The Atlas of Light Operations builds a catalogue of numerous custom lights that was designed for various projects over the years. Much like City is in the Details, this compendium looks at each object individually and as a collection. Born out of the insufficiency of ‘off-the-shelf’ products, each custom light solves a specific design moment/problematic while inherently expressing the unique culture and expectation of its host space. The compendium ultimately challenges the idiom that a detail is defined as a microcosm of its larger host architecture (Edward Ford, 2011) in support of an argument that sees details as constructions of culturally specific forms and materials that only find meaning when read against their architectural context – often in contrast to it.

Each custom light fixture is charged with performing more than just giving light. This is one of the main objectives for these unique elements. The true test is if the context changes, the object loses meaning.