“We are always very open-minded.”: Wilhelm Cheng

When you think about all the elements of interior design, from space and form to colour and texture, light is arguably the most important. Without its illumination, the entire design of a space is insignificant.

Either natural or man-made, lighting sets a mood and an ambience. It brings colours to life, gives depth to patterns and highlights different textures, creating a beautiful display of light and shadow.

Of course, creating the perfect lighting scheme is much more involved than screwing in a light bulb or finding the perfect pendant light to brighten up the kitchen. Beautiful lighting is a work of art and, if done correctly, it can be a sustainable aesthetic as well.

"We’re not just selling lights, we are selling a solution," explains Prosperity Group Managing Director Wilhelm Cheng. "Lighting and architecture blend together. So, while we are a lighting supplier, we also see ourselves as ambassadors of green, sustainability and art."

Take the Group’s cave project, for instance. This design earned Prosperity Group three Asian Lighting Design Awards and two Chinese Lighting Awards.

Following its philosophy of functionality and aestheticism, this bespoke lighting design ensured the conservation and sustainability of the cave while maximising its natural beauty as a geological resource.

"The majority of tourism caves in China are lit by Prosperity Group," Wilhelm says. "Besides the initial impact of lighting, we also partner to tell a complete story. In this particular cave project, we used special sound effects. Doing this allowed us to exceed our customer’s expectations. We’re not just here to sell a product, we’re here to provide a solution with value."

This 42-year-old company has worked on many projects from subways to rail lines, hotels to sports venues and more. And, in each advanced lighting design, sustainability always remains at the forefront.

Whether it’s changing traditional light bulbs to LEDs or employing control settings allowing for further energy savings, the lighting design specialists are committed to protecting Mother Earth while also benefiting their customers.

"These small tweaks can help our customers to fulfil their corporate social responsibility," Wilhelm says. "And for the building owner, it increases the building’s value. We can reduce energy consumption by 30% just by using lighting controls.

"This provides the owner with many benefits. For example, if we can help the building owners in Hong Kong achieve certain platinum-level standards, it not only lowers their maintenance costs, but it also affords them 10% more floor space. And from a commercial perspective, that’s a lot."

It’s all part of Prosperity Group’s customer-centric approach. Wilhelm believes in putting himself in the customer’s shoes. By listening to their unique wants and needs and keeping an open mind, he’s able to create truly breathtaking customised lighting designs with his team.

"We are always very open-minded," Wilhelm says. "We need to be innovative, and that goes for innovation in product design and application. But we can’t do everything on our own. So, we’ve recently begun focusing on expanding our ecosystem."

This has helped the Group come up with solutions that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Its state-of-the-art digital light poles are the direct result of one such collaboration.

By working with its partners from around the world, the company was able to do what it does best while also incorporating more bells and whistles for its customer’s satisfaction. "We installed 70 digital light poles in our design for West Kowloon Terminus," Wilhelm says.

We’re not just here to sell a product, we’re here to provide a solution with value.

"More than lights, these poles have integrated fire-service sprinklers, speakers, wireless network receivers, smoke-detector sensors and a vibration sensor for safety. We never could have done this on our own. That’s why, in order to continue meeting the various requirements of our customers, we need to keep expanding our ecosystem."

As Prosperity Group looks forward, Wilhelm says it’s more important than ever to remain focused. Though it plans to reinvigorate branding with new logos and marketing materials, more importantly, the Group is looking to keep doing what it does, just better.

"We need to strengthen our strengths," he says. "It’s easier than improving the weakness. And, sometimes that means letting go of opportunities.

"Prosperity Group does not like competing in extremely low cost where we have to sacrifice product quality. We’re not in that business. We are, however, good at advancing, exploring new ideas and working with partners. From imagination to realisation, we’re dedicated to creating a full solution for our customers’ unique lighting demands."

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