August 5, 2015

July 30, 2015

Celebrating the End of Summer 2015

Oculus celebrated the end of busy summer months and the successful internship of our summer intern, Heejung Son from the MFA program at the Parsons New School of Design.  Dinner was sushi at the newly opened Blue Ribbon Sushi at the Grove, lighting design by Oculus.

We had our fill of sushi and the Blue Ribbon’s famous fried chicken.  Now, with a full stomach and open minds we wait for fall to come.

 

 

July 25, 2015

The Guidance Center Wins AIA Award

The Guidance Center, located in downtown Long Beach, won an AIA New York Interiors Award of Merit. Designed for a low budget, splashes of color in off the shelf luminaires add to the architectural character of the space.  The jurors were “moved by the editing and creative restraint demonstrated in creating a meditative environment in a rehabbed 1950’s Salvation Army building”.

Congratulations and thanks to the project team including design architect Lynch/Eeisinger/Design and executive architect Balian Architects.

July 15, 2015

Congratulations Sarah: Selected as Emerging Lighting Designer

Oculus designer Sarah Wang has been selected as an Emerging Lighting Designer to attend the IALD Enlighten Americas Conference in Baltimore.   Sponsored by the LIRC, this scholarship allows growing lighting designers to gain access to continuing education by attending one of the IALD conferences.  The scholarship includes a full conference pass and a stipend for travel and expenses.

Congratulations Sarah, and thanks for the IALD and LIRC for providing these opportunities.

June 29, 2015

We’ve Moved!

We’ve outgrown our old office and we have moved to a new location in Culver City, with quick access to all areas in and around Los Angeles.

Please come visit us at 5855 Green Valley Circle, Suite 306, Culver City, CA 90230 (our phone numbers remain the same).

May 29, 2015

IOS Opens

Interior Office Solutions’ downtown LA showroom opened last week. Designed in conjunction with Felderman Keatinge + Associates, the lighting for the showroom is almost all LED and meets the latest Title 24 requirements.  A series of design options were studied for the open showroom area, and keeping time and budget in consideration, the Axo Shatter was selected and laid out appropriately in a shatter formation.  Stanley Felderman’s art is featured throughout the space.

The opening was recently published in LA Downtown News.  Head on over for your favorite office furniture solutions, now available in a beautifully designed—and lit—showroom.

March 18, 2015

Reviewing Student Work at SCI-Arc

Archit Jain was invited to be one of four guest critics at the Southern California School of Architecture (SCI-Arc) to review graduate and undergraduate student projects and discuss the role of light and lighting design in architecture. Billed as Light Work, the installation of student work throughout the SCI-Arc building was part of coursework from the Environmental Systems seminar led by faculty  Ilaria Mazzoleni and Russell Fortmeyer.

Other critics included  Light Artist Mads Christensen, and architects John Enright (Griffin Enright Architects) and Jennifer Marmon (PAR, Platform for Research & Architecture).

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January 30, 2015

Google Orange County Wins Interior Design Best of Year Award

Congratulations to RAPT for winning Interior Design’s Best of Year Award for the Large Tech Office Category! It was a pleasure working with them on the tech-giant’s newest Orange County location, where each light fixture is individually controllable and also tracks its own usage data, which together create a considerable amount of information across the 91,000 sqft office. Connecting the different floors of the office is a a steel staircase wrapped in perforated acrylic, which catches the light of RGB LED’s running the entire length of the vertical centerpiece. The Google engineers themselves wrote a program based on the Arduino platform to change the LED’s colors as a real-time response to the amount of traffic along the staircase.

Now, shifting our focus to the realm of interior design in the online space, enthusiasts seeking a blend of sophistication and style can explore an array of options at our curated store. From contemporary lighting solutions to tasteful decor, our collection seamlessly incorporates elements like copper & tweed furniture, bringing warmth and elegance to any space. Whether you’re looking to enhance your home office or revamp your living area, our carefully curated selection ensures that your surroundings reflect the same level of ingenuity and creativity witnessed in RAPT’s award-winning design. Embrace the allure of copper & tweed as you embark on a journey to redefine your living spaces with the same passion and innovation that garnered RAPT its well-deserved accolades in the tech office design realm.

December 23, 2014

November 20, 2014

Murad Retail Featured as one of “Most Beautiful” in LA

Special thanks and congratulations to our architect friends at Shubin + Donaldson for all of our great work on Murad’s first flagship store, recognized as one of “The Most Beautiful New Stores in L.A.”

A combination of recessed linear fluorescent downlights, recessed adjustable accents, and tracklights provide a bright and clean clinical feel without the cold institutional look and with all the warmth of a lifestyle retail store.

October 22, 2014

Oculus Supports IALD LightPlay 2014

Oculus is proud to be a supporter of IALD’s LightPlay at the 2014 Enlighten Americas conference held this year in San Diego, California. Light Play gives students hands-on experience, with the activities varying every year from designing and building light fixtures, to analyzing local exceptional architectural lighting projects, which was this year’s Light Play exercise. It looks like the students (and seasoned professionals involved) had a great time, and we’re happy to be a part of this learning experience!

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October 10, 2014

October 3, 2014

IALD Chase the Dark 2014

Oculus participated in the International Association of Lighting Designers’ Chase the Dark event on October 2nd, 2014.  It was fun and festivities at Santa Monica Beach in the mild Southern California weather.  Sunset was beautiful as were the lanterns crafted by the participants out of one LED module and sheets of paper.

Inspired by Cape Gooseberries, Oculus’ Sarah Wang’s contribution utilized the white paper, strings and amber color gels.

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October 1, 2014

Lighting Today Features AKA Beverly Hills

Our design for AKA Beverly Hill has been featured in the Lighting Today’s July-September issue. Lighting Today is an architectural lighting magazine based in Singapore, and our project appears on page 77 . Click here to read more about the boutique hotel and get a behind-the-scenes look!

 

September 23, 2014

Jane Wins IALD Scholarship

We’re proud to announce that our very own designer Jane You has won an IALD scholarship as an Emerging Lighting Design Professional to attend the IALD Enlighten Americas 2014 conference in San Diego this October.  She will be sponsored by one of many lighting manufacturers who, as members of the Lighting Industry Resource Council, have pledged to “financially support designers within their first five years of on-the-job practice to attend [the conference]” as part of the Emerging Lighting Designers Initiative, which makes it possible for lighting design practices to send their junior staff to continuing education and professional training conferences. Congratulations to Jane, and many thanks to the LIRC for supporting our emerging designers!

September 12, 2014

The BLOC — Coming Soon!

If you’ve driven by the old Macy’s building in Downtown LA recently, you’ll know that it’s undergoing a major renovation. Construction is right on schedule for the BLOC to open in 2015 as Downtown’s newest, hippest city centerpiece. We’ve been working with  Studio One Eleven architects, EPT Design landscape architects, and The Ratkovich Company to create a fresh look for what Angelenos are expecting to be the next big thing in revitalizing LA’s urban lifestyle. With plans to (literally) tear off the glass ceiling and include indie/classic theater Alamo Drafthouse  as well as a long-coveted Trader Joe’s, the BLOC will also be home to a new Metro portal connecting to the subway stop across the street.

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September 4, 2014

What is a Luminaire?

We’re excited that Philips is extending the Hue line beyond lamps and strips to 3d printed luminaires. And in the process also educating the general public on what a luminaire is. Engadget published an article on the topic. We’ve had fun playing with the Hue line, and recently used some in our Conill project where it becomes a low cost, interactive way to bring dynamic color to an office space.

So do remember that a lamp (aka a light bulb), fixture housing, and diffusing medium together make a “luminaire”. Or in Engadget’s words, “…an enclosed light fitting, like a table lamp or a pendant light is technically called a luminaire.” Here’s to the next lighting fixture luminaire schedule.

August 27, 2014

Oculus Wants You!

We are a growing, award-winning lighting design firm located in Santa Monica, California.  We are looking for a full time, entry to mid-level lighting designer to join our talented team and work on a variety of exciting projects located locally, nationally and around the globe.
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August 23, 2014

Welcome to Pirch Dallas

The second Pirch store designed by Oculus opened in Dallas this week and was covered in the Dallas News.  Good aiming at the end of the project is critical, and like the last time, Scott and David spent a total of 24 hours climbing up and down ladders to aim the approximately 1000 adjustable lights in the store (that’s about 500 times each, if you do the math).
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August 6, 2014

Actors’ Equity Moves Into New NoHo Home

Congratulations to The Actors’ Equity Association for opening their first audition center on the West Coast! Oculus was commissioned to design the lighting for the converted warehouse in the North Hollywood Arts District where the union representing stage actors, as reported by the LA Times, now has warm-up and audition rooms, mirrored and ballet-barred dance floors, and private changing rooms in its 18,700 square foot space.

Built in 1948, the warehouse which was once used as as bus depot, has 30-ft high bow truss ceilings with skylights. While the skylights provided a generous amount of light, they became concentrated points of light in the ceiling that made the rest of the space feel dark in contrast. New suspended linear fluorescent fixtures help reduce this contrast and bridge the gap between the lower and higher lighting levels of the warehouse, making a more visually comfortable and enjoyable environment.