Apure Architectural Lighting’s MINUS LED Series Reaches New Design Heights
Light is an invaluable tool for designers, unrivaled in its ability to alter the mood of a room in an instant. It dictates our daily rituals—when we rise, work, and rest. A subtle glow not only adds warmth and dimension to a space, it makes that space functional. But lighting also poses a unique architectural challenge since most fixtures require complex installations, which can absorb ceiling height. Finally, designers have a long-awaited solution.
Apure Architectural Lighting, a company known for its innovative portfolio since opening its doors in 2013, is disrupting the market with its latest collection—the patented MINUS series. For the first time, an LED downlight exists with the capacity to recess in less than one inch (<25mm). It’s nearly imperceptible, giving way to seamless modern spaces awash in light.
The MINUS LED is available in two forms: the MINUS ONE, which has a round finish, the MINUS TWO, which has a square louver designed by PORSCHE DESIGN STUDIO, and the MINUS THREE, a semi-recessed square finish designed specifically for artwork walls. Designers will take comfort in knowing all MINUS LEDs include proprietary precision optics, ensuring light only is delivered where it’s needed in a space.
Apure Architectural Lighting developed the series to create more space, literally. Each recessed light is held in place with a unique installation bracket, and enables architects and designers to work with their ceiling height, which otherwise may have been comprised for other lighting fixtures’ housings. The MINUS and its installation method also help reduce hefty costs often associated with full-fledged lighting installations.
“The MINUS is a unique product in that it requires less than 1 inch of recess depth. This is particularly helpful in new construction applications, where clients generally have to drop ceilings to accommodate recessed lighting,” says Philipp Petzold, VP of Apure Architectural Lighting and son of CEO Uli Petzold. “With the MINUS series, a drop ceiling is required to be no more than 1 inch without compromising performance.” MINUS lights are extremely versatile and can be installed under AC ducts, in showers, marine settings, and in nearly any material including drywall, millwork, stone, and metal ceilings.
LEDs in the series emulate the softness of natural light and reduce glare, partly due to the incorporation of proprietary lenses installed in each fixture, equipping designers with an ideal option for airy, contemporary projects. The reduction of glare is especially welcome in all lighting applications, residential and commercial, as it enables the ceiling to remain out of focus, emphasizing the interior elements and architecture.
The initial idea for the MINUS series partly stemmed from Apure Architectural Lighting’s in-house illumination planning studio, which works closely with clients and teams on each project. Apure Architectural Lighting’s hands-on, intuitive approach enables the company to better understand challenges today’s designers face. “After working on so many projects in which clients had to compromise further by dropping their ceilings to an unsuitable level (or forego recessed lighting all together), we realized the industry needed a new solution,” says Petzold.
Apure Architectural Lighting began developing the MINUS Series in 2016, with the goal of creating a high-performing light fixture that could be recessed in almost any application. In 2019, it’s safe to say: mission accomplished.
The MINUS series is offered with a 2700K, 3000K, or 4000K CCT with a Color Rendering Index of (CRI) 90+. It is fully dimmable, and proprietary microchip technology boasts a lifetime of 50,000 hours (LM80). Lumen output from source is 1140 and 4 fixtures can be powered by a single power supply. The MINUS is ETL listed, CE listed, Insulation Contract (IC) rated, wet-location rated, airtight, and IP66 rated by request.
