Redesigning and rebalancing current approaches to lighting Everyone deserves good lighting, particularly indoors, where many of us spend most of our time. This may be a simple declaration, but in practice, “good lighting” is a challenge to deliver equitably. Thoughtfully designed, high-quality lighting has long been an indicator of wealth and prosperity. In contrast, systemically…

Complex lighting in a French restaurant provides old-world charm with a modern twist Fancy a frite? Restaurant-goers need not fly to Paris—just to the Windy City’s Le Select, a French brasserie turned private-event space. The eatery with European flair opened in 2023 and features a lighting scheme meant to make guests feel as though they…

I would like to begin my first column for LD+A by thanking the IES leadership team for the opportunity to serve such an accomplished and innovative membership Society. I previously spent more than 14 years working on various society publications at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), where I enjoyed meeting and learning from a diverse population of…

Gaylord Hotels’ ICE! brings a sparkle to the holiday season For more than 70 years, good ol’ Charlie Brown has suffered indignities such as Lucy repeatedly pulling a football away before he could kick it and being labeled a “block-head.” However, the tables have turned in recent years as the entire Peanuts gang, along with…

In talking with our esteemed Editor Paul Tarricone about this month’s column, he suggested writing a column about “building your brand,” and I thought it would be fun to put a bit of a spin on his great suggestion. Most of the columns I’ve written for LD+A are directed toward hiring managers, presidents, HR professionals or people with at least 10 years…

Hossley Lighting and Power Solutions, a Texas-based manufacturer representative agency for commercial and industrial lighting brands across much of the southern U.S., has announced the opening of a new 42,000-sq ft facility in in Coppell, Texas. With an oversized ramp, three dock-high doors, 15 trailer parking spots and access to Interstate 635, the combined office…

Legrand’s lighting control brand, Vantage, has announced a strategic Keypad Alliance with luxury keypad manufacturers Meljac, Forbes & Lommax and Basalte to enhance interface flexibility for lighting designers. With this alliance, partner keypads can utilize the same lighting control programming as Vantage keypads via the company’s intuitive Design Center Software, thus allowing designers to provide…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced six winners of the Prototype Phase, the second phase, in the rigorous DOE Lighting Prize (L-Prize) competition in October. The competition is meant to spark groundbreaking innovation in next-generation commercial buildings, with regards to energy efficiency, connectivity and controls, visual quality, environmental sustainability and attention to DEI in…

Location: Thielen & Green Office - Lino Lake, MN Lighting System: TruLine 1A Designer: Thielen & Green Architects Rep Agency: Davis and Associates   Thielen and Green Architects needed to expand their office space due to the company’s successful growth. They moved into an office space that wasn’t being utilized by other tenants which gave…

In January 2003, I replied to an ad in The New York Times seeking an editor to run a monthly engineering magazine published by a professional society. In the blink of an eye, we now fast forward two decades to my final column as editor and publisher of LD+A. So how did we get here?…

I have recently heard several oral traditions that were imbued with natural wisdom and valuable insights about the natural world. The first was that it is time to plant corn when an oak leaf is the size of squirrel’s ear. Another one pertained to the stars, an Indigenous legend of the Six Nations, imparting that it is…

Almost everyone in the lighting business is aware of Rambusch’s specification-grade lighting products. Lesser known, perhaps, are its accomplishments as a restorer of historic fixtures for specific projects, and its talent in replicating fixtures and custom lighting. Glare inspired Rambusch’s entrée into the lighting business. The firm was founded as a decorating company and its founder, Frode Rambusch—whose great-grandsons Edwin and Martin Rambusch run the…

Youth Shall Be Served:  Two Gen Z-ers discuss how DEIR principles can shape the profession CHANGING PERCEPTIONS Usually when I speak on why DEIR is important in the design industry, I talk about its importance in increasing POC (people of color) representation. Having a background in architecture, I am already familiar with the small percentage…

When the town of Greece, New York, wanted to expand its public Children’s Library area, the owner and design team reached directly into the minds of young readers and pulled out all the makings of a space to foster learning and growth. A dual level “story garden” replete with a perfectly blue sky, lights like…

John Levy Lighting Productions, Inc transformed a 126,000-sq ft warehouse-like space into a story-ready immersive retail, art and entertainment complex to earn a 2023 IES Illumination Award of Merit.  The story of AREA 15 is that it is reclaimed from an ancient alien factory, so to create an out-of-this-world experience, designers implemented high-power, human-safe UV…