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Lighting Matters

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Rating
★★★★★
5
from
6 reviews
Categories
Country
United States
This podcast has
42 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2024/07/09
Latest episode
2026/10/06
Average duration
45 min.
Release period
23 days

Description

Welcome to the podcast about Lighting Matters! Our unflinching conversations uncover the nuances and complexities that shape the craft of lighting design. Tune in to explore the pivotal ‘whys’ behind a lighting designer’s choices and find honest answers to your most challenging lighting questions, because Lighting Matters.

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Check latest episodes from Lighting Matters podcast


Why Lighting Standards Aren't Free - w Brienne Willcock
2026/10/06
How much of your product's value depends on an organization nobody credits?  IES standards aren't free, and Brienne Willcock wants the lighting industry to understand why. This episode covers the real cost of a recommended practice, IES's growing footprint (AES, NCQLP), and a client-trust framework borrowed from healthcare. Brienne is Associate Executive Director at the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and she joins hosts Avi Mor (Morlights) and Lisa Reed (Reed Burkett Lighting Design) to trace her path from fine art and flower color-matching into IES leadership. They dig into IES's mergers with the Audio Engineering Society and NCQLP, the real cost behind every IES file, and why "dumbing it down" is a phrase Brienne refuses to use. It's a candid look at standards, advocacy, and earning trust in the built environment. Brienne Willcock is Associate Executive Director at IES, focused on Strategy, Standards, and Industry Engagement, leading content strategy across technical standards and education. Her background as an architectural lighting designer shapes how she manages collaborative programs, gathers input, and curates content. Brienne was named to Lighting Magazine's International 40 Under 40 (2017), served as past president of the Detroit IES section (2013–2015) and IES Annual Conference Committee Chair (2016–2017), and was awarded Honorary Affiliate status by the American Institute of Architects (2014). In This Episode: (00:00) Brienne's expanding role as IES Associate Executive Director (15:09) Building bridges with AIA, ASID, and allied organizations (22:10) Manufacturer funding fatigue and thirty competing lighting organizations (30:35) Six years in the red: IES's financial turnaround and advocacy (40:35) The hidden value of the IES file and standards funding (50:52) The patient advocacy model for earning client trust (58:33) Brienne's favorite illuminated space: the Detroit Institute of Arts Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) — https://www.ies.org Audio Engineering Society (AES) — https://aes2.org National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions (NCQLP) — https://www.ncqlp.org National Lighting Bureau (NLB) — https://www.nlb.org Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/  Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/ Morlight...
Why Bad Lighting Is Costing You Customers
2026/09/22
Watch on YouTube Could bad lighting be quietly costing a restaurant its best customers? "People aren't buying lumens. They're buying outcomes." Jenny West, founder of West Consulting and a former workplace strategist at Knoll and CRESA, joins hosts Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD). West traces her path from Gensler through corporate change management to a practice spanning retail, aviation, and art. The trio unpacks budget pressure, borrows a fee structure from Broadway theater, and insists lighting teams belong in the visioning session from day one. Why does the industry still lack a shared research voice? Jenny West is a multidisciplinary designer and artist and the founder of West Consulting, based in Colorado. A Kansas State University graduate in Interior Architecture and Product Design, she began at Gensler, where her work included the Westin Hotel and Transit Center at Denver International Airport. She spent nearly a decade at Knoll as a Global Account Director working with Fortune 100 brands including Google and Microsoft, then led Gensler's Denver consulting practice and later directed national workplace strategy as Vice President at Cresa. She holds NCIDQ and LEED AP ID+C credentials and has spoken at NeoCon, CoreNet, and IIDA. In This Episode: (00:00) Framing part two of the Illuminate@NeoCon debrief (02:07) Hunter Tremaine of QTL on crossing into architecture and design (05:13) Why color quality is the "magic sauce" of good LED (08:35) Gregory Kay of Lightology and PureEdge on educating with color temperature (12:45) Brian Keilt of Lighting Services Inc on the color and material vignette (16:44) The ArtLifting installation and its last-minute rescue (19:29) Brian Maite of ALW on reaching an audience they don't normally see (23:32) Rebranding as an architectural brand, not a lighting brand Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: Watch the Illuminate@NeoCon panel referenced in this episode — "Lighting that Shapes Design" — featuring Avi Mor, Lisa Reed, and Jenny West: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OKOe1oX90Q Jenny West / West Consulting — official site, portfolio, and press: https://www.jennywestartist.com  IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) — www.ies.org IIDA (International Interior Design Association) — www.iida.org ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) — www.asid.org Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/
Behind the Booth - Illuminate at NeoCon, Part II of II [Ep. 39]
2026/09/01
Watch on YouTube Is Illuminate at NeoCon actually a design show wearing a lighting show's name? Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design close out their Illuminate@NeoCon debrief series with four more manufacturer conversations, recorded live on the show floor without a script. Hunter Tremaine, VP of Business Development at QTL, breaks down why the family-owned power and LED manufacturer's first-time booth landed alongside partners like Fry Reglet, and why color quality is the detail that separates a QTL fixture from a big-box tape light. Gregory Kay, CEO of Lightology and PureEdge, explains how mirrors and color-temperature demos turned window shoppers into engaged designers who wanted to understand the science, not just admire the trapeze. Brian Keilt, VP of Sales at Lighting Services Inc, a longtime sponsor of Lighting Matters, details the last-minute scramble that saved the show's ArtLifting installation, which showcases work by artists with disabilities. And Brian Maite of ALW makes the case for treating Illuminate as a design show and not a lighting show, right down to the paint colors on the booth walls. Is a lighting brand even the right label anymore? Part two of two, wrapping the Illuminate@NeoCon debrief series. In This Episode: (00:00) Framing part two of the Illuminate@NeoCon debrief (02:07) Hunter Tremaine of QTL on crossing into architecture and design (05:13) Why color quality is the "magic sauce" of good LED (08:35) Gregory Kay of Lightology and PureEdge on educating with color temperature (12:45) Brian Keilt of Lighting Services Inc on the color and material vignette (16:44) The ArtLifting installation and its last-minute rescue (19:29) Brian Maite of ALW on reaching an audience they don't normally see (23:32) Rebranding as an architectural brand, not a lighting brand Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: QTL — qtl.lighting.com Lightology — lightology.com PureEdge Lighting — pureedgelighting.com Lighting Services Inc — lightingservicesinc.com ALW (Architectural Lighting Works) — alw-inc.com LMPG Inc. (parent company of ALW) — lmpg.com ArtLifting: https://www.artlifting.com/ NeoCon 2026 Featured Panel Talk: https://youtu.be/8OKOe1oX90Q?si=rGxIhUvENzU9Es1J Educational Vignettes at NeoCon 2026: https://edisonreport.com/2026/06/0...
Behind the Booth - Illuminate at NeoCon, Part I of II [Ep. 38]
2026/08/04
Watch on YouTube Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design pull up chairs on the Illuminate@NeoCon floor for four back-to-back manufacturer check-ins. Sage Russell, VP of Specification Sales at LumenWerx, explains why a fully custom experience room, built in just thirty days, outdrew every standard booth on the floor. Nate Jackson of Fixt Electric traces an unlikely path from Soviet-era salvage runs across Russia to launching Cym x Fixt, a new architectural line made with ceramicist Cym Warkov. Sean Gaydos, president of USAI Lighting, gets candid about the real math behind an eighty-show marketing calendar, drayage, unions, and rep support included. And Jana Owens, director of sales at Luminii and part of the team behind Morlights' recent LeSelect restaurant project in Chicago, makes the case for an underrated Midwest design community. "Bring something special, make it worth your while," one guest says. What did the lighting industry's first dedicated trade show floor actually deliver, and what still needs fixing before next year? Part one of two — episode 39 picks up the conversation with more manufacturers from the show floor. In This Episode: (00:00) Framing the Illuminate@NeoCon debrief series  (02:09) Sage Russell of LumenWerx on Illuminate's first-year impact  (07:42) Booth placement and next-year growth for exhibitors  (08:59) Nate Jackson of Cym x Fixt launches a new architectural line  (12:14) Sean Gaydos of USAI Lighting on trade show economics  (17:34) Designers backing the manufacturers who back the industry  (20:56) Jana Owens of Luminii on selling light beyond the spec sheet  (24:16) New product launches and the Midwest design community Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: LumenWerx — https://www.lumenwerx.com Fixt Electric Co. — https://www.fixtelectric.com USAI Lighting — https://www.usailighting.com Luminii — https://www.luminii.com NeoCon 2026 Featured Panel Talk: https://youtu.be/8OKOe1oX90Q?si=rGxIhUvENzU9Es1J Educational Vignettes at NeoCon 2026: https://edisonreport.com/2026/06/08/llluminate-at-neocon-2026-built-for-designers/ Illuminate @ NeoCon 2026: https://edisonreport.com/2026/06/08/llluminate-at-neocon-2026-built-for-designers/ IALD —  iald.org NeoCon neocon.com Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn:
Illuminate at NeoCon: What 60 Manufacturers Taught Us [Ep. 37]
2026/07/21
Watch on YouTube 60 manufacturers, 5 months — did Illuminate at NeoCon actually pay off? Half the year is gone — where did it go? Hosts Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD) trade updates on a packed six months: the Holocaust Museum LA opening, the relit Campanile at the University of Kansas, and ongoing work on the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. But most of the conversation returns to Illuminate at NeoCon, where 60 manufacturers showed up in just five months. Avi and Lisa dig into what worked — LSI's interactive color-temperature display, ETC's photo booth vignette — and what didn't sit right, including a pointed question Avi raises: are manufacturers being asked to do too much? They also touch on the newly announced NLB-IES partnership, the re-illumination of Notre-Dame, and a recurring IALD theme: designers as "shepherds" of a client's story rather than its authors. It closes with the IALD president's public call to elevate the profession, and Avi's blunt response: "I'd like to get beyond the words and see the action." In This Episode: (00:00) Mid-year check-ins and recent project milestones (09:56) The case for lighting designers and debriefing Illuminate at NeoCon (12:53) Manufacturer highlights: LSI's color installation and ETC's photo booth (17:32) Planning NeoCon 2027 and rethinking manufacturer sponsorship asks (21:16) NLB-IES partnership and current project spotlights (24:09) Notre-Dame's re-illumination and the emotional power of cathedral lighting (26:28) Light as storytelling and putting words to a visual craft (27:05) The IALD's call to elevate the profession (28:25) Sign-off: pop culture picks and lighting in film Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: NeoCon 2026 Featured Panel Talk: https://youtu.be/8OKOe1oX90Q?si=rGxIhUvENzU9Es1J Educational Vignettes at NeoCon 2026: https://edisonreport.com/2026/06/08/llluminate-at-neocon-2026-built-for-designers/ Art Lifting Website: https://www.artlifting.com/ Illuminate @ NeoCon 2026: https://edisonreport.com/2026/06/08/llluminate-at-neocon-2026-built-for-designers/ IALD —  iald.org NeoCon neocon.com Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www...
The Triangle of Responsibility: Rebecca Keehner on Who Really Owns Lighting Design [Ep. 36]
2026/07/09
Watch on YouTube 8% of award-winning projects had a lighting designer. Only 2% got credit. Why is this profession still invisible?     Recorded live at Illuminate@NeoCon 2026 in Chicago, this episode features Rebecca Keehner, Senior Interior Designer at Stantec Architecture — a global architecture and engineering firm with all major design disciplines under one roof. Hosts Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD) dig into the structural dynamics of how lighting actually gets done on projects. Who owns it? Who should?  Rebecca introduces what she calls the "triangle of responsibility" — the working relationship between interior designers, lighting designers, and electrical engineers — and makes a sharp case for why adding a lighting designer doesn't inflate a budget, it redistributes expertise where it belongs. The conversation moves into specification rigor, material testing under controlled light conditions, and the persistent problem of lighting designers going uncredited on award-winning projects. "98% of the jobs had lighting designers on them — but only the lighting design firms were able to promote that they were involved." Short episode. Dense content.    Rebecca Keehner is a Senior Interior Designer at Stantec Architecture with 19+ years of experience across retail, restaurant, healthcare, multi-family, and corporate projects. NCIDQ certified and LEED accredited, she pairs 15 years of Revit expertise with a design approach rooted in form, materiality, and client experience.     In This Episode:     (00:00) Live from NeoCon: Rebecca Keehner on her role at Stantec Architecture  (03:04) The triangle of responsibility explained  (05:50) How scope and fee divide across the lighting triangle  (10:26) Specification precision and the cost of getting it wrong  (11:56) How light controls visual hierarchy in a space  (16:14) Testing materials under real lighting conditions  (19:06) Color casting and why flat samples mislead  (20:02) The four visual design disciplines in the built environment  (22:06) The lighting design credit gap in industry awards  (24:36) Budget, schedule, team, or client: what matters most  (30:22) Rebecca's favorite lighting experience: the redwoods   Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.   Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes!  About the show:   Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design.     Resources:    Stantec Architecture — Rebecca Keehner's firm  URL: https://www.stantec.com   IALD —  iald.org  NeoCon neocon.com  Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/  Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w  Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-r...
Zero Out of a Hundred: Jen Park on Why Lighting Never Gets Credit [Ep. 35]
2026/06/02
Watch on YouTube Of 100 award-winning architecture projects, how many listed a lighting designer in the credits? The answer should embarrass the entire industry. Jen Park, principal at Chicago's Park Fowler, joins hosts Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design to examine what architects genuinely understand about lighting—and where the gaps are. Park describes lighting as the critical thread in architectural composition: invisible when right, conspicuous when wrong. Who's actually making that argument to developers? The discussion covers the ROI case for lighting design, color temperature consistency across building types, and one startling data point—of 100 recent award-winning projects across AIA and Dezeen, not one credited a lighting designer in its submission.  In This Episode: (00:00) Park Fowler's founding and accelerated firm transition (07:57) Lighting as a critical compositional layer in architecture (17:48) Architecture school's gap in electric lighting education (21:33) Museum spaces as field labs for reading light (30:07) The ROI argument for lighting designers on developer projects (35:13) Color temperature consistency and the build-to-sell challenge (37:53) Material samples, color accuracy, and Neocon vignettes (44:22) The four visual professionals of the built environment (50:28) Lighting designers uncredited in architectural award submissions (56:18) Architect as conductor: the full-team design model (59:53) Favorite illuminated spaces: The Rookery Chicago, Jumex Museum in Mexico City Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: Material Bank (material sample sourcing tool) materialbank.com AIA Chicago (business forums, awards, and board service) aiachicago.org Dezeen (awards discussion) dezeen.com IALD —  iald.org NeoCon (trade show - upcoming lighting vignettes) neocon.com Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/  Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/ Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
The Unregulated Profession: Why Lighting Design Needs Licensing Now [Ep. 34]
2026/05/19
Watch on YouTube Why does the profession that shapes how humans experience every built space they occupy still have no regulatory recognition — anywhere in the world? Dawn Brown, CLD, Design IALD, Lighting Designer at Ontario Aesthetic Lighting Design (OALD), joins Avi and Lisa for a direct look at the future of the profession. The conversation covers the persistent divide between interior designers and lighting designers, Dawn's proposal to regulate lighting design in Ontario, and the science case for circadian and wellness lighting. "If we know there's something we can do to prevent harm, why not just do it?" Engineering addresses the conscious mind. Lighting design influences the subconscious. That distinction, Dawn argues, is why professional recognition is long overdue. In This Episode: (00:00) Dawn Brown's path from architecture to lighting design (09:05) Interior designers and the lighting design disconnect (14:29) Engineering serves the conscious mind, design serves the subconscious (20:49) Proposing lighting design regulation to Ontario's Parliament (27:39) IES recommended practices, professional liability, and malpractice (38:10) Why CLDs must lead wellness and circadian design (42:28) Circadian lighting adoption: barriers and the next generation (50:03) Reaching interior designers and elevating the profession (56:01) The boardroom moment that made Dawn a lighting designer Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: Dawn Brown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-brown-cld-design-iald-03404aa9/ Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/  Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/ Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
Profit Leaking Out the Floor: Inside Lighting's Broken Spec Process [Ep. 33]
2026/05/01
Watch on YouTube Lighting's go-to-market model is one of the most complex in any product category. Does anyone outside the industry actually understand that—and does it matter if they don't? Amy Bonder came to Luminii from the Fortune 500—Black & Decker, Advance Auto Parts, Bridgestone—and found that nothing prepares you for lighting's go-to-market complexity. In this episode, hosts Avi Mor (Morlights) and Lisa Reed (Reed Burkett Lighting Design) dig into what's broken. One agent partner touched a single project 178 times. The conversation moves through data fragmentation, spec integrity, and a harder question: why does this industry still fail to develop its own leaders? "Better is better," Amy says. Take the nuggets and move. In This Episode: (00:00) Amy Bonder's path from Fortune 500 to the lighting industry (06:55) Why lighting's go-to-market model is unlike anything else (14:24) The real cost of a fragmented specification process (23:53) Solving the data and software gap across the value chain (32:50) Spec integrity and the lighting designer's role in reducing friction (37:31) Personal branding and leadership development for design firms (44:08) Feedback as a leadership tool: building stronger teams (50:26) The business fundamentals design school never teaches (55:15) Interns, AI, and developing the next generation Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: Amy Bonder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-bonder-3b23b47/ Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/  Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/ Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
Ron Unterreiner on Cash Flow, Minority Contractors, and the 90-Day Problem [Ep. 32]
2026/04/14
Watch on YouTube What if the fastest way to bring a project in under budget was just to pay people on time? Ron Unterreiner—retired design-build executive, founder of the People networking initiative and WBEDC, and advisor to the Rise CDFI—joins hosts Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design for a direct conversation about what's quietly breaking the AEC payment chain. The discussion is anchored in three realities: 30-day payment terms aren't prompt, they're a slow disaster for small firms; minority and women-owned contractors are turning to predatory lenders at 82% interest to bridge the gap; and lighting design is a specification decision, not an optional add-on. "There is no such thing as cash flow anymore," Ron says flatly. "It does not flow." So who has the power to change it—and why aren't they? In This Episode: (00:00) Ron Unterreiner on 32 years in design-build and minority contractor equity work (08:24) How design and construction disciplines communicate—and where lighting fits in (11:21) Who actually controls which fixtures end up on a job site (18:59) The 90-day payment gap bankrupting AEC's smallest firms (25:27) Why large firms absorb slow payment while small firms can't survive it (32:10) What prompt payment actually looks like: lessons from HBE Corporation (38:13) Industry organizations, antitrust fears, and stalled collective action (43:05) The financial case owners aren't hearing: prompt payment costs less (50:52) Prioritizing clients who pay: a survival strategy for small design firms (51:46) Ron's defining lighting experience: Pope John XXIII at St. Peter's Basilica (57:39) Lighting design as a specification decision, not a budget line to eliminate Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: Ron Unterreiner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-unterreiner-49a549184/ IALD (International Association of Lighting Designers): https://www.iald.org Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/  Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/ Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
From Frustration to Strategy: Lighting Perception, Neocon, and What Comes Next [Ep. 31]
2026/03/31
Watch on YouTube Structural engineers are licensed. Architects are licensed. Why isn't lighting? Hosts Avi Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design go unscripted. It starts with a hotel ballroom running 20 footcandles at a dinner event, broken dimmers, and no one who knew how to operate them. From that comes a pointed question: why is proper lighting still treated as a luxury? The specification market sits at roughly 3–5% of total luminaires sold in the U.S. Lisa and Avi dig into licensure, the IES partnership with America by Design, and whether Neocon's Illuminated show can move that number. In This Episode: (00:00) Season preview and upcoming guest lineup (06:18) Hotel ballroom lighting failure and the luxury perception problem (12:04) Neocon's Illuminated show: lighting in front of 50,000 designers (17:41) When lighting work becomes how you see everything (21:03) KU Campanile project and plans for the season ahead Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: IES (Illuminating Engineering Society): https://www.ies.org  Neocon / Illuminated: https://www.neocon.com The Merchandise Mart, Chicago: https://www.themart.com IALD (International Association of Lighting Designers): https://www.iald.org Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/  Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/ Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
Ten Designers, Three Questions, One Profession [Ep. 30]
2026/03/17
Watch on YouTube Ten experienced lighting designers walk into a conference. Can they agree on what they actually do for a living? "What do you do?" For lighting designers, it's a deceptively hard question to answer well. At the IALD Enlighten Americas 2025 conference in Tucson, hosts Avraham Mor (Morlights) and Lisa Reed (Reed Burkett Lighting Design) posed three pointed questions to ten industry veterans — Chip Israel (Lighting Design Alliance, A Salas O'Brien Company) Aram Ebben (EXP) Francesca Bastianini (Sighte Studio) Ron Kurtz (Dark Light Design) Randy Burkett (RBLD) Giulio Pedota (Schuler Shook) Steven Rosen (Available Light) Laura Arroyo (FLOU Lighting Design) Gonzalo Saez (SV Lighting Design) Nancy Clanton (Clanton & Associates) The conversation cuts to the core of professional identity, the real distinction from electrical contractors, and whether a unified global vocabulary for the profession is even achievable. Then ChatGPT weighs in — sort of. In This Episode:  (00:00) Welcome and IALD Enlighten Americas 2025 conference recap (06:47) How do you describe lighting design to a non-technical audience? (10:48) Lighting designer vs. electrical contractor: where expertise diverges (14:31) Can the profession agree on a shared vocabulary? (20:44) ChatGPT synthesizes responses from eight designers (26:30) Debating the definition — and who it actually needs to reach Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.  Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show:  Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: IALD: https://iald.org/Conferences/EA25 Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/ Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/  Reed Burkett Lighting Design  http://www.rbldi.com Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/ Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
David Woody on Lighting in Storytelling [Ep. 29]
2026/02/03
Watch on YouTube How does lighting affect how we tell stories? Avraham Mor of Morlights and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design interview David Woody of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry? They look at how storytelling is affected by lighting. How can we improve lighting and storytelling to have them intersect? The conversation reveals how much lighting can leave the imprint of a story on us, and how much it adds to the emotional connections we have with each other and to the stories we tell. In This Episode: · (00:00) Introduction to the Griffis Museum of Science and Industry · (03:16) David Woody’s Unique Role and Background · (09:24) The Intersection of Storytelling and Design · (12:27) The Importance of Lighting in Storytelling · (24:18) Celebrating Innovations and Addressing Challenges · (34:23) The Intersection of Storytelling and Experience · (37:42) Designing Emotional Connections in Spaces · (53:24) Future Innovations in Lighting Design · Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us. · Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes! About the show: Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design. Resources: David Woody: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-woody-2713172 Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/  Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w  Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/   Reed Burkett Lighting Design http://www.rbldi.com  Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/  Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
Live at ArchLight: Taking the Stage and Taking a Stance [Ep. 28]
2026/01/21
Watch on YouTube Can you quantify why lighting matters—or does defining it ruin everything?    Avi Mor of Mor Lighting and Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design record live from ArchLight Summit 2025, exploring a fundamental question: does lighting matter? They tackle the industry's most pressing challenge—proving the value of professional lighting design in every project type. Why do affordable housing developments consistently exclude lighting designers despite their residents' critical need for quality light? The conversation reveals an uncomfortable truth: good lighting remains indefinable, immeasurable, yet undeniably essential. Their solution? Show the bad to prove the good.  In This Episode:   (00:00) Does lighting matter? Industry perspectives on value  (10:06) Luminaire level lighting control without sensors  (13:46) AI integration in lighting software and design tools  (18:45) Where lighting design has the most impact  (24:10) The challenge of proving lighting ROI in affordable housing  (29:03) Why good lighting can't be quantified with metrics  (36:26) Publishing lighting projects: what makes a compelling story  (40:36) Limited budget museum design best practices  Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.   Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes!  About the show:   Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design.   Resources:  ArchLight Summit: https://archlightsummit.com/  Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/  Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w  Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/   Reed Burkett Lighting Design http://www.rbldi.com  Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/  Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/
ASID Chair David Euscher: Making the Case for Lighting Specialists [Ep. 27]
2025/12/02
Watch on YouTube What's the connection between lighting control systems, circadian rhythm, and designing for neurodivergent building occupants?    David Euscher, national board chair for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and interior designer based in Houston, discusses the critical relationship between interior design and lighting with hosts Lisa Reed of Reed Burkett Lighting Design and Avi Mor of Morelites. Can you really design a space without considering how light reveals it? The conversation explores professional licensure challenges, the 2014 friendship agreement between ASID, IES, and IALD, and strategies for bringing lighting professionals onto project teams early. Euscher shares compelling project stories, including work on Texas Children's Hospital where lighting designers fundamentally changed how dimensional spheres were illuminated. The discussion addresses human health standards, ASID's annual Trends Outlook Report, and why creating variety in lighting environments matters for both neurotypical and neurodivergent building occupants.  (00:00) David Euscher's interior design career and role as ASID national board chair  (05:56) Collaboration between ASID, IES, and IALD - the four visual design disciplines  (13:41) Professional licensure and making the case for lighting specialists  (22:27) Daylight automation, control systems, and human health standards  (30:09) Project stories - Texas Children's Hospital and historic renovations  (34:50) Favorite illuminated spaces - Nasher and Kimbell Art Museums  Would you be interested in sponsoring our podcast? Reach out to us.   Share your thoughts, comments, like and subscribe to hear all of our informative upcoming episodes!  About the show:   Lighting Matters is hosted by Lisa Reed and Avi Mor. In each episode, we’ll dig deep into the meticulous process of creating lighting design for architecture, showcasing industry leaders who balance artistic creativity with technical precision, and listen as they share their successes and challenges in architectural lighting design.    Resources:  David Euscher LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-euscher-asid-iida-ncidq-well-ap-01ba8b50/  Lighting Matters Podcast LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighting-matters-podcast/  Lighting Matters Podcast YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLkEKnB8XgSXoeDY0T8t3w  Lisa Reed  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-j-reed-b198154/   Reed Burkett Lighting Design http://www.rbldi.com  Avraham Mor  https://www.linkedin.com/in/avrahammor/  Morlights  https://www.morlights.com/

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5 out of 5
6 reviews
★★★★★
Ty$-Kube 2026/09/25
Lighting matters!
This is a wonderful podcast and I love everything about it. I’ve been listening since episode one and it’s getting so good. The latest episode was the...
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