By 2050, two-thirds of the world's population will reside in cities. The life of a city does not stop at dusk, but continues through the night. Lighting is a key component for way-finding after dark. It establishes an identity for the city skyline that can unite residents and drive tourism. Yet if improperly applied, lighting can blanket the surrounding landscape with light pollution, impacting both natural ecosystems and the well-being of the population. Our panel considers all residents, visitors, flora and fauna who cohabit in the urban night. We will discuss current studies on light's impact on biology, look at lighting as part of a city's identity, and formulate action plans for municipalities to shape a compassionate night experience for all city life.
This event is part of SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
Presented by The New School.
Alex Pappas-Kalber is a co-founder Sighte Studio, an architectural lighting design practice based in Brooklyn, NY. At Sighte, Alex steers the design direction of the studio’s public work along with sharing an active role in the leadership and management of the office. She has extensive experience with lighting design for public spaces, urban cityscapes, and infrastructure...
As a co-founder and principal of the Brooklyn based architectural lighting design practice, Sighte Studio, Francesca Bastianini is committed to a practice that folds education, research, and community engagement into design. Drawing on her background in theatre and psychology, Francesca's design work is attentive to people's interaction with space...
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Alex Pappas-Kalber is a co-founder Sighte Studio, an architectural lighting design practice based in Brooklyn, NY. At Sighte, Alex steers the design direction of the studio’s public work along with sharing an active role in the leadership and management of the office. She has extensive experience with lighting design for public spaces, urban cityscapes, and infrastructure – including award winning public projects in North America. Alex also co-leads the studio’s ongoing field-based research project in Gowanus Brooklyn which explores and records the dynamic nature of the urban nighttime environment, and asks how lighting performance guidelines might be integrated into city zoning plans to support positive change in urban communities.
As a co-founder and principal of the Brooklyn based architectural lighting design practice, Sighte Studio, Francesca Bastianini is committed to a practice that folds education, research, and community engagement into design. Drawing on her background in theatre and psychology, Francesca's design work is attentive to people's interaction with space, considering both an individual's well-being and their aesthetic experience. She serves on the DLFNY board as the President and teaches Graduate Lighting students in the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons the New School for Design.
