Since the inception of the IES Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Respect (DEIR) Committee, it has morphed from a committee whose very formation was questioned to a recognized entity within and outside of the Society. The members of the committee have worked hard to ensure that its charter has been met and that we thoroughly research…

Each year—in addition to its celebration of world class architecture, technical achievement and aesthetic brilliance—the IES Illumination Awards program makes the case for professional lighting design… emphasis on professional. To put it another way, the IA demonstrates skilled craftspeople showing what their years of training can produce. This idea of professionalism came to mind as…

On the 20th anniversary of this retrospective first published in LD+A August 2003, we celebrate the life and times of Howard Brandston The headline above might look familiar. Long-time readers of LD+A will recognize it from the “Letters to the Editor” section in the 1970s. Those newer to the magazine and the Society will understand…

Designed by architect Tonkin Liu, the Tower of Light is a 40-meter tall tower enclosing a new low-carbon energy center in Manchester. Minimal energy is used to light the tower. During the day, polished reflectors inside the tower shift in the wind, reflecting sunlight into the tower’s chambers and filling the structure with moving light.…

Immersive experiences create a sense of place at Vancouver International Airport Land, sea and sky aren’t necessarily unusual themes for air travel. Think about it—travelers begin on the ground and continue into the sky, perhaps journeying over open waters, before arriving at their final destination. However, land, sea and sky are unusual themes inside airports,…

To complement the new architecture and nearby forestry, designers implemented delicate, matching columns and bollards from Luminis. Though the Watersound Origins community in Inlet Beach, FL, has been evolving for several years, the new Watersound Town Center  project along the pine-treed Emerald Coast, introduced 20,000 sq ft of leasable space and an 8,000-sq ft covered…

A combination of educational resources, cutting-edge technology, specifier buy-in and community involvement can protect the night sky The words “summer night” call to mind a distinct set of happenings in the natural world. Crickets sound their nightly chorus in darkened yards and thickets, fireflies flash their whereabouts, moths pollinate the garden and bats hunt mosquitoes…

Wireless streetlight systems offer benefits not only to utilities and cities, but to the citizens who use the roads every day Municipal smart street lighting is revolutionizing the way public lighting systems are controlled and managed by a Central Management System (CMS). This approach wirelessly connects streetlights, enabling municipalities and utilities to save money, reduce…

Many of the benefits of LED streetlights are proven and accepted, and cities and electric utilities are replacing their aged installed base of high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) with LED. However, in many instances, the benefits of these new lighting systems are compromised by aging electrical distribution systems, extreme weather, and the possibility…

The introduction of TM-30 in 2015, and the addition of Annex E in 2018, marked a huge step forward in characterizing the suitability and desirability of different LED light sources for a wide range of lighting applications. And yet, the adoption of TM-30 and the associated Annex E designations is not as universal among lighting…

Since 1998, the American Society of Civil Engineers has gotten a lot of attention in the mainstream press for its “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure". Every four years, ASCE scores infrastructure through a lens that focuses on structural condition, obsolescence, age, et al., and hands out grades in 18 infrastructure categories that include bridges, dams,…

Function informs aesthetics at a light-rail facility in Seattle When the award-winning collaborative team from Stantec and Hensel Phelps Construction came together for a second time, their task was to ensure the new Sound Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility East project—part of the East Link expansion program in the greater Seattle area—was well lit for…

The 2024 Daylight Award is open for nominations. Given every second year, the two-category award program seeks to encourage scientific knowledge and practical application of daylight to one or more architects, or other professionals, who have distinguished themselves by realizing a body of built work that showcases a unique use of daylight. Recipients of both…

ETC’s Fred Foster Mentorship program has announced the 12 last-year undergrad and graduate student mentees selected to be paired with industry mentors and participate in a series of virtual networking events. The primary goal of the program is to create relationship-building opportunities between established industry luminaries and the next generation of lighting professionals. This year’s…

The International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) has established a dedicated chapter for Croatia, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Joining over 35 other chapters in the association’s network, IALD Southern Europe invites designers to become members of the IALD community and gain access to its array of programs, events and networking among over 1,500 industry colleagues. Mônica…