Amy Lin and James Chavel
Title:
Braque's Colander
Concept Statement:
We wanted to create a light that was both formal and ephemeral at the same time, and to bring that from the surface of a wall, giving form to a light that isn’t literally a crystal, but has the characteristics of a crystal. This began with a simple idea of folding a sheet, like the outer paper layer of a sheet of drywall, and folding it over to create a small space to house a lamp, then manipulating the sheet in different ways to create multiple layers or intensities of light. The pulling and layering and folding of this sheet, which started as paper and then chipboard and finally sheet steel, is like the pinch of a walls surface, creating form where once there was nothing. Most wall sconces throw light in an even, predictable manner. We wanted to create a lamp that emitted light in different and unexpected ways, much like when a crystal receives light, it bends it in different ways, creating shadows and lightness around it. The form of our light is definitive both at day and night, becoming both light and alternately dark – transmitting light in layers, in different directions, at different levels of brightness.
Project Specs:
Size - 450mm tall x 300mm wide x 100mm deep
Fabrication - Laser cut 12 gauge steel plate. Brake formed. Welded. Powder coat paint finish.
Electrical - Two A-Type 120 volt lamp sockets mounted end to end. Two - 12w dimmable LED Lamps @ 4000K.
Bio:
Amy Lin and James Chavel are principals of Suulin Architects, a five-person architecture firm located in Toronto and New York. Amy and James started their collaboration at Shim-Sutcliffe Architects in 2008, working as project architects on the new home for the Sisters of St. Joseph. After completion of this project, they established Suulin Architects in 2014.
Amy and James have practiced the art of building for almost 20 years. Before working at SSA, Amy was previously an associate and senior designer at Ennead Architects, and James Chavel was a project architect at Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.
We place great emphasis on enhancing connections to nature, and awareness of the environment. Suulin means 'forest' in Taiwanese, which partly derives from the meaning of our combined names, while also serving to mark our commitment to the environment. Our aim is to approach architecture collaboratively, with our clients and our builders, as well as holistically, ensuring that our consideration encompasses different scales and speeds.
We are currently working on projects in Canada and the US.
Country of Origin:
Toronto / New York