The 2019’s Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) has been announced, which in turn has brought a viable reason to celebrate for Apure, the innovative lighting manufacturer. The company’s Minus LED lighting series, crafted to disappear into a space, has been adjudged winner of this year’s AMP for illumination. The company has developed a clear revolutionary lighting design which is perceptible even when the product is not. The prestigious award celebrates design excellence and innovation across 41 categories in architectural, interior, and landscape design, recognising outstanding products and materials.
The AMP is the fourth international award in a row for Apure’s patented Minus series, the first ever LED downlight with the capacity to recess in less than one inch (<25mm). With nearly imperceptible LEDs, the series that comes in several forms is designed to offer soft light in tune with the seamless modern interiors. The Minus One comes in round finish; the Minus Two is a square louver designed by Porsche Design Studio, and the MINUS Three is a semi-recessed square finish designed specifically for artwork walls.
The Minus series is offered with a 2700K, 3000K, or 4000K CCT with a Color Rendering Index of (CRI) 90+. It is fully dimmable, and proprietary microchip technology boasts a lifetime of 50,000 hours (LM80). Lumen output from source is 1140 and 4 fixtures can be powered by a single power supply. The MINUS is ETL listed, CE listed, Insulation Contract (IC) rated, wet-location rated, airtight, and IP66 rated by request.
The company’s innovative lighting and its installation method also help reduce hefty costs often associated with full-fledged lighting installations. According to Uli Petzold, founder and CEO of Apure, the Minus series is setting new standards in the lighting world, since it’s the only light source which basically disappears, meaning light becomes invisible in the ceiling. He is confident that designers will take comfort in knowing all Minus LEDs including proprietary precision optics, ensuring that light is delivered only at places where it’s needed in a space.
The initial idea for the Minus series stemmed, in part, from Apure’s in-house illumination planning studio, which works closely with clients and teams to create hands-on, intuitive lighting solutions. The planning studio, optimally used in a project’s ideation stages, enables designers to better evaluate lighting fixtures and installation options, easing the process of incorporating this vital element into an interior later on. Ultimately, the MINUS Series provides designers with a clear illumination choice, since the high-performing LEDs are extremely versatile and can be recessed in almost any application.
Petzold believes that with this invention, the focus is finally back on the interior design, where it belongs, and is not getting distracted by numerous spot lights in the ceiling, due to its minimal depth of less than 1 inch, which fits virtually into any ceiling without sacrificing height. “As the Minus was awarded with international design prizes, the series developed into an architectural commodity for sensitive and sophisticated interior designers, architects, and lighting consultants around the globe,” he has been quoted as saying.
Each recessed light is held in place with a unique installation bracket, and enables architects and designers to work with their ceiling height, which otherwise may have been comprised for other lighting fixtures’ housings.
