Circular industry practices as a framework for addressing embodied carbon
Anirudh Anand, The SEED | Chelsea Kreielsheimer, The SEED | Golsana Heshmati, The SEED
Location: Nassau
Wednesday, April 14, 2027
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm ET
Credits TBA
Intermediate
Embodied carbon has swiftly become a key sustainability metric in architecture, yet it remains little-known within the lighting industry. What is embodied carbon, why is it important, and how can the lighting industry begin to address it?
A case study on a retail flagship renovation in New York reveals the embodied carbon impacts of light fixture reuse, and reveals key gaps that the industry is yet to fill.
Join us in questioning how we can move forward as an industry to address these gaps by developing methods and practices that incorporate embodied carbon into our process for the profit of our planet and its people.
Familiarity with existing lighting industry practices is recommended.
Learning Objectives
- Upon completion, attendees will be able to describe what embodied carbon is, and how the lighting industry contributes to it.
- Attendees will be able to discuss how light fixture reuse and re-manufacture can streamline the design process and reduce embodied carbon impacts.
- Attendees will be able to identify common roadblocks to understanding embodied carbon impact, and discuss what designers can incorporate into their practice for more sustainable outcomes.
- Attendees will be able to discuss the industry’s next steps towards a sustainable infrastructure, including circular design principles, reuse infrastructures, and design for disassembly.
Speakers
Anirudh Anand
Lighting Designer
The SEED
Anirudh (Ani) is an interdisciplinary designer, educator, and aspiring Architect. He graduated from the dual-degree Master of Architecture and MFA Lighting Design program with honors from the Parsons School of Design, where he also taught a class on design representation.
His training in architecture and his interest in building materials has instilled a keen interest in sustainable materials, assemblies, and design practices that inform all his work. Ani strives to find space to explore sustainability through making, testing, and pioneering sustainable design processes.
Inspired by his explorations of light in theater, art, and architecture, Ani strives to develop an interdisciplinary mode of practice that holistically incorporates light with architecture. He enjoys learning from disciplines outside design, drawing inspiration from his diverse interests in the arts, natural forms, history, science fiction, and cuisine.
Chelsea Kreielsheimer
Associate Principal
The SEED
Chelsea is an interdisciplinary designer with a background in lighting, interior, and sustainable design. With a decade of experience, Chelsea has navigated the design, development, and production of large-scale lighting design projects across industries.
Much of her work has focused on environmental impact, where she has prioritized carbon reduction and human centered lighting design. She has earned both LEED AP ID+C and WELL AP certifications. In 2023, she was recognized as one of Light Collective’s 40 under 40, which distinguishes individuals who stand out in their application of lighting in architecture.
Prior to joining The SEED, Chelsea was an Associate at Atelier Ten, Senior Associate Lighting Designer at WeWork, and earlier in her career, a Designer at Focus Lighting. Chelsea remains involved in multiple industry organizations including GreenLight Alliance, Women In Lighting Design, IES, and IALD. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BFA in Interior Design.
Golsana Heshmati
Principal, Founder
The SEED
Golsana Heshmati is a trained architect and lighting designer with over 18 years of experience working across the globe in Barcelona, San Francisco, and New York. Her work explores the intersection of architecture, light, and human experience, and her design philosophy is rooted in enhancing architectural space and elevating the human experience through light.
She holds a Bachelor's in Architecture and a Master's in Architectural Lighting from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, and brings a multidisciplinary, research-driven approach to her work.
Prior to founding The SEED, Golsana worked as an Associate and Team Leader at HLB Lighting Design, an Associate at Callison Architects in New York, and a Designer at AGF in San Francisco, as well as two leading design firms in Barcelona, Spain. She is also a Professor of Design at Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute School of Architecture, and the New York School of Interior Design.
She was named one of Light Collective's 40 Under 40 top lighting design talents in 2017 and has received Design Retail Honor Awards. Golsana currently serves as a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society's Education Committee and as a jury member for the International Association of Lighting Designers' awards program.