John Delfino, Available Light, Inc.
Location: Nassau
Tuesday, April 13, 2027
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Credits TBA
Intermediate
This presentation explores how dynamic lighting and control systems can address and promote neuroinclusivity through accessible, equitable lighting design, using the completed La Nubé STEAM Discovery Center as a case study. La Nubé is the first U.S. children’s museum where exhibit lighting adapts to visitors’ unique needs, with a suite of stimulus control modes that maximize accessibility and minimize environmental stimuli. The presentation examines the lighting and control challenges these requirements presented and how to navigate them in future work. Topics include design advocacy and client coordination, systems design strategy and pitfalls, sensory-friendly strategies, and project-specific lessons learned.
Learning Objectives
- Explore design principles for implementing sensory-friendly, accessible lighting in public spaces and museum exhbitions.
- Evaluate how dynamic lighting control systems facilitate equitable access for neurodivergent visitors through environmental stimulus control.
- Identify possible pitfalls and potential solutions for integrating dynamic accessibility features into architectural and exhibit lighting designs.
- Apply design advocacy techniques to secure client buy-in and budget allocation for accessible lighting and control systems.
Speaker
John Delfino
Associate Principal
Available Light, Inc.
John has designed lighting for permanent installations for over a decade, with a keen focus on interpreting the rich narrative of each experience via his chosen medium: light. Striving to create transportive environments in a variety of métiers, John employs theatrical and architectural lighting techniques combined with a deep understanding of underlying technologies and control systems.
At Available Light, John has contributed to several high-profile projects ranging from the museum exhibits at La Nube in El Paso, Texas and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles to architectural works including the National Geographic Society Headquarters. He also worked on numerous interior and façade lighting projects for corporate clients nationwide. John received his MFA from CalArts, and is dedicated to the development of future generations of lighting designers – as is evidenced by his extra-curricular activities as adjunct faculty at both FIT and the NY School of Interior Design. He is also involved with the IESNYC, including a seat on the Board of Managers and volunteering for the Student Lighting Competition Committee, of which he was previously a Co-Chair.
He strives to find the perfect way to deploy light as a narrative element in every project; for John, every space – experiential, traditional, or somewhere in between – has a story to tell.