Renowned UAE-based lighting designers, Studio Lumen, has recently expanded its team to include new lighting designers. This increase in the team reflects the growth of the business, having secured a significant number of new clients and projects.
Joining the Dubai team are Priyanka Viegas who has joined as an Intermediate Lighting Designer, and Poonam Mehta as Senior Lighting Designer. Danish Sayed has bolstered the team at the Studio Lumen Kochi office, in India, having joined as an Associate.
Priyanka Viegas’ background is in interior design and visualisation, and after moving to Dubai she became involved in the lighting industry. She recognised that this blended all of her interests. Priyanka became aware of Studio Lumen having seen the team’s work at various lighting events. When looking for a new job, she connected with Studio Lumen Partner Siddharth Mathur who offered her the role of Intermediate Lighting Designer.
As a new addition to the team, Priyanka is working on a number of projects that are in the conceptual stage. “What I find more rewarding is the level of detail and attention each project receives, along with the coordination with other disciplines,”she said. “This collaborative effort ensures that our concepts are progressing in the right direction.”
Senior Lighting Designer Poonam Mehta joined Studio Lumen as recently as last month. As a graduate in Product Design, she developed a keen interest in luminaire design, which led to her pursuing a career in lighting design. After working in Australia for nearly a decade, she decided it was time for a new opportunity.
“Having admired Studio Lumen throughout my career, securing a role with the team felt like a natural next step in my career,” she said. “The studio’s commitment to pushing creative boundaries through its independent, concept-driven approach really sets them apart in the industry.”
Completing this trio of new joiners, Associate Danish Sayed brings a wealth of experience from the lighting sector. His interest in the industry began when he recognised the effort and creativity required for a landscape lighting project, which led him to explore architectural lighting and pursue a career in this field.
Danish has already made an impact on Studio Lumen’s clients, including his work on a Polo equestrian lighting project. “It was interesting to understand how horses perceive lighting, and gain more insight into equestrian lighting,” he said. “The project was multifaceted, bringing together lighting for stables, polo fields, escarpments, and public realm, which gave me exposure to a number of new areas.” It was Studio Lumen’s projects that drew Danish to want to become part of the team. “The projects show such a personal touch and careful curation,” he explained. “We really go with a new approach to a new project. There is no recycling, but rather a bit of upcycling in design. We treat each project very personally right from ideation till the final coordination and handover. This sets us apart from the industry as we offer more of a handcrafted experience and less of an assembly line situation.”
The expansion of the team has allowed the lighting design studio to increase its capacity, enabling more client projects to be worked on simultaneously. The new members of the team have also brought their own skills and knowledge, which broadens the capabilities of the studio and supports a more holistic approach to lighting design.
Siddharth Mathur, Partner at Studio Lumen said: “It is wonderful to have three new members of the Studio Lumen family, each bringing their own expertise and experience to create a richer understanding of lighting design for our studio. This in turn will benefit our clients, allowing us to work on more projects, but also draw in the skills from across our talented team.”
For more information on Studio Lumen, visit www.studiolumen.com.
