1. If you had to name your top favorite three projects, they'd be...and why?
I have many favorites it's difficult to choose, but at the top of the list would be the 21,000 seat Conference Center for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. The project distinguishes itself because of its size, quality and the fact that every expressed light fixture in the public space, both interior and exterior, is custom designed. The project opened in 2000, but the design retains its pertinence.
A second favorite project opened in April of this year, the Salon Doré from the Hôtel de La Trémoille at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. The Salon was designed during the reign of Louis XVI as the main receiving room for guests. The project was to conserve and renovate the room to its original grandeur. Martin Chapman, the curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, challenged us not to use any exposed light fixtures to light the room other than the historic sconces, torchiers and chandelier already in the room. So we renovated the historic fixtures and hid low voltage "glow" lamps in the fixtures to enhance their details, hid fiber optic bundles in the chandelier to light architectural features in the room, simulated daylight coming in the windows and hid MR16s in graphic stanchions to supplement the "daylight". The result is stunning and no contemporary light fixtures can be seen. This project had an additional emotional component for me because I designed the lighting for the renovation of the Legion of Honor in 1995 and it was great to work at the Legion again.
The third project is not really an individual project, but an entire venue, which is the design and field work I did for Disney's EPCOT Center in 1981. The experience was integral to my development as a designer because it was my transition from theatre to architecture. Since Disney considers anything in the public realm the "show", I was designing the lighting for exhibits, lobbies, dining, retail and all things public.
2. Conversely, what was your most challenging project during the past three decades?
What's running through my mind is "every project is challenging." But if I have to choose the most challenging, also one of my favorites, it is the LDS Conference Center because of the reasons already mentioned and because of the fast schedule relative to the size of the building.
3. Have you found your background in theatre arts and theatrical lighting beneficial for your architectural lighting design career? How so?
Definitely. I think having a theatrical background gave me a good understanding of light as well as invaluable practical, hands-on experience. My experience in the theatre helped me understand what light does to 3-dimensional objects, how to use color both obviously and subtly, how to work collaboratively and fast, and how to improvise. It also gave me a great appreciation for the importance of teamwork. From theatre I carried with me the experience of dynamic collaboration and creating a hierarchy of visual cues and sense of place for the "show". I routinely apply those to my work in the built environment.
4. AGF also has a history of working with some very well-known clients such as Disney, Pixar, Adobe, MGM, the Legion of Honor, Hyatt and many others including civil and financial centers. Do you find more these clients present lighting design opportunities smaller project may not offer because of practical considerations such as risk or budget constraints?
The larger clients certainly offer large opportunities which are often very visible to the public, but budget constraints are a reality for every project. You may have a bigger budget, but there is intense pressure to deliver more for less - especially in the current post-recession climate. A common characteristic of many of our clients is that they are creative entities with a high degree of technical expertise in their field and they expect creativity, vision and a high level of performance. This is not confined to large clients, large projects or clients with a lot of money, I often say: good, fast, cheap, pick two, because it's very difficult to deliver all three.
5. You've been in the lighting industry now for over 30 years. Do you have any advice for aspiring lighting designers or those just entering the industry?
I'm a big advocate of the lighting industry and in particular of independent lighting designers. This is a small profession with a lot of opportunities. It's interesting, dynamic, close knit and offers the opportunity to work with many great architects, clients, and projects over the course of your professional life. Since you've asked, I'll offer a few tidbits of advice...
When we hire entry level designers, we first look for someone with specific experience in lighting (lighting internships are great) but we also want someone who is well-rounded. Lighting crosses over the disciplines of architecture, design, art and engineering so anything you can do to advance your knowledge of these subjects will help you. There are many ways to enter the lighting design field and lighting experience - in manufacturing, at a rep agency or in an architect's or engineer's office - are all beneficial.
This profession hinges on relationships and collaboration. In some ways social media has made us closer because it so easily connects us. In other ways it puts up barriers to having real relationships because the connections are often shallow. I think it's important to put down the smart phone and tablet, get off the computer and talk to your colleagues.
I'd also like to remind aspiring designers that this is a business and honing your business skills - project management, business management and accounting - will help you.
My last bit of advice, do something that excites and interests you. You work at your job too many hours to do something you don't love. After 30 plus years I am still enthusiastic and rewarded by my work.
6. What do you believe the future holds for the lighting industry and its lighting professionals?
As sustainability requirements (energy codes, carbon-neutral buildings, net zero buildings) take center stage and become more restrictive, lighting becomes increasingly important, but good lighting becomes more challenging to achieve. The need for people with specific expertise in lighting and the demands on lighting professionals continue to grow: knowledge of products, daylighting, controls systems, understanding of new project delivery modalities. This presents opportunities to expand in every aspect of the industry and it requires constant learning and adaptation. Everyone is talking about the rapid and all-encompassing advance of LEDs, but soon there will be something new and we will have to learn and adapt.
7. When put in a position of judging on an awards committee, how do you approach the projects, what are you looking for in winning submissions? Comparing different works?
When I judge colleague’s work I look to see how the designer solved the design imperative and their competence in application. I also hope to see elegant or inventive solutions. That can happen on many different levels: design, application, budget, sustainability, and those rare projects which combine all aspects to achieve a beautiful result. Judging isn’t a comparative exercise from project to project; it is taking each project on its own merits as a unique event. To have the privilege of viewing a colleague’s work, working with other judges and talking about lighting for a day or two is pure enjoyment.