MHL

23/06/2026

A few weeks ago, our lighting experts Bryan, Abhi, and Dave made the trip to Melbourne to visit the Unios Experience Centre and the WE-EF Lightbox. They came back with plenty to think about.

A few of the highlights:
>> The impact of dimming on how a space feels is more significant than most people expect.
>> Bathroom lighting demands more intentional thinking than most projects give it.
>> Gobo projection: The possibilities are vast and genuinely exciting to see in action.

Curious to learn more? Check out our latest blog post:

We visited the Unios Experience Centre and the WE-EF Lightbox in Melbourne to learn about new products and technologies as well as the latest lighting trends. Here is what we learned.

17/06/2026

Brand Spotlight: Unios

Founded in 2011, Unios has gone on to become Australia's fastest growing lighting brand and it's easy to see why.

Most of their designers and engineers have spent a lifetime in lighting, and that experience shows in the results. Unios design and manufacture interior and exterior luminaires that are beautiful, durable and high-performing.

We've been the exclusive NZ distributor since 2019. In that time, Unios has become an established brand specified on significant local projects, including Microsoft House Plaza in Auckland, Pastoral House in Wellington, and the Les Mills Car Park Through-Site-Link in Auckland.

There is lot’s we love about Unios, not least that fact that, as an Australian brand, lead times are significantly shorter than most comparable alternatives.

Learn more about Unios here: https://unios.com

11/06/2026

One of the products we're most excited to bring to New Zealand through our new Planet Lighting Australia partnership is the Auckland Transport (AT) approved LED Puck Snap.

The Puck Snap has been specified on bridges, heritage applications, bus shelters, paths, and pedestrian infrastructure around the world since 2006. Gen 6 continues that record with meaningfully improved photometric performance and efficiency, plus reverse polarity and hot-plug protection for greater robustness in demanding applications.

What makes it a go-to for lighting designers and engineers:
>> 17 colour choices, including a full white portfolio
>> Anti-glare performance with discreet, integrated aesthetics
>> A versatile range of distributions and mounting options
>> Push to snap-in installation
>> Auckland Transport approved

LED Puck Snap is well suited to handrail lighting, interior applications, retail, display cases, and galleries.

Planet Lighting’s architectural range is available through MHL from 1 June 2026. Get in touch to find out more.

09/06/2026

Another exciting project we’re proud to have been involved with.

Catherine Plaza is part of Auckland Council’s wider programme to upgrade public spaces across Henderson. Located at the entrance to the shopping mall, the plaza plays an important role in shaping first impressions of the area.

As a renewal project, Catherine Plaza presented several challenges, including the extensive use of curved geometry and existing buildings and unknown underground services that required the design and installation to remain flexible.

We supplied architectural luminaires from WE-EF and worked closely with Bespoke Landscape Architects to overcome these challenges. The result, is a public space that demonstrates how considered lighting can support safety, enhance amenity, and positively transform a civic environment.

Read the full case study here: https://www.lights.co.nz/projects/catherine-plaza-henderson

03/06/2026

We’re excited to share that the WE-EF S60 optical distribution, designed specifically for AS/NZS 1158.3.1 is now available across Zhaga based Street & Area luminaires.

S60 is an asymmetric side-throw optic, positioned between: S70 forward throw and P65 narrow side throw, and is particularly suited to pathway lighting where verge illumination is required.

As pole spacing increases, glare (DGI) and uniformity become more difficult to manage, increasing reliance on optical control. This proprietary WE-EF designed S60 addresses this with a broader, more even distribution profile.

While the S60 is available across AFL, RFL and FLC Street & Area ranges, it is particularly well suited to the RFL100 series, where its broader distribution can be more fully realised in application.

Get in touch with us to learn more.

28/05/2026

Office fit-outs have a short shelf life. Tenants change, teams restructure and spaces get repurposed. The lighting that made sense on day one is often the wrong choice two years later.

TRILUX’s new Yonos is built around that reality. It's a universal lighting system for offices designed to change with the space, not be replaced by it.

A robust aluminium profile with integrated power supply sits at the heart of the system. From that base, you can realise individual luminaires, continuous lines, or complex light structures using L, T, C and X connectors, surface-mounted or suspended. If the room concept changes after installation, Yonos adapts without starting over.

The system goes beyond light, too. On request, devices from other manufacturers, including sound systems, can be integrated directly into the installation. One infrastructure channel, doing more than one job.

We're pleased to be bringing Yonos to New Zealand. If you're specifying for a fit-out that needs to flex over time, we'd be glad to talk it through.

26/05/2026

The IESANZ Lighting Awards 2026 are open for entries!

The awards programme celebrates professionalism, ingenuity, and originality across lighting applications and technology.

Entries may consist of almost any endeavour in lighting, including project applications, product innovations, technology inventions, research methodologies and more.

Entries are now open and close on 30 June 2026.

If you have worked on any interesting and exciting projects this year, we'd encourage you to put them forward. If we supplied products, we’re more than happy to help with your entry.

Learn more and start your entry here: https://www.iesanz.org/awards/awards-2026

20/05/2026

When a fitting doesn't live up to expectations, we tend to spend a lot of time looking at it closely to figure out what went wrong. We don't often do the same when a fitting exceeds expectations. But there is just as much to learn.

Bryan, Jayden and Abhi from our Auckland team recently took a proper look at one of the WE-EF FLC141 luminaires that spent over 14 years lighting Wynyard Crossing. Installed in 2011, these fittings were mounted low on a pedestrian bridge, constantly exposed to salt air, and well within reach of the public for every one of those 14-plus years. What came back was in remarkable condition.

That kind of longevity doesn't happen by accident. It’s a result of high-quality design, construction, and materials. Quality products like these aren’t always the cheapest option upfront. But when a fitting looks like this after 14 years in a harsh environment, the lifetime cost argument tends to make itself.

14/05/2026

Achieving a 6 Green Star Design rating and a record 93 points is no easy task. But the right lighting solution helped make it possible for the University of Auckland’s B201 building.

The redeveloped of the University of Auckland’s former Social Sciences building into a modern academic environment was led by Beca with architecture by Jasmax.

The project team set a clear sustainability target from the outset: achieve a 6 Green Star rating.

Beca reviewed several luminaire options to help achieve this ambitious goal. Ultimately, the TRILUX Luceo was chosen for its performance, its form and aesthetics, and its suitability for a direct and indirect lighting strategy.

B201 has not only achieved the 6 Green Star goal, but has also been recognised publicly as a benchmark for sustainability and adaptive reuse.

We’re very proud to have been part of this genuinely world leading project.

Read the full case study here: www.lights.co.nz/projects/b201-university-of-auckland

12/05/2026

Who is a fan of the good old catalogue?
If you just put your (virtual) hand up, you’ll be happy to hear that Unios’ Product Showcase Volume 3 is here.

The catalogue showcases over 100 lighting products and 300+ in-situ images for when you need a quick project inspiration.

You can access the digital version here: https://lnkd.in/gm8bGhQD
If you would like a hardcopy, get in touch with us.