There's something seriously wrong with the way we specify and procure lighting today — ask any lighting designer, and you'll hear a horror story or two about packaging, substitutions, and pricing games that clearly show the system is broken. Enter Paul Boken, VP of Mulvey & Banani Lighting, and one of the contributors to Sourcery, a new content-sharing platform for the lighting design community. Paul talks to us about the need for a better way to manage the procurement piece of the lighting design process, so we can get back to having fun on the design side!

In part two of Sam's conversation with the Boston Lighting crew: Dan Weissman, Senior Associate and Director at Lam Partners, Kate St. Laurent, Associate Vice President at CannonDesign, and Sara Schonour, VP of Education and Engagement here at Lytei, the group dives into a new set of topics: what designers really want to see in new products, what they need as manufacturer and rep support, and new frontiers they see for lighting design services.

When it comes to lighting design today, Sam sat down with Dan Weissman, Senior Associate and Director at Lam Partners, Kate St. Laurent, Associate Vice President at CannonDesign, and Sara Shonour, VP of Education and Engagement here at Lytei, to explore everything from current design visualization software to designing and documenting and the tools they wish they had but don’t have at their design disposal.

Want to know what's at the cutting edge of lighting tech? VR, AR, data leveraging, and new frontiers of visualization and production aren't just "somewhere on the horizon" anymore — they're already transforming everyday life. Listen to Chris Slaughter, Senior Lighting Engineer at Visual Interest, talk us through some exciting ways technology is changing the way we work in the lighting industry. 

From the Archives: Touchless buildings, automated climate control, and lights that make you feel good are all great ideas, but how do we build a space that can successfully implement and integrate all of that technology? Join Jay Wratten, Practice Leader of Innovation Advisory Services at WSP, as he takes us on a digital journey through the built environment and walks us through the system infrastructure that has to be in place.

This episode was originally released on July 27, 2020.

From the Archives: A hero of the industry, Howard Brandston shares his advice after 60+ years of pioneering the lighting design profession. Learn the lifelong "mind over matter" mentality that guides his approach to everything and how he went on a 30-day safari in Africa to test his skills as a world-class hunter.

This episode was originally released on January 29, 2020.

From the Archives: As lighting technology and the design process evolve, Chip Israel, Founder + CEO of Lighting Design Alliance, argues that designing within a lighting budget gets more difficult every time. He points out that the distribution system for architectural lighting has not changed in over 40 years, but it's time it did. While it's inevitable that change is on the horizon, what will it take to make it happen? Tune in for one decision that involves the entire community.

This episode was originally released on April 9, 2020.

Leveraging collective expertise is the best way to design — at least, that's the premise behind the newest version of the WELL standard. Join Rachel Fitzgerald, Alison Fiedler, and Jessica Smith of Stantec as they talk us through the lighting features in WELL v2, and discuss the ways holistic design thinking sets up a framework beyond problem-solving and defines a vocabulary that ensures an integrated team process.

Much has been said about HLB and its principals, but what may surprise people is that there is more to the operation and collaborative culture of the firm than outsiders might assume. In this final installment of Stephen Lees’ three-part story, he walks us through four decades of milestone moments in his career and HLB’s trajectory and touches on the culture and the legacy-driven model that defines their leadership and work.

In part two of the Stephen Lees Story, we hear how embracing change and thinking big picture helped build the business legacy of HLB. Stephen shares his insights on combating "corporate amnesia," the key to successful mentorships, and why he feels building bigger, more inclusive boxes will accelerate the growth and advancement of the lighting industry.