A Pioneer of Architectural Lighting Design (PALD) is someone who was/is among the first to develop the field of Architectural Lighting Design, paving the way for others to follow. Many individuals maintain a place in architectural lighting design history, and their contributions are considered pioneering in various ways. The PALD research project endeavors to catalog these people and recognize their impact, but we realize this definition is subjective and, as such, represents a story that we can never fully tell. Although the identification of a comprehensive archive of Architectural Lighting Design Pioneers is not a primary goal of the PALD project, we will leverage the PALD research process to identify and document individuals who played a significant role in supporting the growth of lighting design in a specific area.

A Pioneer of Architectural Lighting Design Practice (PALDP) is someone who is/was to establish the first new business primarily providing architectural lighting design services in a specific area of the world. This group does not include individuals that, although they may have occasionally performed lighting design, they work in businesses that primarily provide architectural, theatrical lighting, illuminating engineering, manufacturing/product design, or sales-related services nor does not include establishment of a branch office of an existing multi-national lighting design business.

Primary responsibility for the lighting outcomes on an architectural project by masterminding the performance and implementation of light in a creative, technical, social, emotional, and physiological context.

Definition of Areas

• Global - Anywhere on Earth
• Regional - Groups of countries that follow the United Nations Geoscheme model
• National - Body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory

• Architectural lighting design – Field within architecture, interior design and electrical engineering

• Parsons School at The New School SCE Public Programs: Pioneers of Architectural Lighting Design