About Studio Brink

  1. What does Studio Brink do?

    Studio Brink designs lighting for architecture, interiors and homes. We create the lighting concept, calculate it, select the luminaires and guide the project until the lighting has been commissioned. Studio Brink is the design studio of Brink Licht, active in architectural lighting since 2001.

  2. What is the difference between a lighting designer and an installation consultant?

    The installation consultant is responsible for the technical side: power, cables, switching and standards. The lighting designer is responsible for the effect: how the space feels, what you see and what remains in shadow. We work alongside the installation consultant, not in their place. We provide the lighting plan; they incorporate it into their installation design.

  3. Are you independent? Aren’t you part of Brink Licht?

    Yes, we are part of Brink Licht. We prefer to say that upfront. The advantage: we know more than 300 brands inside out and know what they cost and how quickly they deliver. Our agreement with you: we specify independently of brands, and you are completely free to buy the materials elsewhere or put the specification out to tender. You pay for the design as a design, separately from the supply. Supply through Brink Licht is an option, not a requirement.

  4. Do you also work outside the Netherlands?

    Yes. Most of our work is in the Netherlands, but we also design for projects abroad. We work in Dutch and English.

  5. What does Shoshin mean for your work?

    Shoshin is Japanese for ‘beginner’s mind’: approaching each project as if you were seeing it for the first time. For us, that means first looking at the space and the people in it, and only then at the luminaires. No standard solution carried over from the previous project.

Timing and collaboration

  1. When should I bring in a lighting designer?

    During the schematic design phase, or at the latest during the preliminary design. That is when you are still making decisions about ceiling heights, niches, openings and daylight. The later we join, the more lighting becomes a correction rather than a design decision.

  2. Can you also join later?

    Yes. In a final design or even during construction, we work within what is already in place. We will be honest about what is still possible and what is no longer possible. We can also give a second opinion on an existing lighting plan.

  3. Who is in charge, the architect or you?

    The architect. We work for your design, not alongside it. We coordinate with the interior architect, installation consultant and contractor, and maintain a clear line of communication with you. You decide; we advise and document.

  4. How quickly do you respond?

    We respond to every question within 1 working day. After the introductory meeting, you will receive a proposal within 3 working days. You have one dedicated designer per project. No service desk, no changing account managers.

  5. Will we be credited when the project is published?

    Yes. For publications, awards and social posts, we always mention the architect and interior architect by name. The project is yours; we provide the lighting. Our standard wording is: ‘Lighting design: Studio Brink’.

  6. How does a project get started?

    Through the contact form: you provide the m², project phase, parties involved, building type, timeline and budget. You then schedule an introductory meeting with our designer. Within 3 working days after that meeting, you will receive a proposal with the scope and fee.

Costs and budget

  1. How much does a lighting design cost?

    That depends on the area, complexity and project phase. You receive a fixed fee per phase in advance, with no open-ended hourly billing. After the introductory meeting, you will receive a proposal with the scope and fee within 3 working days. No surprises afterwards: we discuss additional work before we do it.

  2. Why pay when a manufacturer makes a lighting plan for free?

    A manufacturer’s free lighting plan is a sales tool: it includes that manufacturer’s luminaires. We choose from more than 300 brands to find what best suits your space and budget. Often, this saves more on luminaires and energy than the design costs, because we eliminate over-lighting and unnecessary luminaires.

  3. How do you keep the budget under control?

    We ask about the budget at the start, not at the end. Then we design in layers: what is essential, what would be nice, and what can come later. At every phase, you receive a cost estimate for the materials. Big dreams and a realistic budget can go together if you decide early where lighting will make the difference.

  4. How do you prevent our design from being sacrificed during value engineering?

    We specify what is essential in the tender documents: lighting effect, beam angle, colour rendering and dimensions. We assess alternatives against those requirements, not just price. If there is a cost-cutting round, we help find savings that preserve the design and document any compromises in writing.

What you receive

  1. What do you deliver?

    Per phase: • Concept: mood images, lighting sketches, the story of the space at night. • Preliminary design: luminaire plan, initial luminaire selection, cost estimate. • Final design: lighting calculations, luminaire schedule with specifications, switching and dimming groups, detailed advice for recessed installation. • Implementation: assessment of alternatives, site visit, commissioning and scene programming. You choose which phases to take. You can choose just a concept, or the entire process through to commissioning.

  2. Do you work in BIM?

    Not yet. We calculate in DIALux and deliver drawings and calculations as DWG and PDF files. You incorporate them into your own model.

  3. Can I see luminaires before I choose?

    Yes. You can view samples in our showroom in De Meern by appointment. For critical details, we build a mock-up on site. A lighting effect in a photo is a promise; a mock-up is proof.

  4. Do you guide the implementation?

    Yes, if you wish. We visit the site at critical moments, assess proposed alternatives, and aim and commission the lighting after completion. That is often the point when a good design is truly finished.

Homes

  1. When does the lighting plan for my home need to be ready?

    Before the electrical wiring is installed and before the plastering. After that, every extra light point means cutting into walls, or it may no longer be possible. For new builds and major renovations, we prefer to start at the same time as the architect or interior architect.

  2. I don’t want to deal with the details. Is that possible?

    Yes. You get one point of contact who coordinates the design, selection and supply with your architect, interior architect and installer. You choose the atmosphere; we take care of the rest. Agreements about the timeline and price are put in writing in advance, and we stick to them.

  3. Can you also supply decorative designer luminaires?

    Yes. Through Brink Licht, we supply architectural and decorative luminaires from more than 300 brands, including Flos, Delta Light and Kreon. Design and supply then come from one source. If the luminaire does not exist, we design the detail and have a manufacturer make it to measure.

  4. How will I control all that lighting?

    As simply as you like. A few fixed scenes on a wall panel, or everything from an app. We choose the system based on what your home needs, not the other way around. See also the question about DALI and Casambi below.

  5. Will you handle my project discreetly?

    Yes. We share the address, floor plans and photos only with parties who need them. Publication takes place only with your permission.

Standards, sustainability and technology

  1. Which standards must the lighting meet?

    For indoor workplaces, NEN-EN 12464-1:2021 is the basis: illuminance, uniformity, glare and colour rendering for each task (source). For new non-residential buildings, lighting energy consumption is included in the BENG requirements (RVO). Outdoors, municipalities usually assess light nuisance against the NSVV’s Guidelines on Light Pollution. We design and calculate with these requirements in mind from the start.

  2. Does lighting help with BREEAM or WELL?

    Yes. Lighting contributes to credits in BREEAM-NL, including for health and energy. WELL v2, in section L03, sets requirements for melanopic light at eye level to support the day-night rhythm (source). We provide the calculations and supporting documentation requested by the assessor.

  3. How circular is your lighting design?

    We design with fewer luminaires that last longer and can be repaired. Where manufacturers publish a TM66 score, we take it into account in our selection. TM66 is CIBSE’s method for scoring the circularity of a luminaire (source). Brink Licht has been B Corp certified since 2024.

  4. Our office lighting still uses fluorescent tubes. Do they need to go?

    T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes may no longer be placed on the EU market since 24 August 2023 (RVO). Existing tubes may remain in use, but replacement is becoming more difficult. LED tubes in old luminaires often produce a different lighting effect. A new lighting plan with fewer luminaires is often the better investment.

  5. DALI or Casambi?

    DALI is wired and gives each luminaire its own address, up to 64 devices per line; it is well suited to large buildings and integration with building management systems. Casambi is wireless via Bluetooth and easy to retrofit; it is well suited to homes, renovations and historic buildings (source). The two can be combined. We choose based on the project requirements, not preference.

  6. Do you work on historic buildings and museums?

    Yes. For historic buildings, we pay attention to damage-free mounting, reversibility and permit requirements. In museums, we balance the visitor experience with protection of the collection. See our projects for examples.