As sustainability becomes an increasingly inevitable design element, designers are approaching this unwritten brief from various directions. In our last post, we looked at lighting design from an almost purely granola perspective (or edible, at any rate) – this time the point of view and execution are solidly industrial. Both will appeal, but perhaps to different users.

There may be an element of playfulness to the Allsteel Link light designed by Peter Stathis of San Francisco’s Virtual Studio, but the energy-saving aspect manages to outshine the task light’s good looks and fun factor. The combination of sustainability, performance and style led to the ICFF Editors Award for Best Lighting at New York’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair in 2008, when Link was first unveiled.

Produced by Pablo Designs, the Link’s head, which also functions as its handle, is fitted with 18 high-power LEDS. Only 7.5 watts of energy are used – that’s 97% less than task lights with incandescent light bulbs and 40% less than compact fluorescent lamps. In the long run, Link will last for at least 20,000 hours, or a minimum of 10 to 15 years of daily use.

Apart from the energy savings, Link’s carbon footprint is considerably less than most. Its internal wiring has been eliminated, thanks to a conductive aluminium skin that delivers the power. The use of minimal components results in low waste manufacturing and the ones that have been used are designed for disassembly, so the light is also 97% recyclable.

Stathis stresses that the energy-saving result is the single most important sustainability factor in the success of the Link. “It cannot be underestimated how significant the advanced high-power LED array, functioning with a very low electrical consumption, offers to a positive environmental contribution.” At the same time, the designer acknowledges that more comes into play and that the process as a whole must be considered. “By radically minimizing the number of component parts typically necessary for this type of lighting fixture (all charged with performing more than one single-function), and reducing their overall mass to only that which is deemed essential, a behind-the-scenes goal of hyper-efficient manufacturing and best environmental stewardship is achieved.”

The Tool/Toy approach was significant in Link’s conception. Stathis explains, “Simply put, a Tool/Toy highlights a combination of hard performance needs and soft emotional wants, signaling a new, complex and contradictory set of values shaping those products striving to find authenticity in today’s marketplace. People NEED tools to satisfy particularly definable physiological and functional purposes. People WANT toys to represent their social image and satisfy their more emotive needs.” This element allows users to play with Link while getting the most out of it. The halo-like head offers 180-degree movement when adjusted to provide precise task lighting; it might not be exactly like grabbing the brass ring, but a certain amount of satisfaction is derived from making the adjustment. Cool heads will prevail, of course, and this is made possible by a solid-state chip-on-board LED technology that keeps hands comfortable when directing the flow of light.

Link’s cradle-to-cradle design is based on clean manufacturing that allows it to be European RoHS compliant and currently surpasses all upcoming California energy mandate standards. Its efficiency is derived not only from its sensible use of energy, but the employment of essential elements only.