Amanda Ryan -
The process of creating a piece of backlit onyx is one of transformation. From raw material extracted from the earth, onyx material undergoes a series of changes in making it to a final installation, illuminated in its glory. The characteristics of the stone shift at every step in the production process, making the upfront selection […]
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The world of design is brimming with new developments in up-and-coming technology, product launches, and the next big ideas. Take the Scribble pen, for example. Any Photoshop devotee would be thrilled that the “eyedropper” tool has come to life, meaning that you can use the pen to grab a color from any real-life object and […]
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Last winter, the GPI Design team was commissioned to engineer one very unique feature wall in the lobby of 150 Elgin Street in Ottawa, Ontario. Within the main lobby of this 21-story office complex, the designers at NEUF Architect(e)s and ownership at Morguard Investments imagined a glowing onyx wall to dazzle visitors and tenants. Intended […]
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We just started experimenting with our new Instagram account! Our design team is sharing images of our process that provide a peek into our day-to-day life here at GPI. If you are on Instagram you can catch those glimpses by following @gpidesign. So far we are enjoying this app for its ability to collapse […]
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GPI Design collaborated on a mock-up and then installation of a backlit recycled glass entry portal for a commercial office building in New York City. We are backlighting a dense recycled glass with significant natural variance and texture, which means that our backlighting solutions have to be responsive and flexible. The light blending strategies constantly […]
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As we welcome 2013, the team at GPI has been reminiscing about our favorite backlit projects completed in the last year and brainstorming on what experiences we can take forward into the new year. From backlit 3Form desks in Cleveland to backlit exotic wood in Washington D.C. to a custom onyx barfront in Bahrain, here […]
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After the initial exchange with the interior designers at Darrell Schmitt Design Associates back in the beginning of 2011, this backlit onyx dining table has slowly and steadily come to fruition. GPI Design was originally intended to just provide the material for a backlit onyx tabletop for a private residence in the Middle East. Four […]
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For the National Cancer Institute project which we’ve been working on for months, GPI had the pleasure of presenting our mock-up of the very unique backlit wood system last week in Washington, D.C. Above: Initial project rendering by HOK Over three years ago, Bill Hellmuth of HOK envisioned these unique backlit feature walls to bring […]
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Onyx itself is a luxurious material, and when integrated with the proper backlighting techniques the layers and depth of the stone is further brought to life. You’re investing money and design time into this natural product, so consider the following tips to properly showcase the natural beauty of onyx: 1. Choose an onyx stone variety […]
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We’re working on illuminating a commercial lobby floor for a project in Perth, Australia. To firm up our strategies, the specified glass panels were shipped to us so we could study their relationship to our backlighting. Creating even illumination for this highly translucent glass surface in a load bearing floor application presented a fun challenge […]
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We’re so pleased with the progression of this backlit glass floor installation at the Dallas Convention Center Hotel, we wanted to share the on-site photos immediately! The project is another great testament to the importance of not only mock-ups, testing, and coordination from one source, but also to being flexible and ready on-site with an […]
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Original blog post: Contact closures, relays, Cue servers, DMX decoder units, din rails… if you’re a conceptual designer, you’re probably not too interested in what those mean, but when implemented through a thoughtful electrical engineering process, these items can add a whole new element of fluctuation to your spaces. Imagine synchronizing the vertical movement of […]
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Natural sunlight is a seamless light that provides enveloping spatial qualities, free from interruption. With designers increasingly turning to nature for design inspiration, recreating this smooth quality can be tricky with artificial lighting technology. How do you avoid choppy, spotty, discontinuous appearance within your artificial lighting sources? When translating your design from small samples to […]
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