Architectural SSL recently interviewed Al Borden about his 2019 LIT Lifetime Achievement Award in its April 2020 issue. The LIT Design Awards recognized Al, this past February, for his contribution to lighting and the design community over the past three decades.
Al spoke with Architectural SSL about his experience first working with LED technology and how it inspired a familiar approach, similar to his experience working with halogen sources as a theatrical lighting designer. He states, “the precise optics let you make light that is very expressive… with hard or soft edges; focused and angular, or soft and airy.” While discussing light’s impact on architecture, Al explains, “lighting becomes a medium for telling the place’s backstory or delivering the message in a visual, wordless way.”
During the interview, Al’s passion for supporting and training future generations of lighting designers is evident. He emphasized that while the demand for lighting design consultant participation on projects continues to grow, there is a gap and not enough professionals to fill it. Al’s message to young designers: “We need you!”