LEDucation celebrates 20th anniversary with more than 10,000 visitors
(USA) – More than 10,000 visitors attended the 20th anniversary edition of LEDucation, held at New York’s Hilton Midtown on 14-15 April.
Organised by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), the show brought together designers, manufacturers, educators, students, and industry professionals, serving as a vital platform for connection, discovery, and the exchange of ideas across the lighting community.
“We are incredibly grateful to our manufacturers and their representatives for the unwavering support and commitment to making LEDucation a success year after year. Your partnership is the backbone of this event, and we thank you for your continued dedication to our programme,” said Jamie Eck, LEDucaiton Co-Chair. “As LEDucation continues to grow, creating a more intentional and focused experience for the design community became a clear priority. The positive feedback from manufacturers has reinforced Designer Hours as a key differentiator of the show.”
To commemorate two decades of growth, the DLFNY hosted a celebratory event on 13 April, honouring past and present contributors who have helped shape LEDucation into what it is today.
LEDucation Co-Chair and Co-Founder, Burt Grant, reflected on the milestone: “What started as a small, collaborative idea has grown into something truly meaningful for the lighting community. It has been incredible to see how LEDucation has evolved over the past 20 years, while still staying true to its core purpose of bringing people together to learn, connect, and move the industry forward.”
New for this year’s event, the first morning of the fair marked the introduction of “Designer Hours”, offering lighting designers, architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and engineers exclusive access to the show floor from 9.00-11.30am.
Cynthia Turner, President of DLFNY, emphasised the planning behind the initiative: “After each initiative, DLFNY and the LEDucation committee take a close look at what worked, where we can improve, and – most importantly – what we’re hearing from our community. Designer Hours came directly out of that process, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how well it was received. We are excited to build on that momentum, and continue raising the bar for the LEDucation experience.”
Alongside the show floor, which saw more than 550 exhibitors from around the globe, education remained a central pillar of LEDucation 2026, with a comprehensive programme designed to address the evolving needs of the industry. This year’s conference featured 25 in-person sessions, and 14 virtual presentations, covering topics that included design, technology, sustainability, controls, and emerging trends.
“We were incredibly excited by the strength of this year’s educational programme – from the diversity of topics to the level of dialogue with attendees. After two decades of engaging with LED technology, our audience brings an informed and thoughtful perspective, creating an industry-leading level of discourse. The feedback from the community has been fantastic, reinforcing that education continues to be a core strength of LEDucation. We’re committed to continuing to grow and evolve the programme, while maintaining this high level of quality,” shared the LEDucation Presentations Committee – Craig Fox, Wendy Kaplan, Shaun Fillion, and Stacey Bello.
For 2027, LEDucation will expand to a three-day format, taking place at the New York Hilton Midtown on 13-15 April, 2027.
New brand identity unveiled for HD Expo
(USA) - HD Expo, presented by Hospitality Design magazine, has unveiled a new brand identity, marking the next phase in the event’s evolution. Long recognised as hospitality design’s largest annual gathering, HD Expo is sharpening its focus through a rebrand centred on discovery, learning, and connection – experiences that help define what comes next for the industry.
Developed in partnership with global creative agency forceMajeure, the refreshed look introduces the concept of “a portal into possibility,” brought to life through an arch motif inspired by architectural thresholds and spatial transitions.
The form represents both a literal and symbolic passage, inviting attendees into a setting where curiosity sparks collaboration, and inspiration influences real hospitality projects around the world.
As part of the refresh, the event is now presented as HD Expo, a streamlined name that reflects its full scope including conference programming, product sourcing, and relationship building.
The new identity is anchored by a bold colour palette led by vibrant coral and magenta tones, introducing an energy and brightness that mirrors the pace and creativity driving hospitality forward today.
“HD Expo has always been a gathering place for this community, but what we are building now is more intentional, recharged, and aligned with where hospitality design is headed,” said Alison Medina, Vice President and Brand Director. “Our rebrand isn’t just a new look; it’s a signal. It captures the energy across this profession and creates a setting where ideas don’t just surface – they take shape.”
Attendees will experience the reimagined identity firsthand during HD Expo, May 5-7, 2026 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Registration is now open, with more information available on the event website.
WAC Group appoints new Director of Commercial Lighting Systems
(USA) – WAC Group has announced the appointment of Greg Barrett as its new Director of Commercial Lighting Systems. This announcement is released as the organisation recently launched WAC Architectural, its new commercial specification-grade lighting brand.
"Inspired, exhilarated, and humbled would be an understatement to describe my first few weeks with WAC Group,” says Barrett. “I am excited to realise the vision of what WAC Group is bringing to the world and honoured to become a part of it. We received an outstanding response from lighting professionals worldwide at our launch of WAC Architectural at Light + Building in Frankfurt, Germany. To all my friends in the design, controls, and integration world, I'm thrilled to continue collaborating with you to create solutions for your projects and companies."
Greg Barrett is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in lighting and control systems, grounded in both design and technology. In his new position, he will play a key role in shaping product strategy, education, and marketing, helping to drive innovation and bridge the gap between complex technologies and design-driven applications.
Prior to his role at WAC Group, he has worked for leading lighting and controls companies, including Savant, USAI Lighting, and Ketra. He holds an MFA in Architectural Lighting Design from Parsons School of Design and a BFA in Theatrical Lighting Design from Wright State University. Forever a student of light, Barrett has shared his knowledge with audiences around the world, speaking at LightFair, IALD Enlighten Americas, CEDIA, Lightapalooza, KBIS, High Point XDesign, TecHome Builder Summits, and more.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a freelance lighting designer and theatrical electrician with clients such as Disney, BET, and The Public Theatre; experience that continues to inform his holistic approach to lighting’s impact on perception, emotion, and human health. Greg also serves on the Board of Directors of the IALD Education Trust, supporting its mission to advance lighting education globally.
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IALD Awards winners unveiled during Light + Building
(Germany) – The International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) celebrated the 43rd annual IALD International Lighting Design Awards during Light + Building, in a glittering ceremony at Frankfurt’s Depot 1899. The first time that the awards ceremony was held in Europe, the event recognised 14 outstanding architectural lighting design projects for their commitment to innovation, sustainability, and cultural sensitivity.
While the winning projects spanned across six continents, the top prize on the night, the IALD Radiance Award for Excellence in Lighting Design, was awarded to Licht Kunst Licht for its transformative exterior lighting of Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The project showcases breakthrough heritage conservation techniques that reduce energy consumption and light pollution by substantial margins, while revealing 50% more architectural detail than the previous system.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, IALD Awards Co-Chair Colin Ball said: “The lighting design for Cologne Cathedral represents the pinnacle of what our profession can achieve. This project demonstrates how contemporary lighting technology can enhance both the spiritual presence and civic identity of a historic monument while meeting modern sustainability standards.”
The 2026 IALD Awards programme recognised projects across three categories, with winners representing diverse building types, from sacred spaces and cultural institutions to resorts and memorials. Winning projects came from Germany, Qatar, China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan – showcasing the international scope of lighting design excellence. The rigorous judging process included a seven-member international panel of renowned lighting designers, architects, and industry professionals, who evaluated each project through an anonymised review process.
The full list of winners includes:
IALD Radiance Award for Excellence in Lighting Design
Cologne Cathedral, Germany
Lighting Design: Licht Kunst Licht
IALD Awards of Excellence
Al Mujadilah: Centre & Mosque for Women, Qatar
Lighting Design: Buro Happold
Grand Hyatt Kunming: Public Areas & Rooms, China
Lighting Design: The Flaming Beacon & Isometrix
IALD Awards of Merit
At Turaif, Saudi Arabia
Lighting Design: Speirs Major Light Architecture
BAPS Hindu Mandir, UAE
Lighting Design: Studio Lumen
Chongqing Science Hall, China
Lighting Design: Beijing Pro Lighting Design
Desert Rock Resort, Saudi Arabia
Lighting Design: Delta Lighting Design
Four Seasons Tamarindo, Mexico
Lighting Design: Artec Studio
Hilton Niushoushan, China
Lighting Design: Brandston Partnership Inc
Li Shutong Park & Baoben Pagoda, China
Lighting Design: SUNLUX Lighting Design
Lugu Lake Lanyue Hotel, China
Lighting Design: Beijing Pro Lighting Design
Memorial Brumadinho, Brazil
Lighting Design: Atiaîa Lighting Design
NX Budokan, Japan
Lighting Design: Sirius Lighting Office
DALI Lighting Awards winners announced at Light + Building
(Germany) – The winners of the 2026 DALI Lighting Awards were announced at the DALI Pavilion during the Light + Building show in Frankfurt, Germany last week.
Organised by the DALI Alliance, the global industry association for DALI lighting control, the awards recognise outstanding projects that demonstrate the application and innovation of DALI-based lighting systems around the world.
The DALI Lighting Awards highlight projects that showcase the benefits of the open DALI standard, including interoperability, energy efficiency, installation flexibility, and advanced digital lighting control.
Interest in the awards programme continued to grow this year, with submissions nearly tripling compared to previous years, reflecting the rapid global adoption of DALI technologies across residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure applications.
Entries were submitted from projects across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and Africa, demonstrating the global reach of the DALI ecosystem.
Highlighting 13 winning projects and three highly commended projects, the awards programme includes two main groups of categories: Application Awards, recognising real-world project implementations; and Innovation Awards, celebrating technical advancement and new applications of DALI lighting control.
Application Awards Winners
- Residential – Zhuhai LTECH Technology – Estoril Court Luxury Residence
- Commercial Interior – Litelab – Hindustan Unilever
- Commercial Exterior – BEGA – Akershus Fortress
- Industrial – B.E.G. – Bosch R&D Manufacturing Facility
- Smart Cities and Infrastructure – Signify – Ezhou Huahu International Airport
Innovation Awards Winners
- Best Use of D4i – Crown House Technologies – Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities
- Best Emergency Lighting Integration – Tridonic – American University in Cairo
- Best Human Centric Design – Elekon – Acibadem Kartal Hospital
- Best Integration into Other Systems – Flashnet – Washington D.C. Connected Street Lighting
- Best Use of DALI+ – Lightmoves & zencontrol – 500 Bourke Street
- Sustainability and Energy Efficiency –Tridonic – Illuminating AlUla Film Residence
- Smart and Connected Lighting – bluebottle – Gate 8
- Innovation in Lighting – Foster + Partners / Delmatic – Apple Headquarters, Battersea Power Station
Highly Commended
- Delta Greentech – Dishuiyun Hall (Commercial Interior)
- Helvar – Lublin Metropolitan Railway Station (Smart Cities and Infrastructure)
- Inventronics – Baotou Aluminum Co., Ltd. (Sustainability and Energy ENiciency)
A global panel of expert judges from across the lighting industry, including lighting designers, technical specialists, and media representatives, selected the winners and highly commended entries.
“Our congratulations go to all the winners and highly commended projects,” said Paul Drosihn, General Manager of the DALI Alliance. “The quality and diversity of submissions this year were exceptional, reflecting the continued growth of DALI as a foundation for smart, interoperable lighting systems worldwide.”
Winners of 2025-26 Silhouette Awards revealed
(Worldwide) – The Silhouette Awards has announced the winners for its 2025–2026 programme, celebrating exceptional emerging talent from across the global lighting design industry.
Now in its fifth year, the Silhouette Awards is a global mentorship programme dedicated to identifying, celebrating, and supporting the next generation of lighting design talent. Launched in 2021 through a collaboration between Parrot PR & Marketing and Archifos, the initiative has already helped transform the careers of participants worldwide. Over the past four years, the programme has grown into a vibrant international community that champions creativity, knowledge-sharing, and forward-thinking design across the lighting industry.
The live-streamed winners’ announcement in early March brought together the international lighting and design community to celebrate this year’s lineup of emerging professionals.
Each year, 20 outstanding mentees are selected through a competitive application process. Applicants share their journeys, achievements, and ambitions through a three-minute video submission – a format designed to make the process both personal and inclusive, allowing candidates to speak directly to the programme’s panel of mentors.
This year’s award winners and their mentors are as follows:
- Stefanny Navarro González (Mentor: Adrian Moncada)
- Diana Mellow (Mentor: Becky Yam)
- Bettymaya Foott (Mentor: Courtney Mark)
- Sofia Stefanopoulou (Mentor: Dan Lister)
- Filippos Margaritis (Mentor: Dean Skira)
- Olena Kondrashevska (Mentor: Emrah Baki Ulas)
- Namita Narendra Nayak (Mentor: Ifthikhar Ilyas)
- Ioanna Trikerioti Chatziioannou (Mentor: Iliana Zotou)
- Emily Carolina Márquez Porras (Mentor: Ira Rothman)
- Katerina Xynogala (Mentor: Juan Ferrari)
- Daniele Guevara (Mentor: Kevan Shaw)
- Maria Laura Polselli (Mentor: Krishna Mistry)
- Min Li (Mentor: Mariel Fuentes)
- Riddhi Bhootda (Mentor: Melissa Byers)
- Anastasia Malisianou (Mentor: Poonam Mehta)
- Mandy Liu (Mentor: Rebecca Ho-Dion)
- Veera Saastamoinen (Mentor: Roger Narboni)
- Mariia Ilina (Mentor: Steven Rosen)
- Claudia Sagredo Carrasco (Mentor: Susanna Antico)
- Xueqi Du (Mentor: Vasiliki Malakasi)
A recording of the winners' celebration event is available for viewing here.
Over the next six months, this year's participants will engage in personalised mentorships designed to enhance knowledge, creative confidence, and professional development. While the programme supports emerging designers, it also benefits the mentors, enabling meaningful dialogue and strengthening collaboration across generations of lighting professionals. Many connections formed during the mentorship continue well beyond the official six-month period, contributing to a supportive global network that strengthens the lighting design community as a whole.
Eve Gaut, Co-Founder of the Silhouette Awards, said: “The overwhelming response to this year’s programme has been truly incredible. The collaboration between mentees and mentors is what makes this programme so special, and we are excited to see it continue making a meaningful impact across the industry.”
Katia Kolovea, Co-Founder of the Silhouette Awards, added: “Each year, we are inspired by the incredible talent that emerges through the Silhouette Awards. The passion and creativity we see in our winners reassure us that the future of the industry is in great hands.”
The Silhouette Awards team also extends sincere thanks to this year’s sponsors for their continued commitment to investing in future of the lighting design profession: Power sponsors Huda Lighting; Core sponsors formalighting, Signify, Studio Due, Vode; Light sponsors ADO Lights, DALI Alliance, OneEightyOne, Ligman, Lucent Lighting, Pharos Architectural Controls and Vivalyte.
The 2025–2026 Silhouette Awards programme is now officially underway, with mentors and mentees officially introduced and beginning their six-month mentorship journeys. These partnerships mark the start of a collaborative process focused on knowledge exchange, professional development, and creative exploration.
As the Silhouette Awards settles into its fifth year, the milestone reflects the lasting impact mentorship has had in shaping careers. Building on this foundation, the programme continues to look ahead – expanding international reach and creating new opportunities to support and inspire the next generation of lighting designers.
The mission of the Silhouette Awards remains clear: to champion and elevate the next generation of lighting professionals. By building meaningful connections between emerging talent and industry leaders, the programme not only supports individual career development but also contributes to the future of lighting design as a whole.
Nulty’s Gary Thornton named Director of Education
(Global) – Lighting Design consultancy Nulty has strengthened its commitment to innovation with the appointment of a new Director of Education.
Gary Thornton, who has been Director at Nulty since 2023, will assume this newly created role, which will see him oversee professional development, technical excellence, and sustainable working practices across the firm’s global studios.
The position is a first for the lighting design industry, and reflects Nulty’s ongoing mission to build a team of informed and conscious designers, empowered to respond to the evolving demands of the build industry.
As Director of Education, Thornton will lead both internal team development and external client engagement, implementing an education strategy that encompasses training, research, and CPD programmes. He will also work to continually refine the team’s knowledge of accreditation frameworks and technical standards, while developing internal policies and compliance structures to ensure high standards across the business. The role will also include a focus on early-career development initiatives, as Thornton will lead Nulty’s in-house apprenticeship scheme, student internship programme and outreach to schools and colleges.
Nulty’s Founder, Paul Nulty, says: “Education is fundamental to who we are as a practice, and how we deliver design work for our clients. As lighting design now sits at the crossroads of creativity, technology, sociology, psychology, physiology, and environmental design, Gary’s role is about recognising the complexity of our discipline, and ensuring we are prepared to meet the industry’s ever-shifting challenges. By aligning education with sustainable innovation, we will maintain our position as industry leaders and continue to redefine the impact of light on the world around us.”
A core pillar of Nulty’s education movement will be sustainability research, knowledge-sharing and advocacy, an area that Thornton has championed in recent years by establishing in-house circular economy benchmarks that drive accountability and reduce the environmental impact of the team’s schemes.
Gary Thornton adds: “I have always approached my work with a sustainable bias, and I am excited for the opportunity to champion this at a global level. As the industry places greater emphasis on sustainability metrics and the built environment becomes ever more complex, it is imperative that we deliver creative and technical lighting design solutions while responding to evolving requirements and client expectations.”
Carla Wilkins
In January of this year, Carla Wilkins, Founding Partner of Lichtvision, took over the role of President of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). Speaking to arc at Light + Intelligent Building Middle East, Wilkins talks about her vision for the association, and of her stellar career to date.
It is a commonly held belief that lighting design is the bridge that connects technology and design – that magical, ethereal quality that brings architecture to life and has the power to transform the mundane into something truly special.
This is a belief that is firmly held by Carla Wilkins, Founding Partner of global lighting design practice Lichtvision, and newly “sworn in” President of the IALD, who believes that, as well as striving for the best in terms of design, there should also be room for joy and wonder.
“As lighting designers, we have a responsibility. We should always look to bring something new, to merge technology and design to the best level, but it is also about joy,” she tells arc during a conversation at Light + Intelligent Building Middle East.
“In the lighting industry, we are all extremely focused on the business and the profession, but we should also seek out the happiness, and enjoy the work that we do. We all talk about the magic of lighting design, and I have the feeling that sometimes we forget what a luxury we have to work in this special field.”
Like many before and after her, Wilkins “found” lighting design after initially training as an architect. It was only after completing her studies and landing an internship in New York with Fisher Marantz Renfro Stone (as it was known at the time), that she really understood lighting as a profession.
“I can’t say that I was four years old and already had a lightbulb in my hands,” she says. “I am a trained architect, so my education was that there is one light fitting, and it goes in the centre of the room, and that is it. I did a study about museum lighting while at university, which made me think that lighting could be interesting, and also worked at a theatre, where I learned a lot about gels and how scenes can look nicer with special tones.
“I received a recommendation that there was a lighting studio in New York that was hiring interns – bear in mind this was in an age before the internet, we only had books and magazines – and so I thought I would give it a try. I was extremely lucky to get that internship, as it was through this that I learned that lighting design was a serious profession.”
Wilkins stayed in New York for a year and a half, during which she says the “foundation for my passion” grew under the tutelage of Fisher Marantz Renfro Stone’s founding partners. “They were really great mentors, and really trained me,” she says. “At the time, I wasn’t aware of how lucky I was to have that internship. While I was there, I discovered some serious stuff – the projects that they were working on, the design competitions; I remember thinking ‘oh, this is pretty cool’.”
Following her internship in New York, Wilkins returned to Germany, moving to Cologne to work at Lichtdesign, the former office of the late Hans von Malotki. Here, she met Andreas Schultz and Thomas Möritz, and together, the three of them founded Licht Kunst Licht.
After a few years here, Wilkins says she took a step back and, very briefly, considered moving away from lighting design altogether and into art. However, this thought didn’t last long, as she says she had “the tremendous opportunity and luck to meet the four founding partners of Lichtvision” – Karsten Ehling, Thomas Knoop, Thomas Müller, and Raoul Hesse, four PhD students from TU Berlin, who first had the idea of forming their own studio during the Lux Europa 97 conference in Amsterdam. “They came fresh from university, didn’t have so much experience, but were extremely highly educated, with PhDs in artificial lighting and controls and daylighting, and were really into visual media, way before it became a ‘thing’,” she recalls.
From its inception, Lichtvision has been driven by a dual focus: design and technology, aiming to bring innovative lighting solutions to the forefront. Wilkins’ involvement in the early days of the studio, and particularly her prior experience, proved instrumental in securing Lichtvision’s first major project – the transformation of the former Reichsbank in Berlin into the German Foreign Office. In the nearly 30 years since, the studio has built a vast and diverse portfolio of projects spanning across the globe.
These range from retail centres, workspaces and museums, to stadiums, transport hubs and large-scale infrastructure projects. The studio itself has also expanded, with additional studios established in the UK, Spain, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
This diversity of works is something that Wilkins is very proud of, and rather than having one standout, favourite project, she instead feels that there is something to learn from each project, whatever its typology, that can be used in future works.
“I can’t say that I have one favourite project. I love that, with the diversity of projects, there is always a different challenge. What I enjoy is that you can take what you learn from cruise ships and bring it to automotive, or what you are doing in interior to exterior, from museums to retail. You have to adapt your language and your priorities, but the experience from one field can become the inspiration for another one. What is most important is to stay open minded.
“Of course, there are projects that are once in a lifetime opportunities. We are lucky to be working on the Pergamon Museum in Berlin – a World UNESCO Heritage site, there is only one Pergamon Museum in the world, and if you are not delighted to be a part of this, you are doing something wrong.
“But if I went through our project list, I could name so many projects that could be highlights, where I think in that moment when we finalised it, I was happy.”
Across it all though, the studio’s desire to fuse design and technology has remained constant. Wilkins explains further how this ambition has manifested in the work that Lichtvision does: “With this passion for technology, there might be some kind of state-of-the-art development that might not be ready right now, but if you think in a different way and have a wild soul, you think about how you might use that technology in a completely different context, bringing it into architecture, interiors, wherever, and create something new.
“I have the luxury to have partners and a team that are highly skilled; so, from my personal perspective, I can pick up something and have an understanding, but when it comes to the bits and bytes, the finer details, I have people around me who can bring it to life. That is part of our philosophy – it is not about the individual designer, it is about the team, the multidisciplinary perspective, the talents that you have in the studio and how they challenge you.
“We also have a lot of nationalities across our teams; they speak different languages, have different attitudes. This is where you can personally gain insight, and bring this to a project.”
With regards to a typical process or approach to lighting design, while Wilkins is keen to embrace the magic of the profession, she adds that lighting sits in a “very structured world”.
“You do your analysis, you gain the understanding of the project’s needs and requirements, and what you can bring to the project. This is always the first part.
“The second part is where you establish the narrative of the space, introduce scenes that you can bring in at different levels through the project – never forget your surprising moments. And if you can convince the client, the end user, then it is about which tools and technologies you can use too. Then, you enter into the world of construction and value engineering and surviving and hoping that at the project’s opening, you can stand there and think ‘I still see my concept’. This is a happy moment that should be celebrated.”
On the subject of celebrations, Wilkins opened 2026 by assuming the position of President of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), taking over the role from Andrea Hartranft, who served as IALD President for the past two years.
Wilkins’ involvement with the association began almost at the same time as her career in lighting, during her time in the US. She reflects: “While I was working in America, it was normal that if you work as a lighting designer, you become an IALD member. When I moved back to Europe, I was perhaps a little bit narrow minded – I left the IALD and then joined PLDA, which ultimately didn’t work out, but the IALD said to me ‘you can still be a member, we are global’.
“And since then, I have been an active member in the IALD, and have been extremely happy to do so, because it is all about having connections and interchange of ideas. We’re not an aggressive industry, we’re very open and friendly, and this is all about sharing.”
After being an active member of the association for many years, Wilkins was nominated by former President Monica Lobo to be her chosen board member in 2024, and after putting her name forward, was named President-Elect a year and a half later.
When the news was announced, Wilkins said that she received some encouraging words of wisdom from Hartranft to prepare her for the role.
“Andrea achieved a lot of things for the association, so I have some really big shoes to fill. She gave me some wonderful advice; to quote her, she said: ‘IALD has proven that it can adapt, grow, and welcome a much bigger, more international community. And you have been an integral part of that metamorphosis. Lead and listen with openness and curiosity as you carry that momentum forward, and let the voice of the lighting design profession ring out globally, showcasing the power of qualitative design to shape environments, and the lives with them’. Thank you, Andrea, for these words. She was really great, and I have big footsteps to follow.”
Looking ahead to her stint as President, Wilkins is hoping that during her term, she can continue the good work of those that came before her in expanding the presence of both the IALD, and the lighting design profession as a whole, on a global level.
“Due to my time on the board, I learned a lot of things, and I think an important thing is we have to open up. We have to be not just an association for lighting designers, we have to be a voice for lighting. My inspiration is that we become even more global. Coming from Germany, having an office that is international, I have very good experience with this and a very strong trust in people.
“Light is our most universal language. From the streets of Tokyo to the skylines of New York, we all move beneath the same sun, witnessing the same dance of shadow and brilliance. By uniting as one voice – designers, builders, and dreamers alike – we do more than illuminate spaces; we reshape how the world is seen. Together, we can turn the simple act of lighting into a global movement for change. We are not just a small group looking at beautification, we need to champion the power and quality of light. It is challenging, but I am optimistic.”
As an association, the IALD has already made strides in expanding its global presence, with the introduction of the international Certified Lighting Designer (CLD) accreditation, as well as the LERN (Lighting Education Resource Network) educational platform. Launched in 2025, the IALD believes that LERN will become an “essential programme connecting manufacturers and IALD lighting design members. Through the platform, a panel of IALD members curates and reviews educational content created by manufacturer partners, researchers and academics, and industry leaders to ensure the excellence of that content and provide it to members with the credibility of the IALD’s endorsement.
“Another thing, that I think is always underestimated, is the Regulatory Working Groups, which I am inviting members to be a part of. It’s very important because, as a designer, being involved in the phrasing of regulations sets the baseline for your day-to-day work – you can actively shape your own future, and there are not a lot of lighting associations that give you that opportunity.”
Looking to the future, while she says she doesn’t have a crystal ball, Wilkins is keen for the IALD, and the lighting profession as a whole, to continue educating the wider design sphere – and beyond – about the importance of good quality lighting design.
“We are the advocates of good light, and we have to educate people more about the effects – what are the positives, what are the negatives – and make this information more available. Issues like light poverty are still being overlooked, and lighting designers are often still only being talked about in terms of beautification, but we can change this.
“In the industry, we are also talking a lot about AI, and I think that we shouldn’t be afraid of this. It is just a new technology. In former times, we did calculations by hand – when programmes came in for this, were we afraid of these because we didn’t have to do calculations by hand anymore. No. So, AI gives us new opportunities; we only have to keep in mind critical thinking and all of our expertise – this will be key in bringing this forward.”
Looking more inward, Wilkins is hopeful that her tenure as IALD President will allow her to grow on a personal level.
She continues: “For me, I will 100% grow as a person. For the IALD, I hope that I can bring a different perspective, as I am coming from Europe. I would like to use this to emphasise that we are more global, that each chapter is present and active, that we communicate far stronger, and that we open up beyond our lighting world.
“The lighting design community is very often talking to itself – I love it, of course, but if we want to be the voice for light, we have to go out. We shouldn’t be afraid of it. Especially with the engagement of all of our current and upcoming members. There might be some steps back, but there will be more steps forward.”
In the immediate future, though, Wilkins has spearheaded the curatorial direction for a brand-new area at the upcoming Light + Building fair in Frankfurt this March. Situated in Hall 3.1 and titled “The Living Light – where Design and Technology Shape the Future”, the area will be divided into four distinct spaces – Home, Work, Education, and Communication – each demonstrating the central areas of life in which light can be experienced as a shaping and connecting factor, with the broader goal of illustrating how a holistic approach to lighting can be translated into a spatial experience.
At the heart of the experience is a continuous spatial element – the “Green Spine”. This light-staged corridor connects the four themed spaces and guides visitors through the installation. Inspired by natural growth forms, a green moss wall accompanies the route, while light provides orientation, directs the gaze, and changes intensity and mood along the individual stations. Nature therefore becomes a symbol of connection and continuity between areas of life, technologies, and people.
“With The Living Light, we want to show that light is far more than illumination,” Wilkins explains. “Light is a living design factor that appeals to our emotions, motivates us, and connects us with one another. When we use technology in the right way and embed it in a holistic overall concept, light can enhance every moment of our everyday lives.”
The Living Light experience, therefore, brings back to mind the initial goals of both Wilkins and of her studio, Lichtvision, nearly 30 years since its inception, of creating a perfect harmony of design and technology, to create moments of joy and wonder in that special, intangible way that only light can.
www.lichtvision.com
www.iald.org
Beyond the Eco Aesthetic: Rethinking Circular Lighting
Citing her studio’s recent project at The Loop workspace in Düsseldorf, Sabine De Schutter explains that circular lighting does not have to result in an “apologetic aesthetic”.
Circular lighting design still suffers from a perception problem. Too often, it is associated with a recognisable visual shorthand and an apologetic aesthetic, or worse, assumed to be the result of budget limitations rather than intent. Sustainable, perhaps, but rarely confident.
When Studio De Schutter was commissioned to develop the lighting scheme for The Loop, the Ahrend x Office Group showroom in Düsseldorf, Germany, the client was unequivocal from the outset. The briefing was refreshingly direct. It had to be bold. No excuses. Quite simply, it had to be great. And just as important: it must not look ‘eco’.
For a project explicitly driven by circular principles, this was not a contradiction. It was the point of departure.
A Project Designed to Test Assumptions
The Loop was conceived as a hybrid space: a showroom, workplace, and event venue combined. It needed to represent two strong brands, function seamlessly across multiple modes of use, and make a visible statement within the urban context of Belzenplatz, a well-known square in Düsseldorf, Germany. At the same time, both Office Group and Ahrend were clear about their sustainability ambitions.
This was never about adding a green layer at the end. Circularity was embedded in the brief, but it wasn’t allowed to become the visual narrative. The space still had to look designed, styled, and confident. The project therefore became a deliberate stress test for a question many designers quietly avoid: how far can reuse and circular thinking be pushed without compromising identity, atmosphere, or professional standards?
Circularity as Shared DNA
One reason this tension could be navigated constructively lies in the DNA of the project partners themselves. Sustainability is not new territory for either brand. Ahrend, in particular, has embedded circular thinking into its corporate strategy for decades.
There’s a personal footnote here: I first encountered the Cradle to Cradle approach during my Interior Architecture studies in Belgium. Ahrend gave a presentation on it back in 2008. So, when we talk about circularity today, this isn’t a trend cycle, it’s a continuation of their brand vision all along.
That continuity matters. Circularity at The Loop extends well beyond lighting. Materials such as wood and drywall were sourced with the same mindset, reinforcing the idea that sustainability is spatial, systemic, and layered. The showroom functions as a showcase for a circular building sector on multiple levels, from interior architecture to lighting and furniture design.
Corporate Identity and Circularity
One of the most persistent concerns surrounding reuse is the perceived loss of brand clarity. Existing luminaires are often seen as a limitation rather than a resource. At The Loop, we deliberately challenged this assumption.
Corporate identity doesn’t live in new fixtures. Yes, we reused luminaires that are clearly 15 years old, but new fixtures will also look outdated in 15 years’ time. Identity lives in rhythm, contrast, visibility, and atmosphere. And lighting schemes are exceptionally good at translating that, if you allow it to.
The lighting concept therefore differentiates the space through use and mood. Quiet office areas are lit with restraint, with white luminaires. The existing fixtures that came with the building were originally grey, got refurbished and adapted to their new role. In contrast, the event and showroom areas are defined by bold, black, diagonally arranged luminaires with strong graphic presence.
These luminaires are visible from afar. They signal that something different is happening here: creative work, exchange, events. Even from across Belzenplatz, the space communicates its character. The result is a clear spatial hierarchy that supports the multiple identities of the space.
Three Approaches, One System
From a circular perspective, the project operates on three distinct levels, each applied where it makes the most sense.
First, there is lighting that is 100% reused without modification, primarily decorative luminaires sourced from other projects. Here, availability defines design, not the other way around.
Second, there are the existing luminaires already installed in the space. These were dismantled, technically upgraded, and visually adapted. Instead of energy-intensive powder coating, we opted for foil wrapping. Foiling consumes significantly less energy and eliminates transport to a coating facility. Just as important, it’s fully reversible.
If the colour concept changes in the future, the foil can be removed without damaging the luminaire, a decision closely aligned with Cradle to Cradle principles. Components remain separable, materials reusable, and future adaptations possible.
The third category is new lighting, introduced only where reuse could not meet functional or experiential requirements. This includes showroom spotlights equipped with AI-supported technology that automatically adjusts the light spectrum to the colour characteristics of furniture, exhibits, and chairs.
This isn’t about novelty, it’s about precision. In a showroom environment, light quality matters.
Balancing Responsibility and Innovation
For Studio De Schutter, circular design does not mean rejecting new technology.
As lighting designers, we have a responsibility not to fuel unnecessary production, raw material extraction, or landfill growth. But we also shouldn’t oppose innovation either.
The Loop therefore embraces both restraint and progress. High light quality, excellent colour rendering, and carefully programmed scenes remain non-negotiable. The lighting adapts seamlessly between work mode, consultation, events, and evening use, always supporting function without drawing attention to itself.
In the end, we are lighting professionals. Circularity doesn’t absolve us from delivering quality. It raises the bar.
A non-linear process by necessity
Working this way requires a fundamentally different planning mindset. Circular projects rarely follow a straight line. Availability, condition, and compatibility continuously inform decisions. Planning from catalogues is much easier. But who says easier is better?
Prototyping, testing, and questioning limits became integral to the process. One recurring question guided the team throughout: at what point does adaptation become so invasive that reuse no longer makes sense?
There are no universal answers, only informed, project-specific decisions.
Changing the Question
This project is about changing the questions we ask as designers. Can identity be strengthened through reuse? Yes. Is reuse inferior to new? Quite the opposite. Can circularity coexist with boldness, quality and design? Absolutely.
Circular lighting design, in this sense, is not a compromise. It is a design mindset, one that prioritises relevance over novelty, creative thinking over catalogue selection, and long-term environmental value over short-term effect.
And crucially, it proves that not looking eco may be exactly what sustainability needs right now.
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