Pratt Institute industrial design students Sejung Oh and Sang Yoon-Lee were awarded the top two prizes and Andrew An, David Krawczyk, and Caleb Ferris (also undergraduates in Pratt's Department of Industrial Design) were awarded honorable mention from the Illuminating Engineering Society of New York City (IESNYC) as part of the IESNYC's annual lighting design competition, which was held in February 2012. The winning designs, which interpreted the theme of “Fraction/Refraction,” were selected from more than 100 designs by students from six New York colleges and universities including Fashion Institute of Technology, Fordham University, New York School of Interior Design, Parsons the New School for Design, and School of Visual Arts.
The theme of this year's IESNYC competition challenged design, architecture, interior design, industrial design, and art students to consider direction, distribution, and the divergence of light and submit a three-dimensional study on how light plays with textures and flows through materials to create layers of contrast.
Pratt students participated in the competition as part of their Industrial Design II studio course. The faculty members who teach this course and whose students submitted work are the following: Patrick Fenton, Scott Lundberg, Jeanne Pfordresher, Willy Schwenzfeier, and Jonathan Thayer.
Sejung Oh's grand prize-winning design, Dal Beat, is a drum-filled with water and light that when trapped, creates a refraction of light and evokes the way that moonlight reflects on water. It was constructed of acrylic, and LED strip, and MDF. “The name Dal Beat is derived from dal bit, which is Korean for 'moonlight,'” explained Oh. “I changed the name of my project as an invitation to viewers to tap or beat the drum to see the movement of the light,” he added.
Oh is a sophomore from Seoul, Korea. As first place winner, he will receive a three-day, all expenses paid trip to Paris and $2,000 from Debbas International. He will have the opportunity to interface with lighting engineers and designers at the firm's new Paris showroom and exhibit space, L'Atelier, and at La Machine, Debbas International's factory outside the city.
Sang Yoon-Lee, a sophomore from Gyunggi Ilsan, Korea, was recognized with second place for his Ivre lighting design. IESNYC awarded Yoon-Lee a cash prize of $1,000 for his winning entry.
Pratt students also received three of four honorable mentions. Andrew An, a sophomore from Irvine, California, was recognized for his design titled Quasar. David Krawczyk, a junior from Roanoke, Virginia, was recognized for his design titled Obscura. Caleb Ferris, a sophomore from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was recognized for his design titled Nova.
Pratt Institute's industrial design program is ranked among the best in the country according to U.S. News and World Report's most recent rankings of America's Best Graduate Schools and DesignIntelligence's 2012 publication “America's Best Architecture and Design Schools.” The Industrial Design department is chaired by Steve Diskin and is part of the Pratt Institute School of Art and Design, which is led by Dean Concetta M. Stewart.
The Illuminating Engineering Society, founded in 1906, is a premier lighting community dedicated to promoting the art and science of lighting through inspiring events, programs, and presentations. The New York City Section of the IESNYC is a non-profit membership organization composed of designers, engineers, architects, manufacturers, and representatives who seek to educate the general public about aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient lighting technology.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Amy Aronoff at 718-636-3554 or aarono29@pratt.edu