As long as people have been living and working in buildings, they have been lighting them. Imagine cavemen burning sticks outside the walls of their caves 2,000 years ago to scare off beasts and conjure spirits. Now fast forward to the year 1969, when the concept of illumination as applied to architecture was solidified by the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), who set raising the profile of architectural lighting design as one of their first objectives. It's been almost 40 years since then, and as the lights have begun encompassing not only buildings but all sorts of entertainment-related endeavors, lighting designers are adjusting to concerns over energy consumption, new technologies, a growing government interest in regulating the lighting of public spaces, and a blurring of the lines between design disciplines.

The USS Monitor Center at the Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, VA. Available Light

Saving The World, One Light At A Time

Although the creative process will never change, the tools and intentions will become more progressive, thinks Anne Militello, founder of Hollywood-based Vortex Lighting. “Rather than have technology driving design ideas, I prefer to see the design community have influence on engineers to help steer them to create more ecologically-minded technologies that will also give us greater choices for expanded creativity,” she says. “The use of harvesting daylight, the push to develop high lumen LEDs, and the redesign of incandescent lights are reshaping the way we design. As designers, we are at the cusp of an exciting shift to keep creativity alive and to try to design responsibly. ”

It seems the days of power-guzzling traditional fixtures and sources may be numbered, and designers are feeling a social responsibility to mitigate the old school consumption. “I've spent a lot of my career dealing with projects that have a large architectural component, and that's made me very sensitive to energy efficient lighting solutions. In a lot of places, it isn't just a good idea — it's the law,” notes Thinkwell Design & Production's Michael Finney, based in Burbank, CA. “I think — and hope — we're going to be seeing a lot more out of sheer necessity. This is starting slowly, but I hope to see it in full roar by the five-year mark.”

Hotel Angeleno in Brentwood, CA. Anne Militello, Vortex Lighting.

Energy conservation is the biggest trend now, says Stephen Bernstein, principal at New York City-based Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design. “Because of technological advances and changes, energy concerns, complexities of switching, etc, the lighting designer is more and more important. Low wattage color HID lamps good for interiors are also now available but they are not dimmable (yet). I think an important issue not acknowledged is that these new demands require a rethinking and a re-imagining of the environment — meaning architects and interior designers have to start thinking about designing differently — they must be more aware of finishes, cost of equipment, and schedules. We need to educate them so they can educate their client.”

Steven Rosen of Available Light in Salem, MA, became fascinated with color, light, and electricity back in 1972 and says that as he looks to the future of the business he sees nothing but green. “How can I continue to deliver the visual wallop my clients expect on an ever-decreasing use of precious natural resources? I think it about it every day and continue to question our trusted manufacturers and cajole my clients to think beyond the initial capital investment. I hope to be part of the solution.”