May webinars offer advice on lighting — and lighting the way. By Dianne M. Pogoda
NKBA’s free webinar series in May is themed to modern lighting, and includes five sessions on the intricacies of illuminating today’s residential spaces effectively and efficiently.
Owing to the unique circumstances of the current “work-from-home” environment, however, NKBA is offering a special session on virtual design.
Each month, NKBA offers free 60-minute webinars, each of which features a presentation by an expert in the specific subject matter, delivered via a virtual platform. The sessions offer certified participants 0.1 CEU per event — it’s an easy way for designers to collect the CEUs needed to maintain NKBA certification. Participants must engage in 80 percent of the live sessions to receive CEU credit; registration closes two hours prior to start times. All webinars begin at 12 noon, Eastern Time. Create an account at the NKBA store at www.nkba.org to register.
As a special accommodation for the pandemic, NKBA is accepting views of recorded webinars to qualify for CEUs for the duration of the current cycle, which ends June 30.
The month’s series begins on May 1 with the special session. Rebecca West, CEO of Seriously Happy Homes, will present “Best Practices for Successful *Virtual* Interior Design Meetings.” Business is certainly not “as usual.” While many designers are proficient and some have dabbled in the art of virtual meetings, it’s now critical to engage in this practice, whether accommodating a global epidemic or simply trying to make better use of time by avoiding traffic. Virtual meetings are an essential tool, and when done well, they can save time and money and improve communication throughout a project. But done poorly, they can damage a brand and reputation. This webinar will share best practices for having successful virtual meetings with clients and contractors, elevate a business’ brand and professionalism, help troubleshoot the most common problems and tech glitches people have with virtual meetings and give attendees confidence to put this tool to use.
To register for this session, click here.
Lighting-focused sessions begin on May 5, with “Lighting the Way to Improved Wellness at Home.” Architect and lighting expert Doug Walter, AKBD, AIA, and owner of Doug Walter Architects, discusses the power of light as a tool in designers’ arsenals. Today’s homeowners want it all: wide open floor plans, but plenty of wall space for art; more windows and doors, but better energy efficiency; more light, but less glare. Designers are challenged to meet these often-competing priorities. Used properly, light enhances the appearance of a space, can compensate for low vision and enhance the health, safety and welfare of the occupants, and promote healing, rest, and relaxation. In this webinar, Walter will discuss the visual and non-visual effects of light on the body including productivity, health, various ailments and recovery, studying and more. He’ll also update attendees on the latest research and technology in the field of light and health, and how designers can use this information immediately to create kitchens, baths, and whole homes that support healing and growth while appealing to our aesthetic sense.
To register for this webinar, click here.
Next up, on May 7, Steve Rissi, Director of Technical Training at CEDIA, will present “Improving Wellness in the Home with Bio-adaptive Lighting.” With the growing importance of wellness in the home, Rissi will discuss the opportunities in bio-adaptive lighting, how light affects human biology and how new technologies are being designed to improve biological functions. The session will also explore available products and what key components are necessary for a successful system and define what’s necessary for successful lighting integration.
To register for this session, click here.
On May 12, join Kelly Inglis, owner of Lighting Education Design, for “Is This Enough Light? The Most Commonly Asked Question!” There is not one single answer, she says, as several factors apply. Inglis will illustrate how to create an emotional space that speaks to the design, a more intimate space or a brighter space with natural and artificial lighting. She’ll discuss what creates the ultimate lighting plan, what is required to light kitchens and bathrooms, and how to utilize lighting effects, manage lighting layers and capture the essence of both architecture and interior elements.
To register for this webinar, click here.
Karyn Judd Reilly, CKD, a designer and educator at Forsyth Tech Community College, will present “Lighting By the Numbers: Breaking Down the Complexities of Lighting Calculations” on May 14. Lighting calculations can be quite intimidating. This webinar will review some of best practices and break down some of the information behind the best lighting plans and what designers can do to meet their clients’ needs. Reilly will define the quality and quantity of light needed for various situations, explain the importance of lighting design selections to the effectiveness of the plan, and show how to make sense of data and specifications from manufacturers’ products.
To register for this session, click here.
Wrapping up the month, Tammy Mackay, AKBD, owner and principal of Design Eye Ltd., presents “Modern Lighting” on May 21. The modern lighting revolution means designers must keep up with technology and the changes to lighting, and how to design it in kitchens and bathrooms — and it can be overwhelming. Mackay will discuss the challenges of reflective surfaces, lighting spaces differently with all the screen time occurring in the home environments, the latest trends in kitchen and bath lighting functionally as well as aesthetics, how the color of light impacts finishes, understanding these concepts and learning to design and implement them into K&B projects. Attendees will learn basic lighting terminology, what’s currently available, layers of lighting and specific types of lighting for kitchens and bathrooms.
To register for this webinar, click here.
