Get to know Klaasen Lighting Design - Interviewing Jordan Faust

Tell me a little about yourself and how long you’ve worked at KLD?

My name is Jordan, I’m originally from Canada and currently residing in Lisbon, Portugal. Having previously studied and worked within Landscape Architecture, I was introduced to lighting design while living in Singapore. This led me to complete a Master’s degree in Architectural Lighting Design after joining KLD in 2017. To me Lighting Design is an incredibly interesting (and challenging) design discipline, with so much to learn and I’ve been lucky to have very knowledgeable mentors at KLD to help me along the way.

Where did you grow up and what was the best thing about growing up there?

I was born and lived the first ten years of my life in a place called Stettler Alberta, a small farming town in Central/Northern Canada. The best thing about growing up in Stettler, was the people and community. The community was small, but close-knit and there were many ice-hockey and baseball tournaments with friends that are the fondest memories. The -40 degree weather was a bit challenging! We then moved to a place called Vernon British Columbia, which is much warmer and has some of the most beautiful landscape in the world, consisting of rolling hills, mountains and lakes giving every opportunity for outdoor activities.

What drew you to working in the lighting design industry?

I honestly didn’t know a thing about lighting design until I moved to Singapore in 2015. Working in Landscape Architecture in Canada on mainly residential developments, there was never a Lighting Design Consultant involved. Once I worked on my first landscape project in Singapore, and heard about lighting design consultancy for the first time, I became very interested. My father had owned a retail lighting store in Canada, so I had been around lights most of my life having worked for him (mainly decorative, with limited architectural lights). But realizing there was a whole industry that focused on how we can use light to enhance and beautify buildings and spaces, I immediately researched how I could get into this field and have enjoyed every minute of it.

When you started what did you hope to achieve? Have you achieved it?

There were no specific goals in mind when I started, apart from continually learning about lighting design and challenging myself to develop new skills and grow within my role as a lighting designer. I feel as long as I am continuing to develop, learn and grow, then I am achieving my goal. As time has gone on and I have a better understanding of lighting design, I also hope to be able to contribute to creating spaces and places that positively impact the people that use them, through responsible and sustainable lighting design.

What one topic you are passionate about in lighting design? Why?

Although I no longer work in landscape architecture, I am still passionate about the field of landscape architecture and outdoor spaces, and how light can be used as a tool to make a positive contribution to exterior urban spaces. Whenever I’m in a new city, I find myself taking mental notes on the lighting and how the lighting is influencing the space, what the lighting levels are like, if it is comfortable or not, what tools are being used etc.

If you could change one thing about the lighting design Industry, what would it be?

I think if I could change one thing, it would be that there was more awareness on the importance of lighting design. The good news is, I think there are more and more platforms and resources that are promoting good quality, responsible lighting design. When I was in school for landscape architecture, one of my professors was telling me that if you went back 10-15 years, only a few projects had a designated Landscape Architect, and now it is a requirement for most developments in Canada. It’s my hope that lighting design is on the same path, and every project will be required to include an independent lighting designer, which I think will significantly increase the quality of our lit environments.

What is something interesting you have learned in your career?

One area that I’m slowly learning about and becoming more interested in, is the business side of things. This area used to be totally foreign to me, so getting the opportunity to try and expand our business and the projects we support, is a whole different challenge.

What is your favourite part of your job?

I really like variety, so I would say the best part of my job is that it brings many different tasks and responsibilities. From developing 3D models and renderings and how we present our concepts to a client, to working out the details of how we can integrate light into the architecture, each stage brings something new and interesting. I also enjoy getting the opportunity to help develop the business of KLD and finding new clients that we can support. Finally, I have always loved to travel and explore new places and cultures, so getting the opportunity to work on projects that are in various parts of the world and learning about the culture there, is very exciting to me.

How has your appreciation of lighting design changed over the course of your career?

Having no experience in lighting design when I started, and not being overly familiar with it, I can say that my appreciation for lighting design has grown a lot. Not only how lighting design can contribute to how people perceive a space, or a building or an architectural detail, but also how we can make positive impacts through good quality lighting design.

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