The Lighting Practice (TLP) is comprised of lighting designers from varying educational and professional backgrounds, bringing unique perspectives and ideas to each project. The team encompasses experience in theater, industrial design, interior design, architecture, and architectural engineering. Let’s take a quick dive into the different educational pathways with some of TLP’s designers.
Theater is a comprehensive study of performance, design production, and the history and theory of dramatic works. TLP’s designers with theater backgrounds were drawn to the creative process of live performance and the way light can shape a story.
“Theater design felt like it had immense potential for magic. Watching shows, I would pay special attention to the visual elements that make up a story, and I knew from those experiences that I was interested in the craft of designing with light,” says Hamilton Guillén. “Building a cohesive, imaginary world from everyday objects was a surprisingly demanding process, but that work was also highly gratifying when it finally came together in front of an audience.”
“Like theater, architectural lighting designers are there to help solidify the architect’s and client’s visions,” explains Lily Meaker. “Instead of talking about the protagonist’s journey, we are looking at the programming of the space. In theater, you would hypothesize how the quality of light might affect the color of costumes; in architectural lighting we look at how the lighting interacts with the interior finishes.”
Just as theater emphasizes storytelling and atmosphere, industrial design approaches lighting through the lens of form, function, and usability.
Industrial Design focuses on the creation of products that balance aesthetics and function. TLP designers with this background discovered lighting through coursework in their programs, where they realized how impactful light can be.
“My studies gave me precursor experience with lighting fixtures, but more importantly, it helped develop my ideation process,” says Kevin Smolkis. “I began to realize how lighting forms the way we experience spaces, the impact it has on our lives without us even noticing, and the ways it can help and uplift people.”
“My industrial design background has given me an appreciation for the sustainability of the entire product life cycle, from raw materials to end-of-life. Occasionally, I have worked with custom manufacturers on historic or reproduction fixtures, and knowing that they will be casting, spinning, or extruding components really helps me understand the final weight and finish of the product. I like to look for upstream solutions and consider the whole process to find the best step for optimized improvement,” says Angela Banner.
Industrial design emphasizes detail and precision at the product scale, while architecture brings a broader perspective on how buildings, placemaking, and spatial design integrate with light.
Architecture provides a broad understanding of buildings, placemaking, and the design process. TLP designers with architectural backgrounds bring this larger lens to their lighting work, integrating seamlessly with other disciplines.
“Understanding how our process as lighting designers fits into the fabric of the overall building design and construction process has been a benefit,” says Drew Miner.
“Having experience placemaking through formal and lighting interventions, I have a strong appreciation for the interaction of light within a space and the interplay of multiple disciplines to take a physical structure to the next level,” adds Leo McIlvain, who discovered lighting through a college course. “I was really drawn to the diverse way light can further enhance and define the ambiance of a space and the mood it invokes.”
Where architecture emphasizes vision and placemaking, architectural engineering focuses on the technical systems that bring those ideas to life, lighting included.
Architectural Engineering with a Lighting Emphasis focuses on technical expertise with an infusion of aesthetic and design sensibility. For designers with this background, the discipline provided an analytical foundation and a collaborative mindset.
“I learned about lighting design through the Society of Architectural Engineers at Penn State. It was the first time I realized there were more career options within my major outside of structural engineering. I was immediately intrigued, went to an Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) meeting, and everything fell into place,” says Rachel Lee.
“It provided me with a very analytical perspective and a broader understanding for coordination with other disciplines across project teams,” says Erin McCauley. “It also laid a solid groundwork for utilizing a variety of software programs that are instrumental in our profession.”
While architectural engineering with a lighting emphasis grounds projects in technical precision and systems integration, interior design and interior architecture bring the focus inward, centering on how people experience and interact with those spaces every day.
Interior Design and Interior Architecture focus on the balance of form, function, and human experience in a space. Designers with this training understand how lighting can seamlessly support and enhance interior environments.
“An interior designer’s goal is to create spaces for humans to exist in that is a delicate balance of form and function,” says Caitlin Bucari. “I can better anticipate how an interior design team will use their tools of color, materiality, and form to shape the experience of the space, and I’m ready with my lighting tools to support their story, making it a cohesive experience.”
“I’ve always loved how spaces can influence the way people feel and interact,” says Joe Zhao. “For me, it’s not just about making something look nice—it’s about creating environments that are functional, comfortable, and uplifting.”
The Lighting Practice’s strength lies in the diversity of its team. From stages and engineering labs to the design studios, TLP’s team brings unique experiences that shape how they think about light. Together, these perspectives allow each project to be approached with creativity, depth, and innovation. It demonstrates that there are many pathways into lighting design, but one shared goal: to use light to enhance the way people experience a space.
