Architects are all too aware of the fact that by the time HVAC, security, lighting, and other consultants are through with a project’s ceiling, that plane might resemble Swiss cheese. To remedy this hazard, German industrial and interior designer Uli Petzold founded a new lighting brand that integrates all of the typical ceiling functions without detracting from a space’s intended design. Called Apure, it packages all the necessities with sleek components designed by, no less, Porsche Design Studio.
An eight-way bus system powers and controls lighting, security-camera, smoke-detector, motion-sensor, and audio-speaker modules either on the same plane or within a recessed channel that also tucks away any heating and ventilation openings. When used in conjunction with the channel, each Apure component can be added, removed, or repositioned, easily. And, thanks to an integrated DMX data link, all modules are controllable using traditional systems from trusted brands such as Lutron and Crestron.
“We think of the ceiling as the fifth wall,” said Petzold in a statement. “With Apure, we organize all trades — creating a solution for ceiling clutter. That will save a tremendous amount of money in labor and material, and, at the same time, architects and interior designers are in total control of the aesthetics of the ceiling.”
At launch, the LED or halogen lighting modules include a trimmed or trimless recessed downlight and a surface-mounted fixed or adjustable downlight. Apure’s speakers are designed to match, but other speaker products may be integrated into the system, as well. Meanwhile, coordinating heating and cooling diffusers slip into the channel and can be precisely angled to maximize airflow. Trims are constructed of steel in a myriad of powder-coat finishes, while louvers are milled aluminum in a range of anodized finishes.