Parsons Grad Receives Lighting Design Award from Philips
Nowak receives the Philips Innovation Learning Award from Gerard Blandina, Philips Lighting District Manager. Photo Courtesy of Derek Porter.
Recent School of Constructed Environments (SCE) graduate, Dagmara Nowak was named the recipient of the Philips Learning Innovation Award at the school’s commencement ceremony in May. Sponsored by Philips as part of the company’s Luminous Talks Partnership with Parsons, the award recognizes a project that advances research, technology, and function in the lighting design discipline. Nowak’s project was selected for its futuristic application of light that not only illuminated space, but also offered the potential of defining the physicality of the space. Gerard Blandina, Philips Lighting District Manager, presented Nowak with a trophy and the $1500 prize in June.
Nowak, who was born in Poland and raised outside of Chicago, told the New_S she became interested in the future of lighting while researching new technology. For her thesis, she proposed using strategically placed light poles and manipulated photon molecules to create a functional research station in Alert, Nunavut, Canada, a hub of scientific investigation some 500 miles from the North Pole. Nowak’s design may have relevant applications in other extreme environments such as deserts, jungles, and underwater spaces. She will continue to explore cutting edge technologies at Tillotson Design Associates, a lighting design consultancy based here in New York City. Later this summer, you can learn more about her project on the Parsons Thesis website.
Philips is an international corporation specializing in healthcare and consumer lifestyle in addition to lighting. The Luminous Talks educational series brings together architects, designers, academics, and other industry professionals to discuss innovations and current topics in lighting design. This is the company’s second year co-sponsoring the talks and presenting the Learning Innovation award.