Al Borden (AB): One of the central building blocks of The Lighting Practice has always been 'responsiveness'. Client service sits at the top of our management pyramid. Everything we do ultimately relates to this objective.
We don't have a book of recipes. Nor do we have one lighting style and apply it all around. Rather, an important goal for us is to make the lighting responsive to the specific project by developing a solution that fits each job. Within its context, the lighting should help to tell a story. Sometimes the story is about what people do in a place, and sometimes the story is about the place itself. On projects of any size, we utilise a simple palette of luminaires that the client can easily maintain.
Clients, architects, and interior designers all have a different image of what lighting design is. Some people think it's just beautiful lighting fixtures; for others, it's how the lighting fixtures are arranged. For us, it's the visual composition: where the light is needed, the contrast level and the shadows, and what elements in the lighting plan will guide the eye through the space. The first part of any project is find out from our clients their perception of the role that lighting will play, and then address their concerns.
Helen Diemer (HD): Architecturally, we look for opportunities to integrate lighting into the overall design, like using coves or architectural pockets to make the surfaces within the architecture glow. The lighting effect here is somewhat subliminal, more about rendering the image expressing a lighting style. We try to make the integration of lighting with the architecture as seamless as possible.
In other instances, lighting that is overt and decorative is called for. Beautiful lighting fixtures or obvious lighting effects can make a space come alive. But, here too, we also include background illumination, so that the decoration is part of an overall composition.
(AB): If a particular technology makes sense for the project, we'll use it. For example, LED's are emerging as a viable commercial light source; today, there are many more options to add colour to lighting than a few years ago. These techniques are added tools in our kit, and we'll use them when appropriate.
(HD): We've invested energy and funds to produce outstanding presentations that utilise visuals and graphic design applications to explain our ideas to the decision-makers. For example, the presentation to Philadelphia's Center City District to design new illumination for the buildings and monuments along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was seen as an animated journey, representing civic life with City Hall on one end, and the Art Museum representing the city's cultural life by the at the opposite end.
Management Style
(AB): Helen and I are the principals in charge of a project. We work hard at being interchangeable, so that our clients can always get attention from a principal of the firm who will have knowledge of their project. Responsibility for carrying out the design, managing the resources, and day-to-day project management is typically handled by one of our design staff.
When we are developing the design direction for a project we hold a meeting in which all members of the team participate. Sometimes we discuss ideas which may sound way out there, but quite often the seemingly wacky suggestions, through further discussion, get refined into a concept that makes perfect sense and starts to energise the whole process.
(HD): We really try to make use of design ideas from the whole office. The work of our firm goes way beyond Al's or my ideas, and takes advantage of our diverse team to generate the most innovative solutions for our clients. One of the things we do when we are starting an interesting project, is to have lunch for the staff in the conference room and put concept drawings up on the wall. And whoever is managing it talks us through on the issues that they see. Questions like, "What did you think about this?" or "What about that?" will be posed. We feed off of each other.
(AB): Our role is like that of ring leaders to guide the reductive process. Conceptually, we urge everyone to think as far out as we can. Then, when we settle on a few workable solutions, we refine it. First, we get the big idea; then we filter it down.
In this office, we handle a variety of jobs: big jobs, small jobs, intriguing ones, simple ones. Because of the variety of projects, everybody in the office gets a taste of everything. Helen or I will be in charge of each project, and we assign tasks to both senior and junior people so they can become aware of all the parts of the job, be involved in many levels.
We act as an in-house client for the design effort, so that the people who work with us can be largely in charge of the job. But we ask them to review it with us, and we ask them the kinds of questions that the client might ask. So they can do wild and crazy things if they can prove that it's a good idea.
(HD): There is a lot of collaboration among staff members in the execution of the design. When we have a hot deadline to meet, everyone pitches in until we get the job done. The project then becomes the work of all the office.
Building Relationships
(AB): Building relations is a major component of our marketing philosophy. We don't go after projects; we go after clients to build relationships.
Most often, it is the project architect who retains us to create the lighting. Increasingly, however, we are making presentations directly to the management of corporations and health care facilities. Much of our shopping centre work comes from recommendations of the developer to the architect. Here in Philadelphia, the CEO of the Wills Eye Hospital was very instrumental in including us as the lighting specialists in the design team. (The new facility will be completed later this spring.) For the Children's Medical Center in Dallas, although the architect hired us, it was the CEO's vision that lighting was going to be part of the branding of that hospital. (This project is currently under construction.) He wants the lighting to make a visibly different and dramatic statement on the city's skyline that people will remember.
(HD): Owners want answers to basic questions. They ask questions like, "How will this lighting improve my business?", "How much is it going to cost me?" and ÒWhat is it going to take to operate and maintain it?" We make sure that our designs are responsive to these concerns. This is one way that we have built a foundation for long-term relationships, and maintained them.
In working with architects, we try to expand on their ideas and put a new spin on them. We talk to the architect about the design of the project, and how the spaces should feel. Our job has more to do with visual perception than technology.
Growing the Company
(AB): Whenever possible, we will bring our younger designers to meetings so they can establish their own relationship with the client. We've attracted some very talented people. A strong staff is an effective sales tool.
(HD): We stay involved with lighting education, and with building the next generation of lighting designers. The Lighting Practice has for the past few years awarded scholarships to outstanding lighting design students at Temple University and Pennsylvania State University.
(AB): Our staff gets involved in mock-ups, focus trips, and professional activities to build a broader understanding of the profession, lighting technology, their own aesthetic outlook, and how better to serve our firm's clients.
Professional Activities
(AB): Helen is more involved in the local things, like participating in the recent charette to develop concepts for the redevelopment of Penn's Landing here in Philadelphia. She has a personal interest in city planning.
I am currently in the middle of a two-year term as Director of Marketing and Communication for the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). Being involved in the organisation in a role like that is very useful. It has taught me a great deal about consensus building and an appreciation for the workings of government. In addition, we've learned about the kind of work that is being done by our peers and competitors, and about common problems.
information:
www.thelightingpractice.com