Lighting Design in Architecture
QODA Light Associate, Panos Ferentinos, spoke to Olivia Susai, Associate Director of Maison Arabella, on her career, inspiration, and why lighting design is important to projects.
QL: Could you tell us a little about your background?
I am a third culture kid, born in Indonesia but grew up living in Singapore, Australia, and North America. I had always had a strong interest in architecture/design which I think stemmed from growing up in different cities, living in different homes being part of such diverse cultures.
QL: What do you love about your job?
As an Associate Director at Maison Arabella, I support the founder/Creative Director Arabella Bassadone assist with the growth of the business, oversee the design team, manage our client base, and ensure deliverables are met. I’m very much involved in all phases of the projects and guide our small but strong team of designers through the design process. At Maison Arabella we balance art, craft,
and architectural dynamism to create life-enhancing spaces that possess an understated glamour, timeless style and refined sophistication. We endeavour to blend contemporary and avant-garde, light and colour, intimacy, and expressiveness. All our spaces are filled with a sense of purpose and context.
QL: Can you remember the moment when you knew you wanted to become an interior architect? I always loved interiors but was persuaded to venture a career in urban planning and did this for many years. It was rewarding but not as creative and when I moved to New York, I passed by Parsons School of Design inviting applicants and felt it was a sure sign to go for it. I’ve been lucky since to work for AD100 firms like Avroko, Deborah Berke and Partners in New York, GA Design, and Tara Bernerd in Partners in London.
“Lighting has been the main element for me. It has a profound way of helping us interpret an environment.”
QL: Since you began how much has changed in architecture?
There is a clear shift toward sustainability if I look back from 20 years ago, and nice to see it’s reflected within the interiors. There is such a growing number of sustainable products in the market now.
QL1: Simplest change on a project that made the biggest difference?
Lighting has been the main element for me. It has a profound way of helping us interpret an environment, evoke an emotion of familiarity. I feel we cognitively try to match this with a memory, and it can trigger a sense of calm, pleasure or intimidation and fear. It also changes how you view colour in a space and it’s important what you see/select or has been approved actually gets represented properly within a space.
QL: Which Architect inspiring you the most?
John Pawson, Studio MK27.
QL: What project are you most proud of and why?
I love my job and love all of them.
QL: What are you working on now?
Full interior refurb of a post-modernist commercial building designed by Philippe Samyn in Belgium to foster better communication, improved amenities for the team, inject home comforts within an office environment to increase productivity. Also working on private luxury Residence in Milan, and a lovely Italian Farmhouse in Florence.
QL: Biggest ‘I wish I’d done that differently’ moment?
I have these moments when I look back at some joinery details. Sometimes a design gets diluted through value engineering and time pressure doesn’t allow for a better solution.
“A space should give user(s) the ability to change their own space/mood with different lighting options.”
QL: Biggest WOW moment with lighting?
Not sure it’s the biggest but I got to experience one of Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirror light installations and it was pretty cool.
QL: What aspects of lighting frustrate or annoy you?
We are currently in the finish line of redeveloping a historic building in London and it’s been quite a task for the lighting consultant involved to source appropriate and aesthetically pleasing fixtures that also comply with Bream standards and building control requirements.
In hospitality projects, lighting controls can be complicated to use and cause frustration to guests who just want to be able to change their lighting scene easily.
QL: Biggest value you see in well considered lighting?
The experience of the space. A space should give user(s) the ability to change their own space/mood with different lighting options i.e., task lighting vs ambient lighting.
QL: Does LED colour temperature matter in residential projects?
Of course, and we need to make sure that the colour temperature doesn’t impact on fabrics and architectural materials used.
QL: Dimmable or Non-Dimmable lighting?
Dimmable, I like options.
QL: Do you have any ‘smart lighting’ in your home?
Yes but I admit I haven’t played with the settings enough to really reap the full benefit.
QL: What is the most iconic building in London?
I like the Shard.
QL: Most memorable sunrise/sunset?
I’m bias and say Australia.
QL: Summer or Winter?
Summers in Europe and Winters in North America
QL: What advice would you give to a lighting designer?
Push us designers to do better than norm, push the boundaries of lighting; I am currently working with a Lighting designer who has a mission of lighting a space in such a way that is not obvious where the light source is. She focuses a lot on colour temperature and making sure it reflects properly against colours used within the space.