Cube by Benjamin Kamp
Industrial designer, Benjamin Kamp, explains that the simple reason behind the name of this project is that it closely resembles a Cube in dimension and shape. The Cube series of lights came about through Hunza Lighting’s need for a square range of LED product. The first prototypes and concepts began in early 2013 and the product was launched around 6 months later. Read on and enjoy!
New LED technology has allowed Light fittings to become much smaller. They no longer have to conform to the round form factor of previous light sources. With this in mind I set out to produce the smallest practical square light fittings I could. I love simple machined metal and the aesthetic it produces. This industrial look has been carried through the range.
- Benjamin Kamp
The Cube range started as concepts on paper but I quickly moved into 3D modelling as this allows me to solve a lot of the dimension issues quickly. It also helps to work out what processes will be required for manufacturing. We then did a lot of prototyping. All the prototypes were made from the final production materials as this allowed us to carry out heat and ingress protection (water proof) testing. Once we had proved the design with the final prototypes the final drawings were produced and the products manufactured.
- Benjamin Kamp
The tools used in designing the Cube range were good old pen and paper, Alibre Design for the 3D modelling and then CNC multi axis mills and lathes for the machining of prototypes and production runs. I like simple bold geometry so that was where it started. Modern architecture often uses strong industrial, geometric forms. I wanted the Cube range to fit with this aesthetic despite its small size.
- Benjamin Kamp
There are always challenges in producing anything for the electrical/ lighting industry. Electrical safety standards can always be tricky. In many cases the standards are not being updated fast enough for the constantly developing LED market. The other challenge that is always present is producing a product that is simple to install without compromising the look of the product. The small size of the Cube range compounded this issue. There were many prototypes in the development. It is hard to put a number on this as some of the models had more then others. There have also been on-going tweaks to dimension since launch to improve various aspects of the product.
- Benjamin Kamp
About Benjamin Kamp
Benjamin Kamp is an Industrial designer at Victoria University school of Architecture and design. He is now based in Auckland New Zealand. He has been working in the Lighting Industry designing products for Hunza lighting for 3 ½ years now. Prior to this, he worked worked for myself. Also, his focus tends to be more technical lighting product aimed at outdoor/ architectural applications. Despite specialising in lighting, it is not his sole focus, he loves most forms of product design and appreciate all forms of creativity. You can find more of his works on his Behance profile.