“All materials in nature, the mountains and the stream and the air and we, are made of Light which has been spent, and this crampled mass called material casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to the Light.”
― Louis Kahn

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The name FO/RO is a playful abbreviation of Italian words fuori-dentro (”outside-inside”), meant to emphasize the interconnectedness of the inside and outside space in architecture. 

It’s also inspired by Fosforo, the Italian translation of Phōsphόros, the light bearer, the personification of the Morning Star (the planet Venus) in Greek mythology. 

The substance of phosphor, also called fosforo in Italian, etymologically named after Phōsphόros, is a solid material that emits light, exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence, when exposed to radiation or an electron beam.

Foro is also an Italian word taken directly from Latin for “forum”. In Ancient Rome it refers to a public square where daily civic activities taken place. In modern days it can mean a space for communication, discussion, and the exchange of ideas, which is important in lighting design as it is part of a larger project involving other discplines. 

FO/RO is led by Calosa K., a lighting designer with more than fifteen years of experience in the architecture industry. Calosa obtained her Bachelor Degree in architecture from Universitas Indonesia and Master Degree from Universidad San Pablo CEU in Madrid, Spain, and Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy. Prior to running the practice, she had experience working in reputable firms as designer and project manager in architecture, interior design and lighting design in Bali, Singapore, Rome, and Jakarta.

Having comprehensive background in architecture and interior design provides an advantage in the work of lighting design, allowing a better understanding of each project as a whole, thereby delivering better and robust results.