5 Things to Know: September 20

Dezeen, a London-based design magazine, reports that some US lighting companies are abandoning what Juniper founder Shant Madjarian calls “a complete mess” of a manufacturing system — one he also describes as “atrocious.”

From Juniper’s Connecticut factory to Gantri’s 1,000-printer digital facility in California, a growing wave of lighting brands is rejecting the old model: globally sourced components, costly injection molds, and certification processes that stall innovation. “The only way you could make something work was by manufacturing it overseas,” said Gantri founder Ian Yang, pointing to the industry’s high setup costs and reliance on cheap labor.

Now, companies like Juniper, Gantri, and Wooj are turning to 3D printing as both a creative and economic solution. The shift allows for on-demand production, rapid prototyping, and small-run customization — without the upfront expense or international logistics.

“We want to use technologies to benefit the creative class,” Yang told Dezeen. “To help them think about better, bigger, more exciting ideas.”

It’s not just about cutting costs. It’s about control. For these brands, the future of lighting design isn’t on a boat from Shenzhen — it’s being printed overnight in Brooklyn or the Bay.

Just off Exit 16W of the New Jersey Turnpike, adjacent to the Meadowlands sports complex where professional football is rumored to be played, another contest is underway  —  one with less glory, more lawyers.

Facility Solutions Group, a Texas-based electrical distribution and lighting giant known nationwide, says it’s been left holding the bag after illuminating The Game Room Powered by Hasbro, an immersive attraction inside the American Dream megamall and entertainment complex. FSG furnished and installed more than half a million dollars’ worth of lighting fixtures and custom signage  —  the kind of work that makes a retail lease feel like a dynamic experience.

Their customer of record, KH FEC, LLC, filed for bankruptcy in 2024. Ownership of the project shifted to American Dream, the mall’s operator, and to a freshly formed venture, TGR AD, LLC. According to the complaint, both entities stepped in to run the arcade-like venue, reaping the benefits of FSG’s work while dodging responsibility for paying for it.

“Defendants are hiding behind a web of companies to avoid liability,” the lawsuit charges.

FSG filed a lien, sent demand letters, and waited. Payments never came. Now the lighting firm  —  a name far more recognizable than the maze of shell entities at American Dream  —  is chasing $502,328 in court.

In East Rutherford, the lights are on. In court, the question is whether someone has been playing games.

Lighting people know the script: better indoor air, circadian-friendly light, views to the outdoors. But when pitching healthy buildings to building owners, too often we hit a wall — the numbers don’t speak loud enough to financial decision makers. Now they do.

According to a new report from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), investing in health and well-being isn’t a “nice to have,” it’s a business imperative. The second edition of Investing in Health Pays Back doubles the research from its previous version and delivers financial ammunition for lighting designers, architects, and other healthy building advocates.

The report cites studies showing that improved ventilation and daylight access can boost employee productivity by up to $7,500 per person per year. Certified healthy buildings command rent premiums of 4% to 7.7%, while WELL Certified spaces saw a 10-point jump in productivity scores and 94% occupant satisfaction — outperforming LEED buildings by a wide margin.

IWBI’s message is clear: if owners can’t see the ROI in better lighting and environmental quality, they’re missing not just wellness benefits — but serious financial returns.

Researchers have found that exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) is linked to excessive gestational weight gain (GWG), particularly among pregnant women with normal pre-pregnancy weight. The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, analyzed data from over 51,000 women in China and found that those exposed to higher levels of outdoor ALAN during preconception and pregnancy faced significantly greater risks of excessive weight gain.

The findings sharpen ongoing discussions around circadian disruption and environmental health, especially as over 80% of the global population now experiences some level of light pollution. While the mechanisms remain under study, researchers suggest ALAN may interfere with the body’s internal clock, altering metabolic rhythms and increasing obesity risk.

For lighting people, especially those designing urban, healthcare, and residential environments, this study reinforces the growing need to consider nighttime light exposure not just in terms of visual comfort, but as a potentially serious health variable.

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Data centers have become one of the fastest-growing segments in commercial construction — and one of the most power-hungry. But now Minnesota is asking the industry to do more than just scale: it wants them to build smarter.

A new bill proposed this summer sets energy-efficiency standards for data centers seeking state tax breaks. The law requires compliance with third-party green certifications like LEED or ISO 50001 within three years, pushing builders toward better envelopes, smarter lighting, and high-performance systems.

But what about windows? Here’s the catch: for data centers, they’re mostly unnecessary — and often counterproductive. These are buildings designed for machines, not people. Windows can undermine thermal stability, add security risk, and complicate HVAC loads. From a performance standpoint, the lack of daylight isn’t a flaw — it’s a strategy.

The real challenge lies in adapting human-centric energy codes to buildings that don’t house many humans. That means focusing on what matters: efficient lighting systems, targeted controls, and integrated mechanical strategies. If Minnesota’s policy threads that needle, it might not just raise the bar for data centers — it might modernize how we define green buildings in the first place.