Beneath the Surface Blog

Maybe it's time for more late night office sessions, the multitude of windows leads to endless inspiration! Playing with our backlit onyx samples late in the day, a quick glimpse out the window at the dramatic clouds reminds us why we love working with natural stone materials.

Evening view from the GPI Design Westlake office

Much like this sunset, the colors and patterning in natural stone are entirely organic and specific to a certain point in time.  While the composition of the sunset is fleeting, the patterns formed in an onyx panel are stamped for eternity; a tangible piece of nature turned into a building material. Both the sunset and the onyx are gorgeous because of the components that constitute their forms and patterns, but lighting brings a whole new layer of warmth and dimension to their perception.

12" x 20" sample of backlit Iranian Blue Onyx Pin It

Admittedly, the thought of placing color gel filters over the windows to tint the sky to our exact liking DID cross our minds. (And what if that cloud moved left just a little bit? Ooh, I would love to see more gold just above the horizon.)  We constantly remind ourselves to run with the randomness of nature. Sometimes you just can't design beauty.

Onyx itself is a luxurious material, and when integrated with the proper backlighting techniques the layers and depth of the stone is further brought to life.  You’re investing money and design time into this natural product, so consider the following tips to properly showcase its natural beauty:

1. Choose a stone that has significant visible veining or texture- the natural color and movement will distinguish the high-end natural stone finish from a man-made alternative.

(above image: Tower Oaks Honey Onyx Feature Wall by GPI Design)

2. White onyx is the least forgiving stone for backlighting applications.  Backlit white onyx is prone to hot and cold spots, so allow more space between the stone and the lighting source or consider using diffusion scrims and filters.

(above image: Maker's Mark backlit onyx bar in Indianapolis by GPI Design)

3. When designing with standard dimensional stone panels, ensure that the light source is bright enough to transfer through the stone surface.

4. When designing with glass-backed stone panels, ensure that the glass is non-leaded.  Leaded glass casts a greenish tint and can alter the color of the natural stone surface.

5. When designing a ceiling or wall layout of backlit onyx panels, consider the book matching composition and how the seams will interact with the natural veining of the stone. (Read our previous blog post on book matching natural stone for more details.)

(above image: Signature Place Lobby Feature Walls by GPI Design)

Designing with light and natural stone comes with its own set of limitations, so take time to mock-up the stone and light assemblies or choose a company with experience in integrating the two products.

Natural sunlight is a seamless light that provides enveloping spatial qualities, free from interruption. With designers increasingly turning to nature for design inspiration, recreating this smooth quality can be tricky with artificial lighting technology. How do you avoid choppy, spotty, discontinuous appearance within your artificial lighting sources?

When translating your design from small samples to fully cladding an entire wall, don’t forget that the every material has its scalar limits. (Yes, even LED light panels are limited to 4’ x 9’ sheets!) This means that for a cladding a 10’ x 40’ backlit glass wall, you could have anywhere from 11 to 100 individual LED light panels, and probably only 8 glass panels. How do we make those seams in the lighting disappear? It depends on the specific condition and how the Flat-Lite™ LED panels are designed.  At GPI, we use these terms to qualify what type of light seam we are designing around:

1. Non-powered field seam

Non-powered field seam condition without diffusing methods or correct cavity

This type of edge does not have LEDs located on it, but when light bounces off the edge of the panel, a slight bright spot still occurs. When non-powered field seams are located in the center (or “field”) of the surface panel, it can become apparent. Calculating the correct lighting cavity (situating the surface the correct distance away from the light source) typically mitigates the evidence of a non-powered field seam.

2. Powered field seam

Powered field seam condition without diffusing methods or correct cavity

Powered field seams are the illuminated edge along which the LED light sources are located. These are the brightest and most susceptible of seams. When butted together and placed behind the center of a continuous surface panel (glass/resin/stone/fabric), powered field seams can create a very evident bright line. Without finish trims and edge treatments to disguise the bright line, their location within the center continuous surface makes them even more apparent. Diffusing panels and optic films are often applied to the Flat-Lite™ LED panels to disguise the evidence of a powered field seam.

3. Powered perimeter

In gray circle: powered perimeter without any diffusing methods

A powered perimeter is an edge with LED light sources located around the perimeter of your feature (where it meets the wall, ceiling, or finish trim). The powered edge seam doesn’t fall in the middle of a glass or onyx panel, so it doesn’t appear as disruptive as #2, but can provide evidence of bright spots.

4. Non-powered perimeter

The non-powered perimeter is our best friend. This condition does not contain LED light sources and is usually tucked away.  When all of the other conditions are diffused, it typically fades away quietly into the background, with little attention needed.

--> Don’t think that testing with one small lighting sample that appears continuous in a small square means your design work is done.  Pay careful attention when translating the lighting design to full scale panels, with particular attention to how the lighting panels meet at seams and match up with your surface module sizes.

As the counterpoint to our blog post “5 Reasons For Designers To Love Faux Stone Panels”, today we take on the alternate perspective and illustrate the benefits of natural stone panels. Given that this succeeding post quickly catapulted to twelve points, which I narrowed to six here, it’s pretty clear which material we regard as a superior architectural solution.

Here are the criteria which make glass-backed natural stone panels a superior architectural solution:

1. Backlighting and optical clarity

When backlighting panels for feature areas, natural translucent stone panels take on a sparkling appearance that is a result of the crystalline graining that formed in the stone over thousands (or millions) of years. With glass-backed exotic stones, such as onyx, the stone layer can be thinned from 1 mm to 12 mm, allowing much light but still retaining the visual effect of naturally layered depth. Most man-made faux stone panels tend to lack natural depth, appearing flat and dull when illuminated with a backlighting source.

2. Large Panel Sizes

If you’re designing for a large scale installation or simply want to minimize joints, natural stone panels can be sourced in very large sizes. It depends on the variety of stone, but we’ve utilized exotic onyx and marble panels up to 5’ x 10’. Acrylic or poured resin stone panels tend to be limited to standard sheet sizes. Even if the man-made products are thickened to increase rigidity and yield a larger panel, the additional surface thickness interferes with light transmission. With glass-backed natural stone surfaces, larger panels are created by simply increasing the thickness of the glass backing, preserving the translucency of the stone layer at only millimeters thin.

3. Natural Variation

Acrylic and resin stone panels are standardized into existing collections, offering limited selections of coloration and patterning. Each panel has the same patterning, yielding repetitive images. By using natural stone panels, visual characteristics vary within the slab itself and across the larger scale, creating unique fluctuation within installations. Natural veins and movement are reflected as dynamic bookmatched images across panel joints.

4. Longevity

Natural stone is classic, elegant, and distinct. For quality design features that withstand time, natural stone panels open up the most possibilities in creating enduring spatial elements. Onyx panels sustain their quality, with no evidence of surface degradation over time and very little maintenance required.

5. Exterior use

To our knowledge, there are no translucent faux stone materials that are rated for exterior applications. Glass-backed natural stone can be used in exterior curtainwall applications and as part of insulated glazing units. This only holds true for high quality fabricators with thorough testing, so use discrimination when selecting a source for exterior panels.

6. Uniqueness

Real stone is a product of Mother Nature, and each slab for each project is unique unto itself. Your client becomes the proud owner of a truly unique work of art.

--> I’d like to thank @whysideas for engaging in an interesting Twitter conversation in reaction to our first blog post. There’s something to be said for authenticity in architecture. Cheap materials and quick solutions show a sort of short-sightedness on the architect’s part, and if you’re not careful, technological capabilities can distort the appropriate contextual solution for a project. As @whysideas stated, “technological advances are so important but should give physicality to the architect’s imagination, not dictate it”. Our advice? Have some patience to allow your designs to unfold, and dedicate your time to implementing high quality materials that meet their intended use and will enhance the image of your space.

Ouch. I feel like I’m backstabbing my trusted old friend, the natural stone panel. Lately we’ve seen a surge of interest in faux stone products, particularly for backlighting applications, and have found ourselves recommending these products for certain instances. There are some high-quality acrylics, poured resins, and co-polyester materials that have made advancements in the last five years and become promising contenders to the natural stone panel.

You’ve specified an exotic natural onyx, the client has fallen in love with it, and now after budgeting exercises, you need value alternatives that still come close to the original design intent.  The inherent beauty of onyx panels instantly makes them the focal points of space, so it’s not always wise to cut the budget in these areas. There ARE certain instances in which man-made faux stone panels will maintain your design intent, meet the budget, and please the client, but decisions should be made with discrimination.

When is a man-made onyx material a decent architectural solution? Here is our criteria for selectively determining when to use man-made faux stone panels versus the real thing:

1. Complex Geometries

Let’s face it – even with the most advanced processes, natural stone panels just doesn’t like to be coerced into complex geometries (particularly bent and curved shapes). Man made stone materials offer real flexibility in creating thermoformed and custom shapes. In addition, mitered edges are easier to fabricate and control quality.

2. Overhead applications

In terms of offering dramatic weight reduction, faux stone panels offer real benefit to designers and greatly reduce structural requirements. Plus if the stone will be viewed from a distance and out of reach from physical contact, it’s likely that the occupants will never know the difference.

3. Cost

Based on our experience, faux stone panels are typically about 50% less expensive than traditional glass-backed natural stone.  The lightweight nature will reduce the amount of structural steel necessary to support the faux stone in a feature wall or ceiling application.

4. Control/ Predictability

Especially when you’re in a time crunch and looking for a quick material solution to add to your specs, mother nature doesn’t always provide natural stone material in the exact way you have envisioned it, packaged neatly for insertion into architectural drawing sets. For optimal control and predictability, man-made materials offer the advantage.

5. Time

This piggy-backs onto #4 above.  With an easier specification process, man-made translucent stone panels greatly simplify the decision-making process. Existing product collections set clear parameters on available surface styles and options. While the manufacturing lead times for faux and natural stone panels are roughly the same, the sampling and specification process for acrylic or resin stone panels is usually quicker.

--> Now of course, there’s always a distinct set of parameters in which materials are best suited, and I must do justice to GPI's long history in the natural stone industry.  So stay tuned for when we explore the advantages of using natural stone panels (which, if nothing else, will ease my guilt for writing this blog post!).

Expand your design palette with imaginative interior feature wall products. Stone, wood, and light are three basic elements of nature. Layer them into an integrated assembly, and the visual effect is stunning.

A sleek alternative to backlit onyx mosaics, these backlit stone and wood screen panels create extravagant patterns for an interior feature walls and ceilings.  Combining illumination, translucency and pattern, the layered panels illuminate without evidence of structural shadows or untidy grout joints.

Above: Flat-Lite™ LED Light Panel

Flat-Lite™ LED Light Panel + DURA-Lite™ Translucent Glass-Backed Stone

Custom laser cut wood screens (available in any custom pattern or lettering)

Flat-Lite™ + DURA-Lite™ + Custom Wood Screen

In an interplay between organic veins and geometric repetition, the wood screens frame the natural movement of the onyx. Backlit illumination increases the contrast between the surface materials, providing an intriguing focal point for commercial and hospitality spaces.

In studying our website metrics that indicate which keywords our visitors are searching for, it’s mind-boggling how many designers are searching for answers to detailing backlit panels. And while we love to stock our website full of useful information that makes it easy for busy designers to quickly understand and specify our systems, typical details can sometimes actually hurt the process.

When backlighting architectural panels, there are many considerations that affect the arrival at a detail.   It’s a process that we forge through per job.  As an architect or designer, can you imagine if your potential clients (developers or building owners) called you up and asked to see a typical floor plan from your firm? Sure, there is a general aesthetic and personality to your design process, but each solution is generated by working through several design phases/iterations, and that’s what makes the finished project unique. A single floor plan doesn’t fully do justice to all of the variables that affected that final solution. That’s how much attention and iteration goes into one of our details; they’re like our blueprints.  

Here is a wall section detail we generated for a specific project that incorporated backlit onyx panels. The variables:

• Surface type and translucency levels
• Surface thickness
• Light source (method, panel sizes, color temperature, brightness)
• Necessary diffusers
• Structure and fastening method
• Ideal spacing between elements (this can only be derived from physical testing)

As you can see,we develop our details based on the above considerations, and they must be considered holistically to achieve high-quality finished works.

The honest truth? For backlighting architectural panels, you don’t need typicals. Rely on a company's portfolio and expertise to trust that they will arrive at an equally thoughtful solution for your backlit project.

Learn more about our custom solution for the backlit onyx lobby features at the Wells Fargo Center:

Designing and specifying backlit onyx panels is a unique process. (Since onyx is a natural stone material, you can’t just call up Mother Nature and ask her to send samples of her latest collection.) This post outlines the three key items that you need to communicate in order for your backlit onyx design visions to become reality.  Here we outline the necessary steps for designers to ensure their conceptual intent is properly translated:

1. Communicate the shade, coloration, and veining characteristics of the translucent onyx surface.

• Use photographs to communicate your preferences.  As onyx is a highly exotic material, clearly establish color baselines and veining parameters with the use of targeted images. Typically, verbal and written descriptions will not sufficiently describe the nuances found across an onyx slab.
• In most cases, you will need to specify glass-backed translucent stone if even and continuous backlighting is desired. (Not all natural stone slabs transmit light, but in the process of slicing thinly and laminating to glass, nearly any type of stone can become transparent - even granite.)

2. Identify the backlighting method that suits your design aesthetic.

• Even illumination across entire face of onyx panel?
• Gradient wash that fades from one edge to another?
• Colored RGB lighting?
• Dimming capability? Would you/your client like the control and automation that comes with tying the LED backlighting into a central lighting control system?

3. Provide drawings of the application that indicate panel sizes and book-matched joints.

• If the backlit onyx panels must match surrounding stone or millwork finishes, make sure your backlit natural stone supplier has the exact panel sizes so that they can recommend stones that work within your module.
• If your exact panel sizes are flexible, that could open up more possibilities in the stone selection. (Remember, onyx is a natural material so it is not available in standard sheet sizes like man-made building materials.)
• Use standard drawing convention to indicate the bookmatching arrangement in your backlit onyx composition.

If you're working with a backlit onyx supplier, as a designer you really just need to communicate numbers 1 through 3 above.

Proactive companies will act as part of your team to guide you through the subsequent steps: lighting design, mock-ups, detailing, structural engineering, quality control in production, and construction itself. 

In your typical daily life, how many objects do you interact with that are made of stone? (Think through your day, from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed. Do you ever see or touch stone? Is it far away or within reach? Is it on the wall, floor, ceiling, or is it an object?)

Your list has probably been narrowed to your countertop, patio pavement, and maybe the exterior of your office building. Now think, have you ever seen any of those stone objects made translucent and illuminated?

Unless you’re a GPI team member or a tenant in one of our office projects, the answer to the above is probably “no”. Stone itself is not a commonplace surface, and backlit stone is even rarer, providing a refreshing jolt to the senses. When new clients come through our door or the typical mailman is out sick and has a replacement,  “oohs” and “aahs” are muttered or exclaimed upon setting eyes on our product. Backlit onyx panels line the entry walls, standing proudly seven feet tall and emitting an even glow of light. Instinctually, new visitors run their hand along the surface, almost hoping to feel for an imperfection that will confirm that “yes, this is real stone”.

It’s no coincidence that our products are typically employed in feature areas of buildings- there is something intensely compelling about a glowing stone surface. Stone panels have an aura of permanence, durability, and luxury. Lighting elements render the natural movement of the stone surface with a sense of intrigue and depth, making our artistic installations visual and tactile anchors of space. To touch is irresistible.

Tomorrow, I’ll brush my teeth with plastic toothbrush in hand, drive to work in my metal and plastic car, but after turning the cool metal handle to open the office door, I’ll make sure to pause and graze my hands over those alluring natural stone surfaces.

A sampling of the backlit onyx slabs we displayed at Neocon in Chicago this past June- if only we had a dime for every time we heard "is that real stone?". 100% natural!