Three amazing Pieces from Beta-Calco
Let’s Take a Deep Dive Into Le Louvre with Beta-Calco
At the heart of Beta-Calco is a desire to take relatively common fixture types and elevate them into powerful architectural statements. Need a high output pendant that can fill a large cavity with light? Look at Triple.
Looking for powerful, high wattage accent light with powerful glare reduction? Enter Matrex.
And so it is with Le Louvre.
The lighting market is not lacking for lines of light. Countless manufacturers have made them over the last decade. But Beta-Calco elevates this form factor turning a basic line of light into a gorgeous architectural element.
It all starts with the louver
The most obvious statement Beta-Calco has made is the louver itself. The diagonal latticework does double duty (I’ve learned this is a theme of Beta-Calco’s designs). First, of course, there’s the simple statement of the louver, but it also serves an important purpose - glare reduction.
The end of the fixture reveals a concave aperture that houses a soft lens and then a louver. The shape helps lessen the viewing angle into the fixture which is then cut off by the lattice. The result is an incredibly quiet view along the line of light.
The louvers are available in an array of finishes including frosted, black, satin chrome, satin gold and champagne. Obviously they are visually different, but they also these different louver finishes will reduce or increase light output depending on the desired effect.
Most of the louver options.
Seamless connections
Some flaws in a lighting fixture are only noticeable by a designer. The little gap between the lens and aperture of the downlight. The subtle inconsistency in lens placement makes some LED diodes more dotted than others. Other flaws are plain as day, and you don’t need to be a designer to see them.
There’s nothing more off-putting than light leaks at the juncture of linear runs or at the end cap of a fixture. When the seamed joints reveal a thin line of light or even just a partial opening it’s instantly noticeable and makes the entire installation feel cheap. Beta-Calco solved this problem with an ingenious little solution
Add a Pop of Color
Beta-Calco delivers specification grade performance, but their fixtures are also statements. So Le Louvre is available in 12 standard finishes including a painted light cherry and Dark Walnut finish.
Easy to Specify
One thing Beta-Calco has tried to do is re-think how a website can be used as a lighting designer’s tool. So not only can you download all of the relevant fixture data (clean cut sheets, IES, BIM and dimensional data…etc) but you can build your part number right on the page and as you choose options, other options become limited automatically.
For instance, if I choose a black louver, my maximum lumen outputs become unavailable.
You can build out this part number and then copy and paste it into your schedule.
Here’s a quick review I did in shed….
Matrex Elevates the Accent Lighting
Le Louvre takes the linear form factor and elevates it to an architectural element. Matrex does the same for the accent light, especially in high ceiling spaces.
At its core, there are two shapes to Matrex - a cylinder and a rectilinear. By mounting and combining these Matrex can deliver in multiple applications. But let’s review the basics first.
Matrex
4 Beam Angles: 15, 30, 50, 70 Degree
Up to 9200 delivered lumens
90+ CRI
3000K, 3500K, 4000K
Matrex RD
4 Beam Angles: 15, 30, 50, 70 Degree
Up to 10,050 delivered lumens
90+ CRI
3000K, 3500K, 4000K
It’s all about the Configuration
With these basic performance factors in mind, let’s talk about how Matrex can be carried to create beautiful light, especially in taller applications.
Matrex is available as a surface/yoke mount, in a single or double headed application. The surface mounted edition an be paired with a second Matrex hanging from steel cables to create a two-headed version.
That cable suspension can also be done with a single or dual-headed configuration. Or even doubled up to create twice the output for atrium-style applications. From these fairly basic mounting configurations, you get a wide variety of possible Matrex configurations to meet your project’s needs. This video from Beta-Calco summarizes the capabilities.
And here’s me kicking the tires on a Matrex RD in the shed….
Here’s How Warp Can Elevate Your Downlighting
The market isn’t lacking for hanging pendant solutions, but like the other forms we’ve discussed, Beta-Calco takes the simple pendant and elevates it in a few important ways.
Three Light Sources in One
At first glance, the Warp looks like any other drum. But within that basic profile, there are three light sources - a diffused ambient light, a spotlight, and an indirect uplight. The three systems of light instantly create layers within the design making it easy to get multiple “looks” out of one pendant system.
Warp
18” and 24” Diameters
Direct or direct indirect
Direct up to 3200 Lumens / Indirect up to 3900 Lumens
Downlight 1700 Lumens (2700K available)
3000K/ 3500K / 4000K
3 circuits of control
Intergal EM available
Warp also comes in a surface mount and a hemisphere style which forgo the uplight element. In the video below I kick the tires on Warp Hemi.
See it in person or virtually
I have samples of these three fixtures for your review either in person or via zoom. Ivan is my Beta-Calco expert and he’s available to present and educate any time.
