Find the appropriate translucent surface for backlighting that will best suit the design aesthetic of your next signature feature
Over the last 20 years we have dedicated our research on the relationship between unique translucent materials and the structure and backlighting systems that bring them to life. We have become meticulous in finding the right balance in these systems, as each and every one of the surfaces we use has its own transformative qualities unto itself. Your signature piece of work starts with finding the appropriate surface, and it is our collaborative process that will help you determine the appropriate surface options that best suit your design aesthetic.
Looking for a timeless, organic material? When milled to only a few millimeters, onyx, quartz and marble become magnificently translucent, creating a palette of colors and variations that only Mother Nature can provide. Stone has inherently different layers, inflections and depth that varies piece to piece. With so much variety, it is important to design with predictive “locational lighting control” to better balance the not so subtle differences within each piece of stone. Finding harmony, while allowing the stone to express its own distinct character is the precedence.
Stone holds unique movement and graining characteristics that add texture and depth to any space. Created with real, exotic stone, extracted directly from stone quarries, DURA-Lite™ is custom sourced and manufactured per project. Laminated to ANSI rated safety glass for improved translucency, our thin panels allow for larger pieces, less seams, more precise book-matching, and reduced installation times.
Types of natural stone:
- Onyx
- Alabaster
- Quartz
- Marble
- Agglomerates
- Other natural stones
Thomas Lawrence, the founder and director of GPI with over 20 years experience in stone sourcing, discusses the inherent variances in natural stone and onyx and how to best navigate the specification process.
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Looking to design with backlit glass? An illuminated glass surface can help define your space with a clean aesthetic. As the main source of lighting or simply as a decorative lighting support piece, glass portrays a modern feel, timeless and pure. GPI Design offers a variety of custom glass options to create stylish designs that help make bold statements. However, glass poses unique challenges as the illuminated surface will often vary with the slight color variances inherent in monolithic and laminated glass manufacturing. Offering a full understanding of these and other backlighting challenges, GPI is proficient in providing guidance with your specific arrangement.
Engineering considerations for backlit glass systems need unique structural support and proper lighting design strategies to produce a unblemished result. Transparency levels found in glass surfaces demand careful consideration when engineering the structural support systems as structure can often create unwanted shadow lines and cold spots projected on the surface. The same attention must be paid to the LED lighting design and diffusion cavity to avoid hot spots and halo effects that will occur when using highly translucent glass surfaces.
Types of Glass Surfaces:
- Structural, tempered and safety glass
- Starfire™ crystal clear glass
- Printed glass, textured, frosted, painted, etched
- Laminated, organic laminations, 3-D laminations
- Art Glass, Digital replications, on, behind, or within the glass surface
- 100% Post-Consumer & Post-Industrial recycled glass
- IGU’s
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Looking to create a one of a kind impression? As a studio full of artists and creatives, we have a deep appreciation for original works. Trust us to study how to arrange a backlit feature appropriate to your print or graphic art. We understand the impact backlighting can have on a painted or printed piece. Whether its canvas, stretch-fabric, paper or silk, each substrate offers its own unique transformative qualities. Our expertise will help you find the right recipe of illumination and display.
Often, GPI works directly with the artist to ensure the original art isn’t compromised with backlighting strategies. With the addition of light, structure and framing, even simple works prove difficult and unpredictable. Variables such as intensity of the LED’s, color temperature, and beam spread can further impact appearance, compounding aesthetic and performance issues. In the end, our compulsory full size mock-up allows a proof of concept to take place, and offers verification that our means and methods are the best approach for your specific piece. After years of working with different combinations of art and light, you will feel confident your original work will be kept in its pristine, museum quality form.
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Did you know that wood is translucent? When certain wood species are refined and carefully milled, they become brilliantly luminous. Fabricated to under .5 mm thick and laminated between two protective glass panels, wood veneer becomes unexpectedly lucent while retaining its natural, organic beauty. Undulating grains, subtle imperfections, fine patterns and textures, and warm tonalities are revealed when illuminated with our custom LED backlighting systems. Unlike any other material, our unique Flicche™ ultra-thin wood panels embody the treasured warmth and timelessness of age-old wood in the most redefined art form.
- Custom-sourced wood veneer material types
- Specialty process eliminates seams and stitching for continuous panels
- Strong patterning and visual impact with minimal material thickness
- The appearance of traditional millwork panels when not illuminated, dramatically transformed with backlighting.
- Compatible with glass hardware systems
- Available in large format
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Considering backlighting a versatile material available in several different vibrant colors? With the correct lighting techniques, resin and acrylic surfaces can provide intense color and imaginative possibility. With the capacity to be thermoformed for radius corners, curved bar tops, and circular column wraps, options with acrylics are unlimited. The lightweight nature of resin and acrylic panels offer more simple installation methods with modest structural support systems.
Many resin-based products are so translucent, attention to the structural systems and lighting design need to be considered for more evenly lit miters and to properly eliminate shadows, hot spots or visual identification of the structure and the light source itself. We work with the largest producers of formed acrylic to customize your specific design so you can entrust us to guide you through the process of creating your unique backlit acrylic feature.
Types of Resin/Acrylic Surfaces:
- Recycled resin
- Recycled acrylic
- Faux stone
- 3-D Laminated
- Filter panels
- Honeycomb composites
- Faceted acrylic panels
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