Ekoa is a flax-based, bio-based surface material with some natural translucency that varies based on color. When light is placed behind it, that translucency creates a warm, organic glow-through effect — a look many designers use for signage, wayfinding, feature walls, and reception elements.
Backlighting Ekoa works the same way as backlighting any semi-translucent surface material: light source behind, diffusion in between, Ekoa as the visible face. If your team has backlit stone, veneers, or other natural materials before, the same principles apply here.
Ekoa supplies the surface material and this general guidance. Design, lighting, engineering, fabrication, and installation of the illuminated assembly are the responsibility of the project’s design and fabrication teams.
TWO COMMON APPROACHES
There are a number of ways to incorporate Ekoa into an illuminated assembly. The two approaches below are common examples; the appropriate solution will depend on the project and should be determined by the responsible design and fabrication team.
EDGE-LIT DIFFUSER PANEL
Side-firing LEDs illuminate a diffuser panel behind the Ekoa surface, producing even, edge-to-edge light. Ekoa is affixed in front of the illuminated face of a diffused LED panel (e.g., Lumisheet by Omnify or similar) using mechanical fastening or a pressure-sensitive adhesive. A laser-cut mask between Ekoa and the light source can create logos, text, or other graphic elements.
RECESSED PANEL
The LED panel is recessed into a pocket within the substrate so the illuminated surface sits flush with the surrounding material, and Ekoa is affixed over the assembly. This approach is well suited to integrated signage or feature elements. A bead of silicone around the mask helps prevent light leakage at the panel edges.
Which approach — and which materials, dimensions, and construction details — fits your project is a call for the fabricator to make.
WHAT AFFECTS THE RESULT
Two things drive how a backlit Ekoa application will look: color and lighting.
● Color: Translucency varies across Ekoa’s color range. Bare and ColorBurst colors offer the most translucency and generally the brightest, most vibrant glow-through. Less-translucent colors can produce a beautiful, subtler, more muted effect.
● Lighting: A diffused, evenly illuminated edge-lit LED panel is a common approach, but other systems can work depending on the application. LED selection and sourcing sit with the electrician, lighting designer, or fabricator — Ekoa doesn’t specify or supply lighting.
The best way to know how a finish will perform is to test an actual Ekoa sample with the proposed lighting system before fabrication.
FABRICATION & INSTALLATION
Backlit Ekoa applications typically call for a millwork, signage, or specialty fabricator and shop drawings, lightbox construction, LED integration, masking, and installation are the responsibility of the fabricator/installer.
QUESTIONS?
hello@ekoa.design / +1 415.671.8191 / ekoa.design