Layers of Light: Residential & Hospitality

David K. Warfel is an overly sensitive, marginally materialistic, pseudo-tree-hugging Midwestern farm boy turned lighting designer. His hyper-sensitivity means he dims everything including his dashboard, and his marginal materialism means he loves high quality light fixtures, elegant controls, and French cuffs. He calms his enviro-consciousness by using energy-saving lighting solutions and wearing hiking shoes to work, and is always ready to roll up his literal shirt sleeves to solve client problems with baling wire and duct tape (although now he prefers gaffers tape). He uses the title “Convergence Designer” since he cannot decide what he wants to be if he ever grows up (unlikely at this point), and practices at the overlap of architectural and performance lighting. He’s as surprised as you are by the list of credits to his name that range from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Las Vegas’ Luxor and MGM Grand casinos, from Chicago’s Hyde Park Arts Center and Museum of Science and Industry to residential and hospitality projects in Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nevada, Oregon, California, and Arizona. He has worked with award-winning firms Schuler Shook and CharterSills, and weathered the recession safely cloistered as the head of lighting design at the University of Illinois. David’s work has been featured in Lighting & Sound America, Lighting Australia, Live Design, and Theatrical Design & Technology, but he is usually reading Inspector Gamache novels or other similar educational materials.