light will be exploited.
Our mission
Light to us generates a feeling of safety and security, facilitates orientation, is a powerful means for communication, strengthens the unique qualities of moments and places, creates atmosphere and acts like a magical tool during the hours of darkness: The domain of fantasy. A lighting effect and lighting climate satisfies functional, aesthetical and emotional needs; we try to integrate these various aspects by translating pragmatic demands into a fascinating night-time experience.
Scope of services
Our services range from concept development via lighting visualization, animation & demonstration to a detailed lighting plan with product specification and if required support on site during installation. During the design process we always stay in close contact with the client for translating his wishes into the most appropriate lighting effects. Special attention in our design process goes to the adaptability of the lighting to the scenario of use and to the time of the year, week and day. Light can be made dynamic in such a way, that the lighting moves us.
Our Approach
The first question we ask is why light is needed. Light for safety, orientation, communication, promotion, identity, well-being, atmosphere, entertainment or for the creation of an autonomous light artwork. The need for light is made clear by determining whether the light is needed to see something, to be seen and/or to experience something or in other words, the light is a generator of safety, form and/or emotion.
The perceptual, functional aspects of lighting can be specified in recommended values for light intensity, uniformity, light contrasts, colour temperature and colour rendering, the balance between direct and indirect light, the direction of light, etc.
The image and atmospheric aspects must be visualised and animated in the case of dynamic effects. There are no measurable values for this. What is important here is how the quality of light affects the experience of textures, space and time. How does light model objects in relation to space, how does it determine contrasts, rhythms and hierarchy? What attracts attention? Does light contribute to the ‘genius loci? What colour of light can give a place or space an extra meaning? Which lighting makes the situation more attractive for social encounters, more inviting, more festive or more distinguished? In answering the above questions, it is much more likely that the proposed light effect or climate will meet all the requirements: The functional, aesthetic and emotional needs. During the design process, inspiration can be found in nature, music, dance and/or in the visual arts such as photography, film, architecture, etc. In this associative process the focus is on the imagination, which is fed by an idea or experience; preferably an experience from our collective memory.
Our Inspiration
Light effects from nature such as lightning, a starry sky, the northern lights, fire, the reflection pattern of moving water, a luminous squid hit us the most. This is probably because these experiences are physiologically anchored by a long evolutionary process. These conscious and unconscious experiences are also shared with other people. Seneca said ‘omnis ars imitatio et naturae’: All art is imitation of nature. These phenomena are also characterized by their continuous changeability. The fascination of light is that ‘something’ is revealed in a certain way and that something shows itself in a different way through a slow or rapid change in the lighting.
Inspiration can also be found in music, dance and in the visual arts such as photography, painting, film, architecture and in the work of other light architects and light artists.
Staff
Har Hollands
Founder and senior lighting designerRoel Hofman
Senior lighting designer
Graduated in the early 1980s from ‘Eindhoven University of Technology’, department of ‘Architecture and Urbanism’. After his studies, he worked as a lighting designer for 14 years at the Lighting Design & Application Centre of ‘Philips Lighting’. Started in 1998 with the office for architectural lighting: ‘Har Hollands Lichtarchitect’. From 2010 until 2014 he was curator of the light festival GLOW in Eindhoven. For several years he was a fellow at the Intelligent Lighting Institute of the Eindhoven University of Technology. He is also a former professional member of the ‘International Association of Lighting Design’.
After his studies at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of Eindhoven University of Technology, he joined Har Hollands Lichtarchitect in 2008.
Fascinated by nature and it’s power to surprise in terms of the magical evolution into unforeseen structures, entities and phenomena; the power of simplicity contrasted by incomprehensibly complex systems where often form follows function. Besides being a big inspiration in my work as lighting designer it also is a major part of my life during my spare time when I love to go hiking, cycling and camping.
Hala Tawil
Visual productionAd van der Kolk
IT Department
Hala Tawil holds a Master of Fine Arts from Design Academy Eindhoven and a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. In her own artistic practice, Hala works with narrative text, video and sculpture.
Graduated in 1980 from Delft University of Technology, department of ‘Mathematics’. After a career in modelling sea currents at a Government agency of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, more and more involved in IT and internet busines. At HarHollands, Ad is responsible for the IT infrastructure, website development and communication. His special interest is in data analysis and AI.
Internship
We are always looking for highly motivated students. Herewith we invite you to apply for an internship for making visualisations and animations. As being a small office, without almost no hierarchy, the interns will also being ask to take an active role in the lighting design process. We expect from you to become a team member that enriches our working environment. An applicant should be familiar to work with Photoshop, InDesign and AfterEffects. Recommended is some knowledge of Word, Excel, Illustrator, SketchUp, AutoCAD and Keynote.
If you are interested please send us a brief motivational letter with CV, portfolio and preferable some recommendations.
Cooperation
‘Har Hollands Lichtarchitect’ is an independent operating lighting design office; it has no commercial ties with the lighting industry or suppliers of lighting equipment. However we stay, for the benefit of our clients, in contact with possible suppliers for keeping us informed about the latest developments of the lighting technology. We prefer to specify off-shelf products, occasionally however purpose-made products may be required; in the latter case we work together with other companies for the development and production of special-made lighting fixtures. Also suppliers, on behalf of our clients, will be contacted for product information and for making lighting calculations. We also work together, when dealing with complex dynamic lighting installations, with specialists on lighting controls and steering equipment. Specific knowledge about video projections, led screens, laser applications etcetera will be gained from experienced third parties. For some projects we cooperate with other designers and architects. For making lighting plans we, depending of our workload, involve others such as draughtsmen, illustrators and animators.
