How I became a lighting engineer

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a dentist, and then a mathematician. But I was always very curious about the world around me, asked questions all the time, and loved art classes. This creativity and curiosity eventually led me to study for a degree in engineering in America, where I also played competitive tennis.

After graduating, I moved to the UK to follow my new-found passion for engineering and completed a master’s degree in lighting. I then joined Arup - a company that brings together designers, planners, engineers, and consultants to work on the built environment - because I wanted to see how different disciplines come together to create the buildings and other structures around me.

I have now founded my own practice called Akritas Lighting Design. I specialise in high end retail, museums, galleries and exhibitions.

How does your role combine engineering with creativity?

When I was asked to light a fashion show, it opened the door to a completely different industry, and gave me another way to express my love of art and creativity. I’ve worked with tech giants and big names such as Phoeve Philo and get to travel the world. Now I collaborate with fashion designers to create lighting effects for their shows at events, such as Paris Fashion Week, as well as working with museums and art galleries to create the perfect environments for their exhibitions.