By Adam Reeder, President at LightArt and Vice President at 3form
For years, the lighting industry has pursued two parallel paths: advancing technical and wellness-focused performance and exploring expressive, sculptural forms. What was once treated as a choice between aesthetics and function has increasingly become an integrated conversation fueled by curiosity and experimentation. Now more than ever there is a growing emphasis on human wellness, acoustic comfort, and biophilic connection in the built environment. Today, sculptural lighting is no longer confined to statement pieces alone. Instead, it is a vehicle for performance, sensory comfort, and emotional impact. Defining this new category of lighting is a continued journey that explores how whimsical form and functional performance can coexist in the industry.
Human Well-Being and Acoustic Comfort
As architects and designers continue to prioritize wellness as a measurable design outcome, the role of lighting has expanded beyond visibility and efficiency, and evolved into a clear set of performance priorities rooted in human well-being. Open plans, harder surfaces, and more flexible environments have amplified the demand for solutions that address acoustics alongside illumination.
Historically, many commercial lighting manufacturers were shaped by categories defined by lumen packages, fixture families, and lenses. In contrast, a growing segment of the industry has approached lighting through a more form-driven lens—integrating artistic sensibility with technical rigor from the outset. This shift has encouraged the integration of high-performance acoustic materials into sculptural luminaires, reframing ceiling planes as active contributors to both spatial comfort and visual expression. The result is a more holistic approach to lighting that supports how people feel and function within a space.
Guardant Health in Hayward, CA, Featuring Acoustic Echo, Acoustic Mobile, and Acoustic Mobile by LightArt, Photography by Rob Calderwood
Biophilic Design’s Rise in Architectural Vocabulary
Biophilic principles are also reshaping how lighting is conceived and specified. Sculptural forms, especially those grounded in organic shapes, natural movement, and materiality reinforce the psychological connection between people and place. This approach to biophilic design helps reduce stress, promote calm, and foster harmony within an environment.
As sustainability goals accelerate the adoption of recycled and low-impact materials, designers and manufacturers alike are seeking greater transparency around sourcing, performance, and lifecycle impact. This convergence of biophilia and sustainability allows natural expression to be achieved with greater rigor, embedding a sense of resonance and authenticity into architectural spaces without compromising performance expectations.
Maintaining Lighting Quality Without Compromising Visual Creativity
Lighting quality itself has become a fundamental contributor to wellness that extends far beyond illumination. Modern designs are sensitive to how light influences circadian rhythm, mood, and productivity. Diffusion, glare control, and distribution are now evaluated not only for compliance, but for how effectively they shape the human experience. Sculptural non-linear luminaires play a critical role here, softening light and introducing visual depth in ways that conventional fixtures cannot. The result is an elevated visual experience that still meets the rigorous demands of commercial performance.
Lightweight, durable, and made from sustainable materials, Somari offers beauty, performance, and endless possibilities; Courtesy of LightArt
The Power of Color
Color is increasingly being reconsidered as a strategic design tool—one capable of shaping emotion, orientation, and identity within a space. Designers are using subtle gradients and saturated hues alike to influence emotion, orientation, and identity within a space, while looking to sculptural forms to act as a catalyst for emotional well-being. In many commercial projects, color in lighting now serves as a bridge between branding and wayfinding, and influencing how people feel within a space.
Sculptural Expression Meets Wellness-Focused Performance
At its best, lighting design contributes to environments that enrich the people who occupy them—visually, emotionally, and physically. Sculptural expression is one way to honor the emotional, human side of design; wellness-focused performance ensures those same pieces contribute to happier, healthier, more productive spaces.
Together, these shifts point to a broader industry transformation. Lighting is no longer understood as a singular performance layer within a building, but as a multidimensional contributor to comfort, character, and health. For manufacturers, this means expanding R&D beyond optics and efficacy; for designers, it demands specifying with a wider lens, one that accounts for emotional response as equally as measurable output.
As the dialogue around wellness in the built environment continues to mature, the lighting industry finds itself at a pivotal intersection of technology, art, and human experience. The challenge—and opportunity—moving forward lies in designing products and spaces that do not force a distinction between expression and performance, but instead allow each to inherently strengthen the other.
About the Author:
Adam Reeder was promoted to President of LightArt on January 1, 2023. He has been in the industry since 2005, starting his career at 3form, LightArt’s parent company, where he advanced through various roles, including Project Manager, Material Consultant and International Business Manager. In 2016, he joined LightArt as VP of Sales and Customer Service, became VP of LightArt in 2021, and then President in 2023. In 2024, he was promoted to 3form Vice President & President of LightArt. Reeder holds a degree from the University of Utah and an MBA from Westminster University, bringing extensive experience and leadership in the A&D industry.
You must be logged in to post a comment.