Charles Foster is a Senior Director at Lightswitch and one of the key leaders at Lightswitch’ NYC office location. With decades of experience in lighting design across the globe, Charles has built a distinguished career with a diverse portfolio that spans event, entertainment, and architectural lighting design. He graduated summa cum laude from Fra…

Shilpa Suresh is a Senior Associate at the prestigious Rockwell Group, an award-winning, interdisciplinary architecture, interior, lighting - and design firm specializing in hospitality, culture, healthcare, education, and many more fields. Shilpa holds a BA in Architecture and a Master’s in Fine Arts in Interior Design from Parsons New York, where…

"That was an art project, for me it was very important, but also the reaction of the people was amazing, because everyone was very intrigued about the project. This idea, to have an element, that brings you to think about something else." Gabriele Negro "I highly admire people who have an idea, an obsession, particularly one friend who is a film di…

"We all have ideas that come because we are social beings and in our exchange about ideas we all profit more than hiding anything (...) There is a lot of magic and if we know about it as the experts for light we can do a lot of magic." In this weeks Light Lounge I speak with Ulrike Brandi. Ulrike is one of the most prolific lighting designers in th…

Howard Brandston was one of the most influential lighting designers to have ever lived. He founded the world-renowned Howard Brandston Lighting Design practice in 1965 and was a founding member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) in 1969. His impact on our field was immense. The podcast interview with Howard Brandston is o…

Live from the IALD Enlighten 2019 Conference in Albuquerque. Please say hi if you are here! Looking forwrad to see you very soon! Best Thomas

Jordana Maisie Design Studio recognizes the phenomenal in the everyday. JMDS creates architecture, installation, furniture and lighting design projects with a dedication to concept, craft, detail, durability, play and an overarching commitment to a heightened user experience. The studio founder, Maisie, began her career as an installation-based Art…

Enrique Peiniger was formally trained in the fields of architecture and social sciences, his manifold way of thinking defines all his work. As a humanist and engineer, Enrique articulates a project’s historical and cultural context while devising state-of-the-art technology developed to achieve economy of work. Enrique designs with sensitivity, cla…

This is a brief episode sharing why Lighting Design matters to me personally! Find the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zUZ6qqyfByM What is your why in Lighting Design? Please let me know and say hi on Insta: thomas_mnich

Mark Major trained and practised as an architect prior to focusing on the unique relationship between light and architecture. He has worked on a wide range of award-winning lighting projects including the Millennium Dome, 30 St. Mary Axe, Beijing International Airport, the refurbishment of Royal Festival Hall and the re-lighting of the interior of …

Claudia Kappl Joy is Co-Founder, Creative and Managing Director of CLL - Concept Lighting Lab founded in 2013. The Tucson based lighting design studio consists of a team of energetic and motivated Lighting Designers and Architects with more than fifteen years of experience. - Our fascination with the ephemeral quality of light and its essential rol…

Mr. Stone’s parents sent him to the Harrisburg Community Theatre, hoping to keep him out of trouble while Charles was trying to become a singer and trombonist in a rock band. And there, at the stage door, he was transfixed by the Magic of Light: Lekos and Fresnels, colored gel and dimmers – emotion and passion. From that day, whether on, off, or ba…

Light Collective consists of Sharon Stammers and Martin Lupton who have both been involved in the lighting industry for over 20 years. Based in the UK and essentially architectural lighting designers, their portfolio of work has diversified in many different directions – light activism being one of them. Women in Lighting is an inspirational digita…

Paul Gregory is the founder and president of Focus Lighting, an architectural lighting design firm based in Harlem, New York (www.focuslighting.com). He was trained in theatrical lighting at the Goodman Theatre School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Paul has been awarded numerous honors in recognition of his design work, including over twenty Lume…

Sean O’Connor recognized the power of light and shadow as a student of architecture. Since establishing his firm in 1997, Mr. O’Connor has developed an award-winning body of work by defining spaces and their character, identity and beauty through the use of light. https://www.seanoconnorlighting.com/ Mr. O’Connor works in close collaboration with a…

Charles Marshall is the Design Director and a principal of Parc Office. Marshall utilizes his background in industrial design to create interactive environments and develop innovative ways of integrating digital information in physical spaces. Prior to Parc Office, Marshall ran the Lab at Rockwell Group, designing experiences and innovation labs fo…

ACTLD about us: We create exceptional experiences at the intersection of design, art and innovation. For 25 years, our international team of architects, engineers, scenographers and content-curators have worked with forward-thinking clients, using technology, multimedia and (visual) narration to design, develop and deliver dynamic experiences world…

Suzan founded Tillotson Design Associates with twenty-three years of lighting design experience. She has won over one hundred lighting design awards for her work, including a 2018 International Dark Sky Association Lighting Design and Technology Award and the 2017 Lighting Designer of the Year at the Lighting Design Awards. Suzan Tillotson is one o…

Kai Piippo is a Stockholm based award winning lighting designer and Head of Design of ÅF Lighting. (http://www.afconsult.com/en/do-business/our-services/infrastructure/lighting/lighting/)Well renowned throughout Scandinavia and the world, he receives frequent speaking engagements about Nordic light and lighting. One of the latest concepts we talked…

Ulrike Brandi is one of the most experienced lighting designer in our times. She was the responsible lighting designer for Herzog de Meurons Elbphilharmonie https://www.ulrike-brandi.de/en/elbphilharmonie-hamburg/, UN Studios Mercedes Benz Museum https://www.ulrike-brandi.de/en/mercedes-museum/ and the masterplan for the World Expo in 2000 or the C…

Ladies and gentlemen! Here are my top 5 books every lighting designer should have. What are yours? Please see the video experience talking about the books on my youtube channel: Thomas Mnich Book links below the video on youtube: 01 - DAN FLAVIN - Corners, Barriers and Corridors 02 - GIOVANNI TRAVERSO - Modelling Daylight 03 - JUNICHIRO TANIZAKI - …

Amp T. studied Interior Design Architecture in Thailand and Design Technology in New York. After graduation she worked for iCrave https://www.icrave.com/ and is now an Associate Interior Design Architect at Rockwell Group https://www.rockwellgroup.com/. Working and having work for companies focussing strongly on the experience of users, makes Amp a…

Almost 5 years ago, Clemens Seipelt moved from Berlin to Hong Kong to pursue his passion and work in the Lighting Design field. Clemens and I met in Hildesheim at the HAWK in our undergrad Lighting studies and since then he became a Senior Associate at Licht Vision Hong Kong http://www.lichtvision.com. For New Years he visited me in New York and we…

Francesca and Alex are the principles of sighte studio located in Brooklyn, NYC https://www.sightestudio.com/bios/ . We met between Christmas and New Years on crips cold sunny day and talked about their business, education, their involvement in the DLFNY https://www.dlfny.org/ and their approach to education and their recent love of a research stud…

Isabel knows how to bring a project to life. In New York City she worked with Dot Dash Lighting Design on the Award winning project Manus X Machina for the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and collaborated with OMA - http://oma.eu/projects/manus-x-machina-fashion-in-an-age-of-technology. Also BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group was a client she worked close…

Nathalie Rozot is a leading educator, designer and thinker within the Lighting Design profession. This summer she won the very first and special Lumen Award - Citation Award for Humanitarian Actionfor a humanitarian project ever. What this project is about and how the future of social lighting design engagement will look like, we discuss in this ep…

Episode 10 is a special episode! This episode explains the 7 Principles of Lighting Design and how these are a great guideline for young as well as experienced lighting designer can be! 01 - DEFINE THE STORY – Perception is king, Intention is everything. 02 - PROGRAM – Follow the human need, design for the visual task.03 – FIND DIRECTION – Uplight,…

Devika Bilimoria and I speak about the moment in time, capturing beauty and constant change in light, lighting design, space and being. Also how much trust and well being is needed in order to be our true selfs and feel as best as we can. You can see her amazing work at www.devikabilimoria.com and meet her at the mapping Melbourne festival:http://m…

In this episode I speak with Sara McElroy about her work she did for the Glossier experience in New York City, her work in education at Parsons and Pratt and the future of lighting design professionals to stay and be relevant. Sara McElroy is a lighting designer living and working in Brooklyn, New York. With experience on projects of varied sizes a…

Lindsey Dieter is a lighting and interior designer living and working in New York City. She was trained as a contemporary-ballet dancer, has a bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Calgary and Master of Fine Arts in Interior and Lighting Design from Parsons The New School for Design. A fascination with physical movement and an unwavering d…

I spoke with Jan Wichert, Lighting Designer and Team Leader at Kardorff Engineers Lighting Design Berlin www.kardorff.de/en, about the challenges in car lighting, changing conditions in airplane lighting and the quality of interior hospitality lighting. Jan has extensive experience on a variety of lighting design projects around the world and he re…

Jenya Uzhegova is not only a Lighting Designer, Interior Designer and Architect, she is an experience designer. She is working basically always and travels between St. Petersburg, Moscow and New York City. Her approach of straight forward design process from absolute realistic looking renderings to the finished design is remarkable. Please check ou…

Yuliya and I went to Burning Man in 2018 and speak about the event, lighting design, architecture and the importance of sustainability. The recommendation of hers is the book "Loving this planet" by Helen Caldicott. Please check out her Instagram: YuliyaSavelyeva or email with any questions: yuliya.savelyeva@arup.com - enjoy listening the conversat…

Nick Tafel is a design and project architect at Knotel. We talk about his journey from being a baker, leather designer, architect, photographer and being involved at Nike's store design, up to the future of architecture, lighting and a new consciousness of designers. You can reach him at www.nicktafel.com - www.nonameleathers.com - and his instagra…

In this episode I meet lighting designer, artist and product designer Kama Wybieralska. Kama was born in Poland and our ways crossed in New York. She impressed me from the beginning with her extremely fine sense for aesthetics and design, what is truly unique and very special more people must see! Please check out her website http://www.kamawybiera…

This episode is a little teaser and exercise for the upcoming interviews of lighting designers, artists and lighting enthusiasts. Check your surrounding, feel the space you are in right now and become aware how light can alter your emotions and your relationship to the space.

Welcome to the light lounge with Thomas Mnich and stories from artists, designers and architects!