Project Overview

Inspired by the properties of industrial heat shrink tubing, the Contour Lights were created by forming the tubing over wire light bulb guards often used on construction sites. The tubing becomes extremely taut, accentuating the contours of the steel forms and creating a shade for the bulb.

Organisation

Cofield

Team

Cofield is a product design studio founded by Sara Ebert and Jason Pfaeffle. They met in Brooklyn, NY while studying industrial design at Pratt Institute. Sara was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and Jason is from the water's edge of Long Island. Their collaboration is driven by exploring the relationships between material, process and story. A theme underlying much of their work is the pairing of unlikely elements, such as raw and refined, or traditional and modern. This approach leads to a variety of products including home accessories, jewelry, and lighting.

Project Brief

The Contour Lights were designed in response to an exhibition called "Raw and Unfiltered" presented by the American Design Club. The goal was to design an object that showcased a material or process in its most natural state. The objects were to be considered but not contrived, embraced both chaos and craft, and that could stand alone without explanation.

Project Innovation/Need

The industrial heat shrink tubing was used because of its inherent properties. It shrinks around the metal cage, accentuating the inner structure and also doubles as a lamp shade. There is a very clear relationship between all of these off-the-shelf components.

Design Challenge

The challenge in this project was to allow the materials to dictate the outcome. The goal was to release some control over the design process and not be too precious about the result.

Sustainability

The Contour Lights reflect one aspect of sustainability in that they don't require any new tooling or materials to be manufactured. All parts are off-the-shelf. These utilitarian materials are elevated, potentially extending their lifespan.