July 1, 2024
Lumen West Gala Honors Illumination Excellence in SoCal
Above: Board members from the Los Angeles and Orange County IES Sections
LDA dominates with a staggering haul of 12 SoCal Illumination Awards
The lighting design community in Southern California shone brightly Friday night as the Lumen West Gala celebrated outstanding achievements in illumination at the historic Ebell of Los Angeles.
The annual event, which showcases the SoCal Illumination Awards, drew nearly 400 industry professionals and guests, marking a sold-out affair for the prestigious gathering hosted by the Illuminating Engineering Society Los Angeles Section (IESLA) and IES Orange County Section (IESOC).
Sara Schonour of Luxsi returned for her third year as host, guiding attendees through an evening that saw a staggering 33 section illumination awards distributed. In a striking display of excellence, Lighting Design Alliance (LDA) claimed more than one-third of the trophies, securing an impressive 12 awards. LDA's accomplishment notably surpassed that of the entire awards event recently hosted by the New York City Section of the IES, which presented a total of 11 Lumen Awards just a week prior.
Other firms with multiple accolades included WSP with three awards, while P2S and Chris Werner Design each garnered two.
Beyond its role as an awards ceremony, the Lumen West Gala serves as an important platform for nurturing emerging talent in the field. Scholarship awards were presented to promising lighting designers, highlighting the industry's commitment to fostering future innovators.
Image credits: David Martin
The IESLA Section Service award went to Mindy Cooper of Performance Lighting Systems, and the IESOC Section Service award went to Sam Barker Sr. of SEBCO Industries. Below is a recap of the award winning projects and designers.
Awards of Excellence |
| Award | Project | Firm |
|---|---|---|
| Award of Excellence Outdoor Lighting Design |
Palm Beach County Convention Center SKYroom | HLB Tina Aghassian |
| Award of Excellence Energy and Environmental Design |
Google Visitor Experience | Oculus Light Studio Joel Weston & Archit Jain |
| Award of Excellence Interior Lighting Design |
Palmilla Cocina y Tequila | LDA Kelly Jones |
| Award of Excellence Interior Lighting Design |
Rouge Room - Las Vegas | john levy lighting production, inc. John Levy |
| Award of Excellence Interior Lighting Design |
Project Thunder Corporate HQ | LDA Travis Dickey, Chip Israel, Sebastian Payannett |
| Award of Excellence Control Innovation |
Meow Wolf Grapevine | Chris Werner Design |
| Award of Excellence Control Innovation |
Jio World Centre | LDA Chip Israel |
Awards of Merit |
| Award | Project | Firm |
|---|---|---|
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Delta Skyway at Los Angeles International Airport | Arup LIberty McDougall & Tena Pettit from Arup |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Memorial City Plaza | LDA Salina Slattery & Andy Powell |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Londoner Macao | LDA Andy Powell & Chris Bright |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Peachtree Office Building | LDA Chris Bright & Chip Israel |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
MT. SAC Student Center | WSP Da Wang |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Seattle Office Lighting | P2S Ellie Motevalian & Gary Jewell |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Ann Sacks Nashville | Pratt Lighting Design Ramona Pratt |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Google Tasman Campus | Buro Happold Laura Wu |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
701 Brickell | LDA Chip Israel & Chris Bright |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Jio World Plaza | LDA Chip Israel & Chris Bright |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Co-Star, Spectrum Terrace | WSP Brad Nelson |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Greater Zion Visitor Center | Visual Terrain Lisa Passamonte-Green & Christina Martin |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Agnew K-12 Campus | LPA, Inc. Jen Ozai, Mariana Ballina, Debra Fox |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Joey - Newport Beach | LDA Travis Dickey & Kelly Jones |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Private Residence - West Hollywood | Banks Landl Lighting Design Nick Diaz |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Gabriela Hearst Retail Boutique | Sean O’Connor Lighting Sean O’Connor |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Slot Canyon Residence | eSquared Lighting Design Erin Erdman |
| Award of Merit Interior Lighting Design |
Lake Oconee Gathering House | LDA Chip Israel |
| Award of Merit Controls Innovation |
The Legend of Luna at Great Wolf | BRC Imagination Arts Manny Treeson |
| Award of Merit Controls Innovation |
Dior’s Carousel of Dreams at Saks Fifth Avenue | Chris Werner Design |
| Award of Merit Energy & Environmental Design |
CSU Northridge Maple Hall | P2S, Inc. Ellie Motevalian, Archanaa Pradhapan |
| Award of Merit Energy & Environmental Design |
Radiation Oncology Medical Office Building | Salas O’Brien Henry Pramono, Marco Rebolledo |
| Award of Merit Outdoor Lighting Design |
West Edge - West Hollywood, CA | Francis Krahe Francis Krahe |
| Award of Merit Outdoor Lighting Design |
The Londoner Macao | LDA Andy Powell & Arex Soontharuch |
| Award of Merit Outdoor Lighting Design |
Spectrum Terrace | WSP Da Wang |
| Award of Merit Outdoor Lighting Design |
Chimelong Spaceship - Theme Park Facade Lighting | LDA Ashley Yin & Chip Israel |
The event provided ample networking opportunities, allowing professionals to connect, share insights, and celebrate their collective passion for lighting design. Attendees captured memorable moments, savored a three-course dinner, and danced to music, embodying the gala's spirit of both professional recognition and community building.
The Lumen West Gala stands as a testament to the region's innovative spirit and commitment to excellence in illumination.
