A Beautiful, Innovative collaboration created from colorful LED Lights, Resin, Natural Wood, and a Good Cocktail

An example of the incredible effect of the edge lighting on the natural wood slabs within the bar top.

Recently we were tasked with working with Black Forest Wood Co. to complete a highly unique lighting project for the first Launch Pad Golf in Calgary. An opportunity our team was excited to tackle.

Working alongside our friends at Black Forest Wood Co, we were given the opportunity to provide internal lighting for one of their gorgeous resin pour live edge wood tables. Launch Pad, a unique bar restaurant featuring a blend of driving range and video game, had asked for two custom bar tops, one for their upstairs bar and another one for the main floor.

Black Forest Wood Co, the vehement producer of resin pour-based woodworking projects, creates various types of furniture featuring high-quality resin. Combining the modern and funky, almost jewel-like look of their clear and smokey resins with incredible carpentry work and live edge wood; the results speak for themselves. The products they create each stand as their own stunning piece of artwork. One that is both functional and incredible to look at.

U Technology has had experience combining the artistic with the technical. A cornerstone of the way we operate, we know that lighting is more than just a tool or function, and its effects and qualities can have a major impact on the way a space looks and feels.

Now, tasked with a unique and exciting challenge, our project lead Alex got right to work right away - and sooner than expected, because our first project hurdle came early, shifting deadlines.

After learning about the project and expecting it to be finishing up in August, it turned out we were only going to have a few weeks. Alex rushed over to Black Forest to get their drawings of the table, as well as a large paper mock-up that would prove integral to the project.

After utilizing almost every foldable table in our warehouse the paper mock-up of the bar top was complete, giving us an idea of where the live edge slabs would be present within the design. Even just from the paper drawing, we knew that this bar top was going to be epic in every facet from size to the design. Time was spent measuring each table to make sure the mock-ups were perfect and that we were heading into the project well prepared.

After working through a few different possible solutions with Kam and bouncing ideas off of Dylan, the team settled on using our UNITI Vivid Colour System LED light strip, our GCB series of Bluetooth controllers, and our ARMOUR Aluminium Housing combined with a diffusion lens to surround the inside edges of the bar. The goal being to shoot the light into the table and having the resin become illuminated, highlighting the natural wood contained within it. This combination was chosen for its flexibility and level of control.

With over 16.7 million vivid colours to choose from, we wanted to make sure that this table was stunning no matter what sort of vibe the venue was looking for.

With our GCB series receiver and EasyThings smart app we also made sure they had plenty of ways to control the lighting under the bar. Whether they wanted to set a specific schedule or change the colours of the lights, each bar could be controlled individually from one another with the app's zoning feature. 

Once settled on the perfect lighting solution for the job Alex worked through the weekend to get each length cut and soldered to guarantee we would be ready for the install early in the week. However, once Alex and Enrico, from the manufacturing department, arrived and saw the table, plans changed. With the large size of the live edge wood slabs inside of the resin blocking a lot of the light they knew they needed to come up with a new solution. With a new idea of utilizing our IP65 sealed vivid colour tape in tow, the duo headed back to our warehouse to get started.

Ditching the aluminum housing altogether it was decided that using the unique shapes and large size of the wood slabs mounted on clear puck risers in the table, combined with the unique light dispersion of the resin, would yield the best results. No lensing or housing needed. Being able to hide the flexible led strips under wood itself, and sandwiching between the two parts of the table, let the light beautifully illuminate the edges of the wood. This wasn’t without its own challenges. Before this project even began Black Forest Wood Co. sent us various samples of their resins and through testing, we were able to gain a better understanding of how light reflects within the resin itself. Its partnerships like these allow for unique opportunities to work with materials and textures not typically found in the lighting specification world.

After a few more trips and checkups on the table project conducted by Alex, it was finally time for one final little adjustment before the topper was put on. This allowed for one final look at the inner workings of the main floor table. LED strip lights wrapped and formed the various unique and strange shapes of the wood slabs that would eventually be covered by the monstrous bar topper. With the assistance of some construction workers and Black Forest employees, it was finally assembled and everyone got their first good look at the main bar.

The resin could best be described as a galaxy, flowing, and glittering between the various naturally formed slabs of wood, their histories laid bare in high definition beneath the cosmic glass-like resin. The lighting illuminates each individual layer of the wood. Every fibre and edge pops with vibrancy and texture. Immediately it was apparent every colour had its own unique look and feel, allowing the resin and hand-picked wood slabs to shine together as a beautiful combination of the natural and man-made. 

What made this special was seeing the bar on opening night, seeing the elegant bar being enjoyed by the patrons was worth all the hard work and dedication our team put into the project. Every bar looks better with a good drink on it.

We work hard at U Technology to provide the perfect lighting solution to our clients, and that often isn’t without its own challenges. Whether it's time, materials, or just finding what works best for our clients, the focus remains the same: deliver on our promises. Seeing the team here overcome unique challenges, provide new solutions, and rise to the occasion time and time again provides the heartbeat of this company. 

If you want to learn more about any of the products used in this project or Black Forest Wood Co.’s unique and beautiful products check out the links below. And if you get the chance head down to Launch Pad Golf in Heritage Pointe and see the bar tops for yourself. They really stand out and are the perfect place to sit down and have a drink after some swings of the club.

Thanks for reading.

Check back often to see what new and fun projects we’re working on!

It takes teamwork to make a project of this size come together, right down to the last moments.

Alex describing and going over the brand new bar top at Launch Pad Golf in Heritage Pointe.

Black Forest Wood Co. can be found at https://blackforestwood.com

Launch Pad Golf Heritage Pointe can be found at https://www.launchpadgolf.com/