In Focus – Gary Thornton
In March of this year, Nulty announced the appointment of a new Director of Education. Gary Thornton, who has been Director at Nulty since 2023, will assume the role, which will see him oversee professional development, technical excellence, and sustainable working practices across the firm’s global studios. Here, Thornton tells us more about the role and what it will entail.
Why did Nulty create this new role?
Creating a dedicated education role is about us putting our stake in the ground to cement how much we value learning and development.
The lighting design profession is changing. We are now so much more than a single discipline. Rather than sitting between art and science, designers need to understand technology, biology, psychology and physiology, alongside light and design. My role recognises that shift and bridges the gap between training, mentoring and thought leadership to ensure we continue to exceed expectations and deliver great work for our clients.
How did the opportunity arise?
The role developed organically. Education has always been central to our culture, and this is the next step in formalising that commitment. It also responds to the realities of a changing workplace. Junior designers are no longer surrounded by people for 40 hours a week, soaking everything up and learning from the more experienced designers around them. Hybrid working makes it harder to overhear conversations, bounce an idea around or ask a quick question. We want to create more meaningful ways to mentor people and link our studio’s experience with the juniors coming through.
What about the position appealed to you?
I’ve always enjoyed helping to educate people and pass on my knowledge, so it felt like a good fit. While I’ll be based in London, the remit is global, which gives me the opportunity to support teams across all our studios and create greater consistency in how we work and develop talent.
The role also plays to my strengths. I’ve always been a person who enjoys getting into the detail of something, such as an emerging piece of research or a new standard. I hope I can help refine the way we do things by taking that knowledge and distilling it down into something clear and accessible for others.
What will the role entail for you?
I’ll lead both internal team development and external client engagement, covering training, research and CPD programmes, as well as early-career development through the apprenticeship scheme and student internships. The role will also focus on accreditation frameworks, technical standards and developing internal policies around them.
Why is having a Director of Education an important move for the studio?
We have a diverse pool of creative talent and experience across the practice, and our goal is to help everyone reach their full potential. By investing in education internally, we can raise the standard of our work and, in doing so, help raise the standard of our profession. It’s also about driving thought leadership and finding ways to communicate the value of great lighting design across the entire built environment industry.
What are the core pillars of Nulty’s “education movement”?
People are at the heart of Nulty’s educational movement. Internally, it’s about investing in our team and raising standards of excellence; externally, it’s about improving understanding about lighting design with our clients and project collaborators. Lighting design is still very intangible, and we frequently assume everyone speaks the same language when they don’t. By positioning ourselves at the forefront of knowledge and sharing that expertise, we can help address that.
Innovation is another key pillar. We want to build on the work we’ve done around the circular economy and TM66 by expanding into other areas of sustainability, including embodied carbon. This role gives me more time to dig deeper, stay informed and continue pushing us forward.
Is this position solely internal, or will you be working externally too?
Alongside mentoring and training, I’ll be engaging more with the wider industry. I’m already involved with the ILP Architectural Lighting Committee, the SLL and its Get Curious STEAM programme, and working with the team developing the TM66 methodology. It’s important to me that I play a more active role in shaping new ideas and initiatives.
What do you hope the benefits will be for this position, personally, internally at Nulty, and externally?
Externally, the aim is for Nulty to continue pushing boundaries. Ultimately, it’s about how we progress as a practice and design better spaces for people. Personally, I’m looking forward to having more time to lift people up and challenge the base line of what we currently consider great work. I want our team to be engaged, curious, creative, interested and pragmatic about how things are designed and built. If everyone who passes through our doors leaves as a stronger designer and a more informed individual because of the support we gave them, then our education movement has been a success.