6 minute read
Up Close With Rachel Fitzgerald
By Shirley Coyle, LC
Growing up, Rachel Fitzgerald had aspirations of becoming an architect. However, her father wanted her to follow in his footsteps and become an industrial engineer. "We compromised and landed on architectural engineering," she explained. "I picked a university based on the program — one of only a half dozen with a strong architectural engineering program, which brought me to the University of Colorado Boulder under the era of David DiLaura and Bob Davis."
She wondered if she had chosen the right path. Bob Davis, her advisor, told her, "Just give me one more class — try this lighting class!" That proved to be an aha moment. She elaborated, "I still get to rely on the math, science and logic- but design, and particularly the design of lighting, there really is no right or wrong answer. It’s what looks the best to you."
"So, I have to give credit in part to Bob Davis, David DiLaura, that education... that's what really sparked my interest but also gave me the seed of understanding and the opportunity to see this was a career path that existed out there!"
Along with finding her career in lighting design, Rachel also found her city. She chose to stay in Denver after college and joined the multidisciplinary architectural and engineering firm RNL in 2003, which was acquired by Stantec in 2017. Now Principal, Discipline Lead, Lighting, Rachel oversees Stantec's lighting design service for North America, a team of over 20 people in the US and Canada, and collaborates with others in the UK and Australia.
She loves the opportunity to advocate for lighting, noting, "A lot of people think lighting designers only do high-end work. But no, we are doing a ton of transportation, industrial, and manufacturing, and all of it has lighting. We can bring a higher level of expertise and make the lighting components of that project better — whether it's more energy efficient, adding more controllability, or integrating dynamic systems." She highlighted the importance of educating and promoting awareness of the importance of lighting, which leads to opportunities across project types.
Rachel values being a lighting designer within a multidisciplinary firm versus being a standalone lighting designer. "I've spent my entire career, more than twenty years now, in a multidisciplinary setting. That's a piece I really love — not feeling like that sub-consultant that is down the food chain and maybe doesn't have as much opportunity to really be incorporated into the bigger design picture. As part of Stantec, I'm sitting right next to the architects and the interior designers and having conversations holistically about the design. It gives me the opportunity to influence some of those design moments."
Reflecting on current issues facing the lighting community, Rachel highlighted two issues. First, the industry talent supply: "As an industry, we are growing, but we are all fighting over the same small pool of candidates! There is so much talent out there that doesn't realize lighting exists as a career path."
Rachel's second issue, and her current rabbit hole of research, is looking at replaceable components as an industry. "Where are the industry standards? Where are the guidelines? There's no real framework. The issue taps into the idea of a circular economy and landfill, the huge stock of buildings with lighting to be updated... it's part of the continual learning. There are always things to solve."
Throughout her lighting career, Rachel has been very active in the lighting community, including as a part-time lecturer at UC Boulder, speaking at industry conferences, and becoming certified as a WELL advisor, CLD (Certified Lighting Designer), LEED-AP, and LC. She has also been engaged in industry associations such as IALD, WILD, and IES.
When asked about her success, Rachel offered, "A lot of it is opportunity, but also taking on new challenges, stepping outside of our comfort zone, and testing ourselves where we wouldn't normally. I'm innately an introvert. But I have learned that as a lighting designer, I have knowledge and expertise that I think people can benefit from, so it's worthwhile to put myself out there and stretch.
What about light and human health? Rachel points to the need for "education and advocacy... a lot of clients don't understand what it is, the impact, and the value proposition. I really support the idea of dynamic systems that are more attuned to what we find in the natural world. We are finding that one of our biggest areas where it's applicable is industrial projects. We are designing those facilities to incorporate daylight, but then you have the night shift workers who don't benefit from the great daylit facility, and they need an environment that supports them to do their jobs safely."
She continued, "We have a fair number of clients who are interested in focusing on employee turnover, retention, training, and creating a safe environment. We’re seeing less focus on [office] workspaces since they typically are not 24-hour and have good access to daylight, so we have shifted our focus to industrial."
Asked for advice for those joining the lighting community, Rachel commented, "Everybody's path is going to be different. My students often want to know the path, but it's not the same for all. Take opportunities where you can find them or create them. I have relied a lot on my peer network. That's what I encourage — create a network, whether friends, people above you or below you. I use my peer network daily."
And what does Rachel do when not working, teaching, or mentoring? Rachel laughed and confessed, "I'm admittedly overconnected... but I love to travel, and I love spending time with my family. We're heading tomorrow for a long weekend in the mountains. Living in Colorado, I enjoy the outdoors and the opportunity it provides to disconnect. I'm working on learning to say no — admittedly not my strong suit, but family and travel are the big things that refill my bucket." It's a bucket that seems to have no limits on expansion for whatever Rachel tackles next.
