FALLING UP BLACK

Design has to be simple! The connecting thread between all the products in the collection is their reduction to and concentration on the essentials. The current technological shift towards LED is making the inherent blending of technology and aesthetics more necessary and more manifest than ever before. Because the parameters of LED technology are uniquely new and different, this has to be reflected in the construction and design of any contemporary product – an opportunity, an aspiration and a challenge all at the same time. The designs originate from Tobias Grau and are developed into finished luminaires by the firm's own team of design engineers, who also devise the relevant components and tools such as diecasting moulds. Optimal results are achieved by means of state-of-the-art design engineering software, optical calculation programmes, thermal and flow analysis procedures and 3D scans. LEDs are the future! LED technology has turned today's luminaires into highly sophisticated technical products. Used in luminaires with adequate cooling, highperformance LEDs with excellent efficiency and colour rendering properties guarantee maximum lifespan and light quality with minimal power consumption. Close contact and intense collaboration with worldleading manufacturers of LED technology ensure the timely and co-ordinated supply of the very best and latest LEDs for each product, as well as the relevant electronic components. The convenience of conservation! By giving equal and simultaneous consideration to both the luminaire and its controls, it has been possible to develop solutions that combine convenience (the right quantity of light automatically at any given time) with conservation (minimal power consumption). lightdim switch (dims with just 3 wires), lightdim sensor (dims depending on motion and ambient brightness) and lightdim connect (dims interlinked luminaires), as well as the possibility of integrating luminaires with central home automation systems like KNX and DALI, all represent optimal tools for modern lighting design. Biography Franziska Grau After graduating from high school, Franziska Grau (born in Hamburg in 1964) spent a year studying French literature at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Franziska Grau then completed a business and administration apprenticeship in Hamburg, during which time she also studied business management at Hagen Open University before graduating from the University of Hamburg in 1991. Since 1992, Franziska Grau has been working with her husband Tobias Grau to establish a premium luminaire brand. Her work focuses on the commercial management of the company. Tobias Grau After finishing high school, Tobias Grau (born in Hamburg in 1957) initially studied business management in Munich, graduating as a “Diplomkaufmann”. In 1983, Tobias Grau went to the Parson School of Design in New York, subsequently gathering practical experience in the development department of Knoll International in Pennsylvania. In 1984, Tobias Grau started out as a freelance designer in Hamburg with interior design projects for the offices of small companies and for fashion stores, designing and implementing luminaires and furniture for these interiors on a per-project basis. On the basis of this work, Tobias Grau developed his first serially produced luminaire collection, which he launched under his own name in 1987 and has subsequently expanded into a premium lighting brand, assisted by his wife Franziska Grau since 1992. His work focuses on the design and development of new luminaires and lighting systems.