56|PROTAGONISTA for a space (store, home, offices, etc.)? When I start a project, I like to visit the place, sit there, stand for a while and appraise the influence of the environment and the alignment of the building. This varies according to time of day and season of the year. Everything has an incidence, and even though it’s the perfect pair, it’s the most complicated thing you can find in a project. Artificial light is very easy to control at nighttime, when it’s dark outside, and in many spaces we can make it work during the day. Finding the exact point in artificial light that will generate an atmosphere suitable for the objective we have in mind for a space, is very complex. Many hours have to be dedicated to discovering how the environment affects the space. Time bands have to be considered because in the end, at night, all cats are black (laughter). In an office, where people work mainly during the day, lighting is very important, because it will be closed during the night, except for few exceptions. A pleasant and comfortable work space, with no light pollution has to be sought. It has been proven that light affects 20% of the productivity in workers, so creating such an atmosphere is the most complex part of the project. Knowing how to alternate ambient light with focal light, cool light with warm light is very important. Taking care of these specific issues will achieve the desired state for the worker. Which light or combination of lights result in more productivity in an office? Now a days, LED lighting is prevailing due to its low usage and because it eliminates the invisible blinking of the magnetic ballasts, let alone the electronic ones; those have really evolved. The topic of avoidance of visual fatigue should be a priority in an office space. It should be well furnished and comply with the minimum regulations. At the same time, it should have warm lighting, focal lights, and even decorative ones. Light in a work space is fundamental. Without a doubt, the importance of energy savings cannot be overstated. You have received many awards: the Global Quality Gold, a Quatrium Award and an iPlus. Most of the projects your studio does are from the Retail world. What is your favorite thing to do in this field? The most important thing in a Retail project is to generate profit for our clients; what we do should translate in sales for him. I like to know, first hand, that none of our clients has failed or closed their businesses. I am passionate about time management; these are projects that have to be designed and executed in a short period of time. We work many types of Retail and in every one of them chromatic reproduction is paramount; you cannot have light distorting the textures and objects being sold in the store. Also, it is interesting to use light to control the transition moments of the clients when moving along a specific space; if it can create apexes and focal points it translates in increased sells, especially impulse sales. There is a saying in the Retail world: “Where there is water there is life”, but I say, where there is light there is sales and money. Well applied light can generate greater interest in clients. Think of a museum, a work of art is already a work of art per se, with an artist and an implied recognition but above all it is well illuminated. We all have heard the joke about a painting of no value being hung, well illuminated, in a museum and people end up contemplating it. Light increases value in any given work, regardless of which work. So, light ends up fulfilling the role of visual marketing. That’s correct. It’s in the branding. A large part of the importance of a brand is created with light. Now a days there are multiple technologies that can be used to install these type of systems: chromo therapy, dimers, etc. With them you can create any emotion desired. How does lighting influence the experience a shopper has in a store? In every sense. Its importance is predominant in any project, not only in Retail. The type of clients that will visit the store has to be considered. If there is bad lighting or light pollution, the customer will leave the store earlier; it is the same with sound or anything that affects the senses. We have been using the “odotype” for 10 years now, which is assigning the same importance to the smell of a brand as to the logotype.