ArchLIGHT Summit: Full Schedule

To learn more about ArchLIGHT Summit, please visit www.archlightsummit.com.

10:00am CDT

TBD

Tuesday September 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CDT

Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Speakers

Leni Schwendinger

Creative Director | Leader, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects LLC

Leni Schwendinger, an artist, designer, urbanist, and professional speaker, and founder of Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, divides her time between Manhattan and London. With more than 20 years of worldwide experience creating illuminated environments. Her innovative interdisciplinary... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

11:00am CDT

AI as a Lighting Designer’s Assistant: Practical Tools for Analysis, Comparison, and Clarity

Tuesday September 15, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

AI is already showing up in the lighting industry—sometimes in places designers don’t even see—so this session takes a practical, no-hype look at how lighting designers can use AI as an assistant rather than a threat. Instead of focusing on futuristic promises, the talk centers on real-world design tasks and the importance of asking the right questions, exploring how thoughtful prompts and well-defined inputs allow AI to support analysis, comparison, and documentation while keeping design authorship firmly in human hands. Through candid examples and lessons learned, the session highlights where AI actually helps (and where it absolutely doesn’t), offering a grounded, approachable conversation about using these tools strategically to save time, reduce friction, and stay in control as the profession evolves.

Speakers

Ardra Zinkon, CLD, IALD

President, Director of Lighting Design, Zinkon Creative Studio

Ardra Paige Zinkon, CLD, IALD is President and Director of Lighting Design at Zinkon Creative Studio, a certified WBE firm specializing in architectural lighting and technology design. Designing professionally since 1997, she is known for balancing technical precision with creative... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Practical, Seminar

CEU Type AIA, IDCEC
Audience Architect, Engineer, Lighting Designer
Level Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate
Session Track Design Innovation + Emerging Practice, Practice + Collaboration

10:00am CDT

A Primer to Working with Lighting Designers

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CDT

Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Successful lighting design is built on collaboration. This presentation offers an accessible introduction to working with Lighting Designers, exploring how their expertise integrates with architectural and interior design teams. Through real-world perspectives, attendees will learn how to engage Lighting Designers more effectively, streamline coordination, and elevate the visual and experiential quality of their projects.

Speakers

Christien Methot

Founder/Principal Designer, Design One

Christien Methot is an American lighting designer and light artist, for architecture and entertainment. Christien specializes in large-scale televised live concerts, shows, and events, including the US Open Ceremonies, WTA Opening Ceremony in Singapore, and the Jio Launch in Mumbai... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Practical, Seminar

CEU Type AIA, IDCEC
Audience Architect, Interior Designer, Landscape Architect, Lighting Designer
Level Beginner
Session Track Interior Design Applications, Practice + Collaboration

11:00am CDT

OMG The 80's are Historic? - Gregory Bateson Building Case Study

Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

The Gregory Bateson Building in Sacramento CA was "the most sustainable building" in the united states when it was built in the 1980's. This among other features gave the building a historic listing/presence. While renovating the building there was a focus on preserving the lighting to maintain the historic character while also updating it to meet current energy codes and light level recommendations. Trying to accomplish this sparked wild discussions of what is historic when it comes to recently antiquated light sources.

Speakers

Sanjana Adavi

Lighting Designer, CannonDesign

Sanjana Adavi is an emerging professional in the lighting design industry. After studying Architectural Engineering at Penn State University, she joined the Cannon Design Lighting Studio in 2023. Over the last three years, she has built a diverse portfolio in architectural lighting... Read More →

Coffield King

Senior Associate, CannonDesign

Coffield began his career working in architecture ﬁrms with a strong focus on 3D visualization and custom detailing. Projects included larger commercial buildings, as well as the design and fabrication drawings for custom light ﬁxture installations. Over the last 16 years he has... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Case Studies, Seminar

CEU Type AIA, IDCEC
Audience Architect, Engineer, Lighting Designer, Landscape Architect, End User
Level Intermediate
Session Track Design Innovation + Emerging Practice, Case Studies + Real-World Application

12:00pm CDT

Unpacking The Rainbow Connection – Lighting Design for Human Health and Wellbeing

Wednesday September 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

For decades, architectural lighting design has focused on vision and aesthetics. More recently, however, discoveries and a growing understanding of the connection between light, human circadian biology and certain chronic health issues have challenged lighting designers to also account for how light affects physiological wellbeing. Considerations related to the intensity, direction, duration and timing of exposure to short wavelength blue light has altered both product and practice. Now, the industry is beginning to learn that wellbeing isn’t just influenced by blue light, but also far red and near infrared (NIR) radiation. New products, bold claims, and nascent science offer an intriguing story of how an NIR-rich interior lighting spectrum like sunlight could improve cognition, boost mood, reduce pain, repair tissue, and more. This presentation will introduce the science of photobiomodulation, outlining what is currently known and what could change in the future. It will also cover how lighting practice might change, and what to watch for as the science emerges.

Designing with photobiomodulation in mind will be a substantially different exercise than designing for vision or even for circadian effect. This is primarily because photobiomodulation works through the mitochondria present in living cells rather than only through the eyes. Thus, there are important discussions about the dose of light, where it is delivered, and how it can function independently of lighting for vision. There are also broader questions about accounting for potentially large increases in energy use, balanced with the potential benefits to society. This presentation will help attendees be at the forefront of what could be the next major disruption to lighting practice, allowing them to deliver better solutions for clients.

Speakers

Dave Pfund

Senior Vice President Research and Product Management, The Lighting Quotient

Dave Pfund is an innovation-driven lighting industry thought leader focused on technologies that advance personal wellbeing and sustainable building initiatives. He is passionate about lighting science, biological and psychological responses to light, and related health impacts. In... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Design, Seminar

CEU Type AIA, IDCEC
Audience Architect, Engineer, Lighting Designer, Interior Designer, End User
Level Beginner
Session Track Design Innovation + Emerging Practice, Human-Centered Design + Wellbeing

1:00pm CDT

Lighting to Support Human Health and Wellbeing

Wednesday September 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Unlock the powerful biological potential of light and transform how people feel, function, and sleep in your buildings. This evidence-based course translates cutting-edge light-and-health research directly into your practical workflow, moving beyond aesthetics to show you how light affects the visual, perceptual, and circadian systems. You'll master the cause-and-effect of key design variables (spectrum, timing, duration) on human outcomes like task performance, alertness, and glare control. Critically, you will demystify and learn to apply advanced metrics from standards like WELL and CIE S 026 to achieve targets such as vertical illuminance at the eye, EV/EH ratios and controls. Through real-world case studies, you'll gain the step-by-step strategy for implementing "bright days, dim evenings, dark nights," empowering you to design environments that directly improve occupant sleep, safety, and overall well-being.

Speakers

Mariana Figueiro

Professor and Director, Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Mariana Figueiro, PhD, is among the world’s leading experts in the area of light and health, with a focus on bridging science to practical applications aimed at improving human quality of life. She has made a significant impact on this developing field and continues to actively... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Design, Seminar

Audience Interior Designer, Lighting Designer, Architect
Level Intermediate
Session Track Human-Centered Design + Wellbeing, Interior Design Applications

2:00pm CDT

Equitable by Design: Dynamic Lighting Systems for Neurodivergent Accessibility

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Using the recently completed La Nubé STEAM Discovery Center as a case study, this presentation explores how dynamic lighting and complex control systems can address the sensory needs of neurodivergent visitors through accessible and equitable lighting design. La Nubé is the first children's museum in the United States where the exhibit lighting can change to meet the unique needs of its visitors: a full suite of stimulus control modes modulate the exhibits to maximize accessibility and minimize environmental stimuli for neurodivergent individuals. The presentation delves into the lighting and control system challenges these requirements presented, and how to navigate similar challenges to advance accessible lighting in future work. Topics include design advocacy and client coordination; systems design strategy and pitfalls; sensory-friendly design strategies; project-specific lessons learned; and real-world impacts from museum staff and local advocacy groups.

Speakers

John Delfino

Associate Principal, Available Light, Inc

John Delfino has spent over a decade creating narrative-rich lighting designs for permanent installations. At Available Light, he has contributed to major museum and architectural projects, in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, La Nube STEAM Discovery Center, the National WWII... Read More →

Wednesday September 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Education Station @ ArchLIGHT Summit Show Floor

Design, Seminar

CEU Type AIA, IDCEC
Audience Architect, Engineer, Lighting Designer
Level Intermediate
Session Track Case Studies + Real-World Application, Design Innovation + Emerging Practice, Practice + Collaboration

ArchLIGHT Summit

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ArchLIGHT Summit

10:00am CDT

Leni Schwendinger

11:00am CDT

Ardra Zinkon, CLD, IALD

10:00am CDT

Christien Methot

11:00am CDT

Sanjana Adavi

Coffield King

12:00pm CDT

Dave Pfund

1:00pm CDT

Mariana Figueiro

2:00pm CDT

John Delfino

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