Outer Borough Vloerlamp

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The Outer Borough Lamp (OBL) is a free standing modular floor lamp composed of a high-strength cast concrete base and double-leaf steam-bent wooden arm that supports a pendant luminaire. While the OBL is designed to stand completely on its own merit it is also fundamentally collaborative in spirit as it is designed with the confidence to equally support the pendants of other designers. The two leafs of the arm come together for a common goal. The common goal is to support the work of others.

Dimensions & Packaging

Assembled size is 250 mm x 305 mm x 2450 mm. Weight is 30 kg. Lamp base and arm ship separately.

Tags

floor lamp, designer lamp, concrete lamp, concrete, pendant, Brooklyn designer, Outer Borough

Production Technology

A high-strength self-consolidating concrete mix with water-reducers, defoamers, pozzolans and fiber reinforcing is poured into a steel water-jet cut mold with all fittings, adjustable feet & electrical housings cast in place. The surface of the cured base is then densified, polished, sealed and burnished for a very hard reflective finish. The oak-wood arms are steam-bent and shaped on a jig before connecting to the base with stainless steel spacers and black-oxide connectors. Electronics are then installed and soldered with a computer connector inlet at the back and a standard outlet at the top next to a switch or dimmer.

Design Challenge

The difficult part is the fun part of realizing a design where the chemistry needs to come together with the behavior of materials so at the end of the process the bent wood aligns perfectly with the connectors cast into the concrete base. The modularity of the system and components requires an additional layer of coordination across the manufacturing of swappable parts.

Research

Most technical research was conducted regarding the concrete mix for an eco-friendly material, chemical and production process. Lamps are sized to consume exact quantities of industry standard supply quantities, meaning there is nearly zero waste with the production of each lamp. Social research was conducted to determine a floor-lamp platform that would comfortably support a large array of designers' pendants in high-demand today. The lamp was also designed to fall below the maximum weight limits for the most popular consumer shipping options.

Inspiration

Concrete is age-old but today it is very high-tech. It is the new stone. It can be cast, it is authentic, eco-friendly, expressive and with today's science it can be very precise. Steam-bending wood is also age-old; an honest manipulation of that which grows from the earth. This material honesty is inspiring. The recent quest of our culture to be inclusive has inspired this design to reach out with confidence to collaborate with those outside its own identity. Plus I also needed a floor lamp.

Project Duration

This project is on-going as new collaborations begin and materials, finishes and hardware are customized to compliment the pendants of alternate designers.

Operation Flow

Lamp assembly by two people; one holding the arm and one connecting the fasteners. Can be done in less than 5 minutes. Plug the pendant into the top of the lamp base. Plug the power supply from the wall outlet to the back of the lamp base. On/off is controlled by the switch or dimmer at the top of the lamp base. Adjustable feet at the bottom of the base can correct for un-even floors.

Patents

Patent pending