Vessel by Todd Bracher for Humanscale
Updated: Dec 26, 2019
Vessel speaks to the future of LED lighting, founded not in aesthetics but instead, in physics.
Vessel is a first-of-kind pendant that was engineered completely from the 'perfect light throw'. Designed by Todd Bracher Studio, the objective was to provide an optically optimized throw of glare-free light from a point source LED.
To package an omnidirectional 98 CRI LED, the studio’s task was light management and elimination of glare. Rather than approach the pendant design as an aesthetic exercise, Todd Bracher Studio leveraged their expert network to achieve a strategically different solution.
Engaging a leading optical physicist, Vessel was effectively designed in reverse beginning with the footprint and optics needed to articulate the light per the studio’s intention to provide an even and intentional throw of light to beautifully render meals, activity and people. The objective was to control 100% of the photons and deliver them away from the eye and position them with precision and nuance toward the pendant’s purpose.
What resulted from the expert-based design collaboration was breakthrough ray-trace technology and photon management that enables Vessel to deliver optically perfect LED light through a quartz crystal light guide. Using a physics phenomena called TIR (Total Internal Reflection), Vessel redirects the glare produced by the LED diffuses it evenly through the light guide toward the intended surface.
