PH and Louis Poulsen's partnership began in 1925-1926 with the design of his first lights for a Paris exhibition. It continued until PH's death in 1967. He developed glare-free, direct lighting and soft shadows with incandescent bulbs. The 3/2 Academy is one of thirty lights in his three-shade line, three of which are outdoor models. PH's system offered thousand of unique variants, colors, and sizes (metal or glass). The logarithmic spiral ensured even light distribution across the shade, while the glass diffused the light to reduce glare and shadows. Each shade reduces light equally, hence the model numbers. The 3/2 Academy has 30 cm top shades, but 2/2 lower shades for lower hanging. It was released in 2000.