Cover Stanley Tay of Illuminating Asia
Stanley Tay of Illuminating Asia
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Stanley Tay of Illuminating Asia melds design and science to create offerings that raise the bar for lighting innovation
In a world flooded by cookie-cutter products and cheap, throwaway items, Stanley Tay’s enthusiasm for innovation and emphasis on quality is refreshing. The managing director and principal consultant of homegrown lighting design consultancy Illuminating Asia maintains a singular focus on producing creative, one-of-a-kind products that can go toe-to-toe with the best offerings from around the world.
“We’re creating a new paradigm in the global industry through an in-depth study of the sciences and art of lighting,” he declares. Tay goes on to cite the techniques of renowned 15th-century Italian polymath Leonardo Da Vinci as a key source of inspiration, perfecting design with knowledge from the sciences and adjacent verticals: people, the landscape, architecture, interior design, materials, natural sunlight, and mechanical and electrical engineering.
The award-winning company has developed modern lighting applications for a wide assortment of clients, ranging from private homes to landscapes as well as popular public places such as Chijmes, Haw Par Villa, Marina One, and the
NTU Skydome.
Don’t miss: Sheer brilliance: Illuminating Asia takes a visionary approach to bespoke lighting solutions
Above The company’s HeatSig light modules offer real-time energy, emergency, security and retail analytics response
The company’s HeatSig light modules offer real-time energy, emergency, security and retail analytics response
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One of the firm’s most exciting innovations is HeatSig, in which a thermo-sensor in a lighting fixture generates a heat map on the floor, which can detect body temperature and monitor the activity level in a space. If a person experiences a medical emergency and becomes unconscious, the light detects the lack of movement and sends out an alert for help. Or, in a shopping mall, similar lighting fixtures would employ this technology to gauge the number of people in a particular zone, and let the management know if they should adjust the level of security or the air-conditioning temperature accordingly.
Illuminating Asia also has a proprietary brand, Lune Brillante, offering high-performance lighting solutions that marry good looks and technical know-how. These include the Haga “coveless cove lighting” solution, a patented and trademarked design that does away with the need for a false ceiling, yet offers a soothing cove-lighting effect. Another product range, Chandelle, features a series of dimmable and tuneable downlights and track lights, among other modules, crafted from lightweight yet durable aluminium.
We speak to Tay to glean his inspirations, motivations, and ruminations about the future of the lighting industry.
Read more: Elevating your home design with Lune Brillante’s smart lighting solutions
Above Founder of Illuminating Asia, Stanley Tay
Founder of Illuminating Asia, Stanley Tay
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What are Illuminating Asia’s key motivations?
We want to be a global leading lighting science, art, and tech enterprise. Seeing how lighting impacts people’s lives positively inspires us to keep getting better at our skills, and our experiences working with top clients on the most challenging turnkey lighting projects set the bar for higher standards every day.
How has Illuminating Asia’s science-and-art emphasis resulted in better processes and products?
Any proposed ideas can be quickly evaluated for success, failure or viability before being showcased to clients or going to market. Other examples are our technological innovations, such as HeatSig and Haga, a Singapore-designed solution that achieves an elegant cove-lighting effect without the need for a false ceiling.
Above HeatSig incorporates lighting, machine learning and AI to gauge people’s movements in a space
Above HeatSig detects changes in heat that can signal an accident before it’s too late when a fall occurs
HeatSig incorporates lighting, machine learning and AI to gauge people’s movements in a space
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Could you tell us more about HeatSig technology?
It’s a globally patented invention that combines lighting, machine learning and AI to offer insights into people’s movements in a space. Advance alerts can be sent if a person is lying motionless in a room, or it can also be used for fire detection, energy management and security purposes. We aim to launch it in the latter part of August 2025.
How else is Illuminating Asia making a difference in the industry?
We intend to set up a training academy to provide insights into how a professional lighting career may be developed beyond just design. It’s about evolving careers into multidisciplinary roles that leverage on one’s core competencies, be these design, engineering, technology, architecture, interior design, material science, or physics.
Above Built-in heat sensors in HeatSig lighting modules detect abnormal temperature changes
Built-in heat sensors in HeatSig lighting modules detect abnormal temperature changes
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Where do you see the lighting sector heading?
It’s currently stagnating, with low-cost products flooding the market. We foresee a shift [as clients become more savvy] towards one-stop solution providers with strengths in design, engineering, and futureproofing a project altogether. We also anticipate more products with contemporary designs and other tangible user benefits, besides just illumination.
What are your future plans for Illuminating Asia?
To strengthen our team of lighting experts and develop more patented solutions that push the frontiers, drawing from lighting applications from the space, defence, hospitality and academic research sectors, and more. Staying humble and following our own path, we seek to impact lives positively with our expertise.
Credits
Photography: Benny Loh
Images: Illuminating Asia
