Richard is a Sales Representative with Enterprise Lighting Sales which is located in New York, NY. He has been helping specifiers in the lighting industry for more than two decades and has seen more than his fair share of custom design work.
Our current digital system dates its first Richard Agriss custom design quote on August 3rd, 2001 for the Charles B. Wang Center by PH Tuan Associates. Richard worked with Skip Herbert and the customs department on designing a special El Capitan Series™ that included 18 gauge 48" leads and a 1/2"-14 threaded 360SL nipple in place of a stem and canopy. This custom utilized the MR16, 50W maximum lamp. Custom number c1517-02.
The image below details the nipple that was developed for this custom and used many times in future designs in combination with stems and our three types of knuckles. The plan of the custom is shown below executed before 3D computing software
At the time that this article was written Richard had amassed 362 individual custom design quotations. As anyone who has technical design experience will explain, a custom design may go through several variations before a final plan is settled upon by the specifier (which very well can include not only a lighting designer collaborating with an architect but also electrical engineers, contractor management firms and even possibly end users).
Many custom designs are planned, created and shipped as mock-ups for on-site testing which can end up modifying lighting schedules and the luminaire itself. It is this revisionary practice that creates the custom myth that all customs are expensive and impractical to develop.
B-K Lighting has a great tradition of busting the custom myth and any BKU alumnus will attest customs often address future maintenance issues that poor design and bottom-line plans fail to consider. With over 30 years of custom designs at our disposal it is quite possible a solution has already been formulated. In fact, many of today's standard products were first dreamt up in the custom department. Custom lighting designer extraordinaire Skip Herbert has been with the company since the very beginning and has an impeccable, muscular lighting memory. John M Fox, principal of Fox+Fox Design, LLC architectural lighting located in Seal Beach, CA testifies,
One of the major reasons we rely on B-K Lighting for our outdoor lighting specifications is their extensive custom program. For some reason, we rarely have a project that has typical solutions. So when we call B-K to see if they have something for us, they invariably have a similar problem already solved for us and a cut sheet in our inbox in a matter of minutes.
Richard Agriss, our custom-made man concludes,
Why have I worked on so many customs? One reason, frankly, is B-K's willingness to build them. There are so many reasons why a custom fixture is needed – aesthetics, performance, or a insanely complex installation detail. And in my 25 years as a specification rep the number of manufacturers willing and able to do customs has dwindled. That's why my lighting designer clients keep coming to B-K, not only for exterior but interior applications as well. Not only do they know B-K is eager to build customs, but, far more importantly, they trust B-K's knowledge, experience and skill to do them right.
Of course, I couldn't write this without thanking Skip Herbert, Doug Hagen, and my sweet, sweet friend Ron Naus, who each helped make all of these custom projects possible.
The interactive image below represents just a few of Mr. Agriss' custom luminaries, along with their identifying product number. Simply click on the custom you're interested in reviewing or check out some of our other favorite custom designs. We will be visiting more of these customs and projects in our custom corner for the remainder of the year as part of our 30th Anniversary celebration so be sure check back or search by product keyword.
If you're looking a custom design solution please call us at (559) 438-5800 and ask for our Customs Department which will be happy to find the perfect design – or create one for you. Requests may also be sent to .
