Rotterdam PLDC talks in London 3 Feb

Did you miss PLDC in Rotterdam? Or did you just miss the talks you wanted to go to?
Here’s a second chance to catch some of the best bits!

Mesh together with new partner Luce & Light is organising an encore PLDC talks evening the 3rd of Feb.

RSVP on this link >>

Practical details
Location is gorgeous Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel (pic right)
Doors opens 6pm
6.30pm start, allowing 4 talks during the evening and breaks for refreshments sponsored by Luce & Light.
More info >>

Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel is here >>

It’s free to attend this event, but please be considerate and let us know if you need to cancel as other people can benefit from your space. Spaces are very limited.

Women in Lighting / Sharon & Martin / Light Collective

In this talk, Sharon and Martin will outline their activities in this field and what they considers is necessary in the interest of the industry. The goal is to educate the audience on this issue within professional practice, invite critical debate, and engage and inspire attendees to become involved with the project. The discussion is relevant to both men and women and will benefit from mutual support and discussion.

Sharon & Martin are Light Collective which has a creative portfolio of work that houses more than architectural lighting design and has grown to encompass many innovative projects which include light art installations, marketing projects, competitions, curated exhibitions, lighting awards, branding, trade stands and shows, epic parties, pop up events, guerrilla lighting, community projects, light education and light activism. Clients have ranged from the small to the large scale: designing for a school in Glasgow to a shopping mall in Kuwait, lighting an exhibition at the Museum of London to inventing an app for Phillips.

Up a Bit, down a Bit – lighting control isn’t rocket science / Iain Ruxton / Speirs & Major

In this talk, Iain addresses the general lack of understanding of lighting control and why it should be considered a core part of the creative lighting design process. Lighting designers will be shown ways of communicating control requirements effectively, and those working in lighting controls or luminaire manufacture will gain an understanding of what lighting designers want to achieve with lighting control.

Iain has over 25 years of experience as a lighting designer, joining Jonathan Speirs and Associates (later to become Speirs + Major) in 1996. During his time with the practice he has worked on a wide variety of projects including the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, HBOS Headquarters in Edinburgh, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Heathrow Terminal 5 and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Several of the projects that Iain has worked on have been selected for awards including an IIDA award in 2007 for HBOS Headquarters in Edinburgh and an IALD Radiance Award for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
One of Iain’s specific areas of interest and acknowledged expertise is the philosophy, design and technology of lighting control. He lectures widely at numerous events speaking on items ranging from lighting control and energy efficiency issues to narratives in lit landscapes and the semiotics of light. He has led teaching workshops and has written for both the national and international press.

Are we still lighting designers? / Jonathan Rush / Hoare Lea

Jonathan Rush will question the nature and roles that lighting designers are expected to fulfil today, and expound on his claims. He assumes that more change is coming, and if lighting designers do not embrace and lead this change they may be overtaken.

Jonathan has more than 15 years’ experience in the field of lighting design.
He graduated in 1999 and then worked as a lighting designer for a number of consultancies before joining Hoare Lea Lighting in 2005. In 2009, Jonathan successfully completed his MSc in Light & Lighting at the Bartlett School of Architecture.
Jonathan now manages the Hoare Lea Lighting Design team, with an oversight on all project work and delivery both in the UK and internationally.

Light as a medium to enhance communication in urban spaces / Katia Kolovea / Urban Electric

Excluding branding communication, advertisements and billboards, this research focuses on sociopolitical, environmental and health issues. In a world which has been going through a period of social, environmental and political turmoil, with global warming, terrorism, racism, infectious diseases and so on, light provides a new means of direct and non-verbal communication between societies.
This talk attempts to present significant reasons and arguments that designate light as a basic communication tool, suitable to dynamically contribute to transferring messages and information in sociopolitical, environmental and health-related fields. The research concludes with the aspiration for a more conscious use of this communicative “language” in the urban realm.
How can lighting designers use light as a tool to inspire people to take action? The world needs a medium that raises awareness in a neutral way. It is very important that urban space encourages us to engage and care about our communities. Let us dive deeper and investigate the many aspects of light as a fundamental and meaningful communication medium.

Katia Kolovea studied Interior Design in Greece and Spain before gaining a Master in Architectural Lighting Design at KTH University in Sweden.
She was a finalist for the SLL Young Lighter of the Year 2018 where she received the award for the best presentation. Currently she lives in London working as Lighting Designer in Urban Electric.
She loves public speaking, sharing ideas in her archifos personal blog and collaborating in exciting projects, such as Women in Lighting, to inspire people and raise awareness for the lighting design profession.