The Strike a Light Podcast

About twenty years ago, I received a phone call from an architect who was in a bit of a panic over a rather gorgeous, listed Arts and Crafts house. They were struggling with the lighting scheme and wanted to know exactly where they should place the recessed downlighters. My response was simple: why on earth are you considering using recessed downlighters in an Arts and Crafts house at all? That single question won me the project (and a client for many years to come), but it highlights a much larger, systemic problem . . . we have stopped asking whether we need downlights, and instead immediately jump to how many we can cram into a ceiling.

To understand how we ended up with the ubiquitous, flat-faced GU10 LED retrofits that plague modern homes, we have to look back at the history of the beast. From the heat-emitting PAR38s of the 1970s and Erco's gorgeous dark-light fixtures to the low-voltage MR16 revolution, the downlight was originally designed as a high-quality tool for precise highlighting. But then the accountants and electricians got involved, the transformers were binned in favour of mains voltage, and the quality of the light beam was sacrificed for cheap convenience. So, lighters all, where did downlighting go so horribly wrong, and how do we start designing with light rather than just holes in the plaster?? Let's take a walk down memory lane.

Podcast: The Strike a Light Podcast

"Well, hello everyone. It's John Bullock and I'm talking about downlighters and I'm asking the question of where did it all go so horribly wrong because I feel that it has. Downlighter, what do we mean by downlighter? I think we all know what we mean by a downlighter..."

When did our ceilings become Swiss cheese? In this episode of the Strike a Light Podcast, John Bullock takes a solo deep dive into the history, technology, and commercial drivers behind the ubiquity of the recessed downlight, asking why an industry that once focused on high-quality highlighting has settled for flat-faced, glare-heavy, cheap retrofits.

John tracks the evolution of downlighting from the 100W tungsten heat-sources of the 1970s and Erco’s innovative "dark light" reflectors to the massive disruption caused by General Electric’s 12V MR16 dichroic lamp. He highlights how pioneers like John Cullen demonstrated the artistic power of downlighting when used for highlighting, rather than flooding a space with uniform glare. The downfall began when the market pivoted to mains-voltage GU10 halogen lamps and later flat-faced LEDs, abandoning optical control and light quality in favour of cheap fixtures that are highly profitable for wholesalers and easy for contractors to install.

Reflecting on my own nocturnal escapades, I recall numerous occasions when the debate over the necessity of night lighting became particularly personal. Picture this: stumbling in the pitch black, narrowly avoiding collision with an unexpectedly placed planter. This oft-repeated tale leads us to a broader discourse in our industry: How much light is too much, and can we ever strike the ideal balance?? Truth be told, our love affair with lighting has sometimes cast our nights into a synthetic brightness, chasing the shadows away at a cost we might not fully appreciate.

Enter our latest chinwag on the podcast, where Chris and I delve into this age-old issue. We're exploring the intersection of necessity, vanity, and sustainability in nighttime lighting. With local authorities flexing their regulatory muscles and the environmental impact starting to niggle at our conscience, it's time we asked: do we truly need light at night or have we created an artificial dependency? Lighters all, it's a conversation that might just illuminate your thinking...

Podcast name: "The Strike a Light Podcast"

Well, hello everyone again. This is Strike A Light podcast from The Light Review. My name's John Bullock. I'm here with our good friend Chris Fordham. And we are going to look at the knotty question of whether we really need light at night.

Is it a necessity or a nuisance? John and Chris embark on a spirited discussion about the role of light in our nocturnal lives, questioning the balance between comfort and overkill. From rural lanes to urban sprawls, they dissect the sometimes absurd extremes of our illuminated nights. The episode probes into whether we've been blinded by our own creations, scrutinising the pervasive belief that more light equates to greater safety.

The duo also touch on lighting as a status symbol, a beacon of vanity that often leaves energy efficiency and environmental responsibility in its shadow. As they navigate through anecdotal tales and industry perspectives, John and Chris challenge the listener to rethink what truly constitutes "necessary" lighting during the darker hours.

The consensus? Start from absolute darkness and carefully introduce incremental light only where it's truly necessary. It's about crafting a balanced environment that nurtures both humanity and nature without drowning in a sea of artificial light. John and Chris argue for a smarter, more thoughtful approach to night lighting design, one that respects the planet while serving the people.