Lighting Design

  By Mariel Acevedo, MIES – ALR & Amanda Schaneman, MIES – ETC Trauma informed design (TID) is a newer form of practice in the architectural community.  It’s been around since 2013 and is gaining traction in all kinds of building types.  As the work becomes more prominent, the lighting community should understand the language [...]

  A strong trend at LEDucation in April was an emphasis on “dark light,” “dark optics,” and low-UGR performance, especially in specification-grade architectural fixtures. What began as a design preference for black finishes has evolved into a more technical conversation about visual comfort, source concealment, and controlled luminance. In these performance architectural fixtures, the finish [...]

  Motorized architectural lighting is undergoing a meaningful shift, driven by a factor that has historically constrained its adoption: fixture size. For decades, remote-controlled luminaires delivering full pan, tilt, and beam adjustment required large apertures—often exceeding 150 mm—along with substantial ceiling depth and access. As a result, the category remained largely confined to large-scale hospitality, [...]

  By Heesu Chung, Brand Lead, Warm by Design The consumer backlash against the “big light” is easy to dismiss as social-media shorthand, but the underlying issue is familiar to anyone in lighting: a single high source is being asked to handle every job in the room. For years, the residential lighting conversation was dominated [...]

  This is my latest article published in the March 2026 issue of LD+A. The Stack is rooted in theatrical design principles Rising above Vancouver’s skyline, The Stack at 1133 Melville Street is more than an office tower—it’s a statement in sustainable architecture and lighting design. As Canada’s tallest zero-carbon building, its sculptural form and [...]

  Stanford researchers are designing domestic robots to help older adults age in place with more safety, mobility, and independence. These robots are support tools rather than replacements for human caregivers. The robots could reduce the strain on families and care systems as the U.S. population grows older. The article highlights several use cases: helping [...]

  A recent New York Magazine article describes a noticeable shift in New York City apartments toward orange, amber, and red-tinted lighting, driven by a mix of aesthetics, mood, and the flexibility of smart LED lamps. The trend is more than a passing design quirk: residents, designers, and lighting consultants are intentionally choosing ultra-warm light [...]

  Zaneen’s Lum is a customizable magnetic design system with two types of components: panels with no light, and panels with LED light (all panels must be installed horizontally). The panels are interchangeable and can be configured into multiple designs. There are many finishes available to choose from for Lum, including copper and leather options. [...]

  By Maggie Swift, CEO at Unframed Digital Lighting specifiers are no longer discovering products the way manufacturers expect them to. In 2026, architects, designers, and engineers are doing the majority of their product research independently – online, on demand, and often long before a trade show visit or a conversation with a sales representative [...]