Baseline Lighting Design Studio have been shortlisted for Lighting – Piece Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2023. Read more about CEO & Creative Director, Boris Duhamel, below:

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Name: Boris Duhamel

Company: Baseline Lighting Design Studio

Position within the company: CEO & Creative Director

Website: www.baselinehk.com

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)

With over 25 years of experience in management in the electronic, engineering, industrialization, and lighting design industry, I enjoy tackling any design and technical challenges. I’ve learned lighting design at the French Association for Lighting (AFE) to understand the basics of lighting technology and the criteria to apply for space lighting design. I’ve gained extensive knowledge and experience in the field with some Senior Lighting designers’ mentors and luxury clients to the point where I could develop my own style. Design calls on common sense, space apprehension, and taste; I always had a sensibility for beautiful and comfortable atmospheres. It naturally became an obsession.

The foundation of Baseline Lighting Design Studio comes from my passion for Lighting technology and its interaction with luxury architecture and people’s emotions. This is what forms the basis of our design studio. Our team is composed of international, empathic people that understand clients’ needs and constraints and focus on providing adequate solutions.

How would you describe your personal design style?

The fundamentals of our studio’s design style lie in our high capacity of listening to clients and integrating their briefs into concepts that enhance contrasted atmospheres. Our lighting design style is versatile and playful. We are highlighting architectural details of furniture and contributing to maximizing the functional usage of the space. Our style is minimalist, luxury-focused, yet sustainable.

Where does your design inspiration come from?

We are inspired by the influence of the environment and nature. With sustainable application at heart, our designers are LEED Green Associates and are trained to comply with environmental lighting requirements. It prompts us to consider the ecological impact of lighting choices, fostering a responsibility to create sustainable and energy-efficient designs. This philosophical approach to lighting design encourages a deeper connection with the natural world and an appreciation for the balance between human needs and environmental preservation. We design lighting to ignite people’s feelings. 

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?

Decarbonization has become a key leading criterion for developers and designers nowadays. Design is moving towards green buildings and a circular economy. Design is also framed with a budget. Designers are due to maintain creativity with a new set of rules that must be considered from the concept stage.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2023 and beyond.

1. Sustainability
2. Circular economy (Re-Cycle, Re-Use)
3. Customization
4. Colours
5. Materials

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?

Better to clarify the brief three times to make sure your creative production will meet the client’s intent!

How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?

The International Design & Architecture Awards are the reference in the industry as they are plebiscite by professionals themselves engaged in prestigious projects. It showcases the designers’ ability to create unique designs that stand out in a competitive market. It inspires us to continue pushing the boundaries of lighting design and innovation and to strive for excellence in everything that we do.

What projects are you currently working on?

We have got several hotel projects (Sheraton, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Westin) on the drawing table as well as a few new mind-blowing restaurant concepts.

What was your favorite project to work on and why?

I very much liked working in Resorts and Restaurants as I can project myself in the environment and challenge my design with my expected customer experience. Wyndham Soleil Da Nang Hotel & Condotel Complex is certainly my past favorite, a considerable project composed of 4 towers of 50 storeys each, luxury shopping mall, complex façade, and landscaping.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why?

I believe our most challenging projects are Facades projects. It requires creativity, up-to-date technology knowledge, and 3D visualization to anticipate the scene. It’s challenging because you can only mock up a small part of it, the rest is simulation. We did a stunning one lately for an Italian luxury fashion brand shop in Shenzhen.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing?

Computers with big screens (at least two) and AutoCAD. We are digital!

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?

Our aim in the next 12 months is to strengthen our team by bringing expert talents on board. This year we welcomed Matthew NORMAN as Design Manager – Associate to lead and grow our organization. He has a solid background in the world of architecture and lighting design. He is a pioneer LEED AP since 2008, which is an important accreditation for our team to continue delivering eco-friendly designs that make a difference. We also aim to extend our coverage across South-East Asia with Hotel developers and to increase our presence in China in the hospitality sector while consolidating our leading lighting consultant position within Luxury Retail in Asia.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:

Your most treasured possession?

It is my resilience. A “nothing is impossible” spirit that has grown inside me and became contagious leading our Baseline Team to achieve exceptional performance.

Your favourite holiday destination?

Paradise. A secluded fishing village called Atins, located in northern Brazil at the entrance of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. I have developed a small boutique hotel there and strive to go there once a year for rejuvenating and kitesurfing.

Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?

The Peninsula in Hong Kong faces the fragrant harbor and is loaded with history. I’d like to visit the newly opened Peninsula in Istanbul any time soon. My favorite restaurant is Robuchon; from the service to what comes on your plate you are pampered with delicate and perfect attention; it really sets the benchmark. The Iron Fairies in Hong Kong. A replica of a vintage foundry. The decors and the music are transporting your mind into bliss.

Your favourite book, film & song?

Book: The Alchemist from Paulo Coelho. The moral of this book is my motto. You must never give up on your dreams, realize that if you truly want to reach your biggest goals, you must follow your personal legend, no matter what obstacles get in the way. All you need is the courage to overcome anything that life throughs at you and live without any regrets.

My favourite film is “Into the Wild” directed by Sean Penn. It is centralized around the philosophy of transcendentalism, the idea that people and nature are inherently good. I relate to the endless desire for freedom that feels, in itself, like the fulfilment of the desire.

My favourite song is “many rivers to cross” where Jimmy Cliff makes a metaphor for the countless decisions, we all humans encounter during our walks of life.

Your favourite food and drink?

I love oysters, sea food and fishes very much. Coming from south-west of France I have grown up surrounded by beautiful vineyards thus I like Bordeaux wines above all. For cocktail, it’s Caipirinha.

Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?

Out on the sea kitesurfing on a windy and sunny day!

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?

In lighting design, we are touching people’s emotions. This is precisely the trigger that drives my creativity. I would have loved to be a singer to touch people with meaningful words and music.

Anything else interesting?

What else? A message in a bottle: if we could all, at our own level, ban the use of plastic, strive to act for decarbonization and think about reuse and circular economy we would together contribute to a better world, wouldn’t we?

Baseline Lighting Design Studio

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