ATLAS

PENDANT LIGHT

Challenge - Create a micro brand with a minimum viable product while considering sustainable options.

Concept - Atlas is a hanging pendant light counterweighted with smooth stones, conceived to create an intentional, ritualistic interaction where lighting a space becomes a conscious act rather than a passive one. The project emerged from uncertainty around sustainable design and a deeper question of whether new objects should to exist at all, positioning Atlas within the tension between human industrialization and nature.

Result - The stone counterweights act as a symbol of the earth, while the metal shade hangs above them, representing a fragment of human industry. Adjusting this lamp becomes a negotiation between the weight we place on nature and the sacrifices required to appreciate it.

Duration 3 months

4nd Year Studio Project

Date Sept - Dec 2025

Designed with Oscar Nikolic

INTENT

Atlas emerged from a place of uncertainty around how to approach the brief “sustainably,” raising the question of how a new product can be justified when even the most trace-free designs still displace something else, forcing another object into obsolescence and prompting another cycle of waste.

From this line of thinking came a questioning of the abundance of things that never needed to exist at all. Chopsticks are intuitive, carved from a branch and guided by human dexterity; Western utensils, by contrast, feel over-engineered, acting as symbols of a culture that cannot resist industrializing even the simplest act. This comparison pushed a reflection on personal design choices: what is made, why it is made, and whether it needs to exist.

Atlas belongs in homes where people linger with their space. Install it in a quiet reading nook for personal reflection, or position it above a dining table to encourage conversation and shared curiosity. Whether appreciated individually or by a group, this pendant light is meant to spark connection: between people, ideas, and nature. Atlas is intended to create moments of pause, encouraging its users to engage more thoughtfully with their surroundings and with each other.

CONTEXT

PROCESS

1:1 PULLEY SYSTEM

ARTIFACT TRAYS

An initial dual-pulley configuration caused unwanted horizontal movement during vertical adjustment due to shifting cord angles. Adding two additional pulleys isolated directional forces, allowing vertical and horizontal loads to act independently and resulting in a more stable, predictable movement.

Three CMF artifact trays were assembled to explore and present a range of material, color, and finish combinations. Each tray showcases different potential directions for the final product.

RUSTING

Exploration on weathering methods for lampshade. Three solutions were applied to encourage rusting. Samples were left for 24 hours, 3 days, and 5 days. The metal was left unfinished to emphasize a machined character, supporting the shade’s role as a symbol of industry.

METAL ROLLING

The lamp shade profile is laser-cut and then each steel shade is rolled on a manual metal roller. Through multiple prototypes, this method was quick, consistent and repeatable with only minor variations.

STONE SUSPENSION

The initial approach of suspending the stones without intervention by encasing them in netting lacked stability and repeatability. Drilling directly through the stones provided a more reliable solution, reinforcing the project’s central tension: that human progress often advances through subtle acts of sacrifice imposed on nature.

FINDING BALANCE

The rock opening left the shade unevenly weighted. To rectify this, a laser-cut plastic test plate with multiple cord holes was tested to find the spot where the shade hung level.

ASSEMBLY

The three bent sheets feature holes for L-brackets, allowing for wall mounting. Each bend then slots into one another to connect without stress on the parts as each is mounted to the wall individually. The brackets are strategically placed to remain hidden behind the wine bottles when the Arch is in use.