Once again, the projects submitted to the AL Light & Architecture Design Awards did not disappoint. Diversity in project location, design thinking, and technical problem solving characterized the pool of more than 80 international entries. The jury, a group of leading architects and lighting designers (read more about them on page 50), deliberated for two-and-a-half days. The projects on the pages that follow are the results of their intense project reviews and discussions.
The best of the best, these projects represent architectural lighting design at the top of its game. Successful aesthetic responses are merely one part of the winning design equation; technical prowess is another. Still, it’s not just the use of the latest luminaires or leading-edge technologies that set these projects apart, it’s the willingness of the design teams to research and explore the options. Often that means designing a custom luminaire, or using a lighting methodology in a way that it was not originally intended.
At its heart, design is about being curious, and it’s that sense of inquisitiveness that has led to these design solutions that transform our spaces and our experiences.
Click here to see all of the winners.
Michael A. Rantilla, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Principal, The Freelon Group, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
A native of São Paulo, Brazil, Rantilla received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University. With more than 20 years of experience in the fields of architecture and design, he has worked both in the U.S. and in Europe. His approach to projects bridges design excellence, sustainability, technical rigor, and client satisfaction. At Freelon, he has been a key contributor to many of the firm’s award-winning projects, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the District of Columbia Public Library’s Tenley and Anacostia branches, Morgan State University’s CBEIS Building, and North Carolina A&T State University’s Proctor School of Education. Rantilla is also a frequent lecturer, panelist, and visiting critic at various architecture schools and design conferences.
Patricia Glasow, IALD, LC, MIES
Principal, Auerbach Glasow French, San Francisco
Trained as a theatrical lighting designer, Glasow has been involved in the design and management of hundreds of lighting projects over the course of her career. Her portfolio includes a range of projects including commercial offices, theaters, exhibit and retail spaces, schools, showrooms, churches, public spaces, hotels, residences, and exteriors across North America, Asia, and Europe. She joined the firm of S. Leonard Auerbach & Associates in 1984. In 1994, the lighting division of the firm became Auerbach Glasow, and later Auerbach Glasow French, where she is principal and serves as corporate vice president. She has received numerous lighting design awards from industry organizations, including the International Association of Lighting Designers, the Illuminating Engineering Society, and G.E. Lighting’s Edison Awards.
Giulio Pedota, IALD, LC, LEED AP
Principal, Schuler Shook, Chicago
Pedota began his lighting design career at the National Theatre of Caracas in Venezuela before he branched out to architecture and electrical engineering. His design approach focuses on collaborative, creative, and intuitive design strategies that integrate aesthetics, sustainability, and modern technologies to satisfy the functional and visual aspects of a building. Pedota has served as the president of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s (IES) Chicago Section and has presented at industry events such as the American Institute of Architects’ Chicago chapter and the IES Annual Conference. He has lectured at Columbia College in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago, and has taught in the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology where he is an adjunct associate professor.
David Ghatan, IALD, MIES, LC
President, C.M. Kling & Associates, Alexandria, Va.
Ghatan is a graduate of George Washington University with an interdisciplinary degree in design with emphasis in fine art, art history, and theater design. He joined C.M. Kling & Associates in 1999 where he has worked on a wide range of projects, including the Eau Spa at the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach, the American Red Cross National Headquarters, and the Starlight Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. His work for the Liberty Hotel in Boston and the BBG-BBGM offices in New York both received the Guth Award for Interior Lighting from the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). Ghatan currently serves on the International Association of Lighting Designers’ Board of Directors as treasurer and is the association’s co-regional coordinator for the Washington, D.C., area. He is also a member of the IES Hospitality Committee.
