Design Students Take Top Prizes in Lighting Competition

Pratt designs chosen from more than 100 submissions from six schools

Clockwise from left: Sejung Oh's winning Dal Beat design; Sang Yoon-Lee's second-place winning Ivre design; and honorable mention designs Quasar, Nova, and Obscura by Andrew An, Caleb Ferris, and David Krawczyk, respectively.Pratt Institute sophomores Sejung Oh and Sang Yoon-Lee were awarded the top two prizes in the Illuminating Engineering Society of New York City’s (IESNYC) annual lighting design competition.

The Pratt students participated as part of their Industrial Design II studio course, co-taught by faculty members Patrick Fenton, Scott Lundberg, Jeanne Pfordresher, Willy Schwenzfeier, and Jonathan Thayer. Interpreting the theme of "Fraction/Refraction," the students were required to submit a three-dimensional study on how light plays with textures and flows through materials to create layers of contrast. More than 100 entries from six New York colleges and universities competed for cash prizes.

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 is constructed of acrylic, LED strips, 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, who hails from from Seoul, Korea, will receive a three-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Paris and $2,000 from Debbas International, a multinational technology and services conglomerate. He will also have the opportunity to interface with lighting engineers and designers at the firm's new Paris showroom and exhibition space, L'Atelier, and at La Machine, Debbas International's factory outside the city.    

Sang Yoon-Lee, who comes from Gyunggi Ilsan, Korea, was recognized with second place for his Ivre lighting design, for which IESNYC awarded him a cash prize of $1,000.   

Pratt students also won three out of four honorable mentions. Andrew An, a sophomore from Irvine, California, was recognized for his design, Quasar. David Krawczyk, a junior from Roanoke, Virginia, was recognized for his design, Obscura. Caleb Ferris, a sophomore from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was recognized for his design, Nova.           

The Illuminating Engineering Society, founded in 1906, is dedicated to promoting the art and science of lighting. The New York City Section of the IESNYC is a non-profit membership organization composed of designers, engineers, architects, manufacturers, and others who seek to educate the general public about aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient lighting technology.

Text: Amy Aronoff
Photos: Naomi Castillo Photography