The Strike a Light Podcast

The Light Review · thelightreviewonline.com

Join lighting industry experts John Bullock and Chris Fordham for The Strike a Light Podcast, a thought-provoking series dedicated to exploring the complex and ever-evolving world of architectural lighting design & manufacturing. Produced by The Light Review, this podcast dives into the most pressing issues, trends, and controversies shaping the lighting industry today. John and Chris bring a wealth of experience, skepticism, and insight to every episode. Whether you're a professional architectural lighting designer, product designer, an architect, or simply curious about the light that shapes our environments, The Strike a Light Podcast from The Light Review offers engaging discussions that will make you look at the spaces around you in a whole new light.

12 episodes

13d ago latest

fortnightly cadence

English language

▶ Play latestRSS feed Website Technology Arts Design Business Entrepreneurship

https://www.thelightreviewonline.com/feed/podcast/the-strike-a-light-podcast/

Episodes 12

013 What’s Your Evidence for That?
6d ago · 16:28
The Case for Evidence Based Lighting Design I feel a bit like I’ve walked into a room with a tabletop scattered with jigsaw puzzle pieces, and as I start pushing them around, a rather radical picture is beginning to emerge. For decades, those of us in the lighting design community have operated under the comfortable illusion that we hold all the answers, dutifully armed with our beloved codes, standards, and the latest guidance documents like the SLL’s LG23. We design our schemes in what can easily become an academic fantasy lab, hand over the drawings, and rarely stop to ask the most fundamen
012 People Die in Places Like This
13d ago · 30:59
ICEL Emergency Lighting Conference 2026 Preview & Why Compliance on Paper Isn't Keeping Buildings Safe There is a moment early in every lighting designer's career when the theoretical bubble pops and reality comes crashing in. For me, it was being chased around by a fire officer while designing a scheme for a major brewery. When I tried to push back on a detail, he stopped, looked me dead in the eye, and said: "People die in places like this." That was all that needed to be said. Emergency lighting is the one corner of our industry where numbers are absolute, life safety is on the line, and ye
011 Sculptures, Skyhooks, and Scandinavian Glare
20d ago · 22:36
Do National Traits Define the Light Fittings We Create? I must admit, when Chris suggested we spend an episode unpicking whether light fittings carry a national character, I caught myself doing a bit of mental inventory. We all talk about a ‘Scandinavian vibe’ or ‘Italian styling’ when writing specs or walking exhibition halls, but how often do we stop to ask why those aesthetics exist in the first place? Is a Nordic pendant soft and glare-free simply because of a design trend, or is it a direct emotional response to four months of midwinter darkness? (And if you’ve ever tried hanging a wild V
010 Chasing Albert Down the Corridor
1mo ago · 31:49
From Nocturnal Chaos to Restful Care Environments A decade ago, you couldn't walk through a lighting exhibition without having 'Human-Centric Lighting' shouted at you from every banner and brochure. Manufacturers were stamping HCL on cardboard boxes, selling off-the-shelf fittings as quick fixes to complex biological problems, and effectively turning what should have been a groundbreaking scientific shift into a discredited marketing buzzword. But while HCL as a sales gimmick fell flat on its face, circadian lighting design based on real human biology is quietly proving to be one of the most t
009 Good Night, Vienna!
1mo ago · 22:25
Independent Specifiers and the Curse of the Familiar in Lighting Design There I was, nursing a lukewarm cuppa and looking over a specification sheet that felt rather too familiar, when a slightly uncomfortable question hit me. As fee-charging, supposedly independent lighting designers, we like to brag about searching the globe for the perfect, bespoke fixture, but how often do we just go back to the same old names we have used for a decade? It is the curse of the familiar, lighters all, and it is a remarkably easy rut to fall into. When you are staring down a deadline at three in the morning,
008 What’s So Special About Specials?
2mo ago · 18:20
The Battle Between Bespoke Lighting and the Basic Variant There I was, sipping my tea and contemplating the vast universe of lighting design, when it struck me: the peculiar world of "specials." Ah, specials...those little custom wonders that defy mass production. I remember my early days when every project seemed to require one, and the thrill of creating something entirely unique kept the spark alive in my work. But why do we insist on reinventing the wheel time and time again? This episode dives into that very question, exploring the quirks and wonders of specials in the lighting industry.
007 It’s All Gone Horribly Wrong!
2mo ago · 21:09
The Decline of the Downlight About twenty years ago, I received a phone call from an architect who was in a bit of a panic over a rather gorgeous, listed Arts and Crafts house. They were struggling with the lighting scheme and wanted to know exactly where they should place the recessed downlighters. My response was simple: why on earth are you considering using recessed downlighters in an Arts and Crafts house at all? That single question won me the project (and a client for many years to come), but it highlights a much larger, systemic problem . . . we have stopped asking whether we need down
006 The Catwalk, the Car Thief, and the Bacon Sandwich
3mo ago · 21:32
... or, Do We Really Need to Light Up the Night? Reflecting on my own nocturnal escapades, I recall numerous occasions when the debate over the necessity of night lighting became particularly personal. Picture this: stumbling in the pitch black, narrowly avoiding collision with an unexpectedly placed planter. This oft-repeated tale leads us to a broader discourse in our industry: How much light is too much, and can we ever strike the ideal balance?? Truth be told, our love affair with lighting has sometimes cast our nights into a synthetic brightness, chasing the shadows away at a cost we migh
005 Who Are You Calling a Lighting Designer!
3mo ago · 18:28
Many moons ago, I found myself knee-deep in a project where the distinction between a "lighting designer" and someone who simply "works with lights" became glaringly evident. This wasn't just a semantic exercise; the lines drawn in our industry can shape careers and determine the outcome of projects. The question of who truly qualifies as a lighting designer isn't just a topic for debate over a pint; it's a fundamental query that can stir the pot like few others in our field. In an industry awash with talent and titles, it's a conversation that bears repeating and refining, if only to ensure w
004 The Grudge Purchase: Why No One Cares about Emergency Lighting
4mo ago · 24:07
Emergency lighting . . . it's that corner of the lighting world that often feels more like a chore than a choice, isn't it? It's the "grudge purchase" we all know too well. But let's be honest, despite the sighs and grumbles, it's something we simply cannot ignore. I'm diving into this thorny subject with my good mate Chris Fordham, and trust me, we're not holding back. Why does this matter to us? Because it's about safety, dear reader. It's about ensuring that when the lights go out – literally – lives aren't put at risk. It's about those crucial minutes when clarity and visibility can mean t
003 Circular Design and the Modularity Mandate
5mo ago · 25:03
Modularity - now there's a word that takes me back. I remember the days when lighting fixtures were built to last and built to be fixed. No binning, no buying new when something went awry. Just a screwdriver and a spare part. So, when the conversations about the circular economy bubbled up again, I couldn’t help but think how everything old is indeed new again. It’s like the universe calling back to those days when sustainability was just plain common sense. And here we are, once more, engaging in a dialogue that feels at once nostalgic and daringly forward-thinking. Why does circularity matte
#002 AI and the “Madness” of Lighting Designers
5mo ago · 26:26
Now, you may know I've had my doubts about the AI invasion sweeping across our domains. My friend and podcast co-host Chris Fordham and I have spent many a conversation musing over the role of artificial intelligence in the world of lighting design. It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse game, isn't it? But the other day I realised that I perhaps hadn't given the machine enough credit (or should that be tokens) or scrutiny. And it's this tension between admiration and skepticism that fuels our latest episode. Why should this matter to any of us, you ask? Well, the spectre of AI has loomed over many fie

Episodes

Reading the feed…

More Technology shows

The Strike a Light Podcast

Episodes 12

013 What’s Your Evidence for That?

012 People Die in Places Like This

011 Sculptures, Skyhooks, and Scandinavian Glare

010 Chasing Albert Down the Corridor

009 Good Night, Vienna!

008 What’s So Special About Specials?

007 It’s All Gone Horribly Wrong!

006 The Catwalk, the Car Thief, and the Bacon Sandwich

005 Who Are You Calling a Lighting Designer!

004 The Grudge Purchase: Why No One Cares about Emergency Lighting

003 Circular Design and the Modularity Mandate

#002 AI and the “Madness” of Lighting Designers

Episodes

More Technology shows

AppleVis Podcast

Material

Área de Transferência

Super Feed

Don't Panic

HTML All The Things - Web Development, AI, and Developer Careers

Episodes 12

013 What’s Your Evidence for That?

012 People Die in Places Like This

011 Sculptures, Skyhooks, and Scandinavian Glare

010 Chasing Albert Down the Corridor

009 Good Night, Vienna!

008 What’s So Special About Specials?

007 It’s All Gone Horribly Wrong!

006 The Catwalk, the Car Thief, and the Bacon Sandwich

005 Who Are You Calling a Lighting Designer!

004 The Grudge Purchase: Why No One Cares about Emergency Lighting

003 Circular Design and the Modularity Mandate

#002 AI and the “Madness” of Lighting Designers