Did you ever wonder what was it like being a lighting designer in the 80s? How has lighting design, as a profession, shifted over the years?
For the Jun/21 article titled “Thoughts from David Bird – the Godfather of Architectural Light”, Universal Light had the opportunity to sit down with David Bird, one of Australia’s pioneering lighting designers and co-founder of 2B Designed to find the answers to these questions. According to David, there have been significant changes in the lighting design profession over the last 40 years — from design methods and the material, to the shift in terms of who should be primarily responsible for lighting up a build.
When David started his career in the 80s, lighting equipment was still relatively bulky and straightforward, and lighting the built form was the domain of electrical engineers and architects. As a result, lighting design was generally viewed from a technical and practical perspective and not as a skill that delivered strong visual and aesthetic value.
In this present day, as modern innovation progressed, lighting designers are equipped with digital tools and LED technology advancement that makes their design and intention more deliverable than before. With the support and active advocacy efforts from industry organisations like the IALD, IES, professional lighting designers are receiving the recognition they very much deserve.
To read more of the Jun/21 Universal Light article with David Bird, click here.