One-on-One with Randy Burkett

President and Design Principal of Randy Burkett Lighting Design

2 MIN READ

Stefan Hester

“In all aspects of what we do as professionals, there’s a teaching component—with clients, with colleagues, with students. You have to open your eyes to everything you perceive.”

One of lighting’s most respected practitioners and spokesmen (he served as IALD president from 1996–1997, and is currently chair of the IALD Metrics of Quality Committee), Burkett has earned the admiration of his colleagues and clients by letting his work speak for itself. His firm’s St. Louis location hasn’t been an obstacle to establishing and growing a practice that has a global portfolio—from the U.S. to Mexico and China. An early interest in photography provided an awareness about light. While studying at Penn State University, this awareness about light grew into an understanding that aesthetics didn’t have to be sacrificed at the expense of technical pursuits. Instead, aesthetics and technical execution could come together in architectural engineering. Still, Burkett is a designer at heart. He understands light’s ability to have an emotional impact, which is at the core of creating environments that champion light.

How do you start the design process?
Whether it’s a highly technical or a highly aesthetic project, its best to get to know as much as you can about the project outside of the lighting.

Is every project somewhat unique or are there certain universals went it comes to lighting?
I think there are universals in our understanding of how light is perceived in space, but as you move into a project very quickly there are unique elements.

What current lighting trends are you seeing?
There are technology-driven trends, such as LEDs, and also in how we deliver our projects, i.e., AutoCAD. Put perhaps the greatest trend is the public’s increased awareness and acknowledgement of lighting as a viable difference maker in social environments and interactions.

Best lighting lesson that you learned from working with clients?
There’s great satisfaction working with clients time and again and developing that relationship, gaining their confidence and having them understand the value of lighting.

Pros and cons of working in the Midwest?
It can cut both ways. There are times it means a client won’t know who you are because you aren’t in a major city like New York or Los Angeles. On the other hand, once you do establish a practice and start working worldwide, local clients might get the mis-impression that you wouldn’t be interested in working locally.

About the Author

Elizabeth Donoff

Elizabeth Donoff is Editor-at-Large of Architectural Lighting (AL). She served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2017. She joined the editorial team in 2003 and is a leading voice in the lighting community speaking at industry events such as Lightfair and the International Association of Lighting Designers Annual Enlighten Conference, and has twice served as a judge for the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section’s (IESNYC) Lumen Award program. In 2009, she received the Brilliance Award from the IESNYC for dedicated service and contribution to the New York City lighting community. Over the past 11 years, under her editorial direction, Architectural Lighting has received a number of prestigious B2B journalism awards. In 2017, Architectural Lighting was a Top Ten Finalist for Magazine of the Year from the American Society of Business Publication Editors' AZBEE Awards. In 2016, Donoff received the Jesse H. Neal Award for her Editor’s Comments in the category of Best Commentary/Blog, and in 2015, AL received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Media Brand (Overall Editorial Excellence).Prior to her entry into design journalism, Donoff worked in New York City architectural offices including FXFowle where she was part of the project teams for the Reuters Building at Three Times Square and the New York Times Headquarters. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., and she earned her Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.

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