LytePod

What happens when you sit down with an architect who's spent decades designing the custom homes of billionaires in one of the world's most demanding environments—and ask her what it really takes to turn a house into a legacy? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Aspen, Colorado, to sit down with Sarah Broughton, a world-renowned architect and designer whose work has redefined what it means to create spaces where nature, sustainability, and luxury converge. This isn't a conversation about floor plans or finishes—it's a deep dive into the philosophy, process, and people-first thinking that transforms architecture from shelter into something deeply personal, emotionally resonant, and built to last generations. Sarah reveals why design starts with curiosity, not style, why lighting must balance daylight and emotion, and why the best measure of success isn't the rendering—She walks through the art of asking the right questions, the courage it takes to say yes to everything (and no when it matters), and why collaboration isn't just working together—it's understanding business models, challenging specialists, and creating something better than anyone could have imagined alone. 💡 Key topics explored: • Why design starts with curiosity and empathy—and how asking the right questions shapes every decision • The importance of understanding daylight first—and how electrical lighting should evoke the same emotional response • Why lighting must be layered, not reliant on recessed cans—and how to integrate architectural lighting early in the design process • The challenge of balancing point source lighting with ambient vertical illumination—and why lamps aren't always the answer • How to design spaces that work for clients today and adapt as their lives evolve—without overbuilding or locking in one configuration • Why mockups matter: from lighting fixtures to skylights that look like skylights at night • How VR technology has become a game changer for anticipating scale, light, and spatial experience before construction begins • The difference between surprising a client and delighting them—and why trust is the foundation of every great project • Why lifelong learning and remaining relevant in mid-career requires humility, growth mindset, and the courage to ask "now what?" Listen now to discover why great architecture isn't about style—it's about understanding people, balancing light, and building something that lasts. ❤️ Big appreciation for the partners who support this work and trust the vision. They believe in thoughtful conversations, strong community, and letting designers' voices lead. Grateful to build this together. 1️⃣ Eureka Lighting - https://watch.lytei.com/EurekaRabbitHole 2️⃣ Kelvix - https://watch.lytei.com/Kelvix 3️⃣ LEDflex - https://watch.lytei.com/LEDFLEX 4️⃣ Diode LED - https://watch.lytei.com/diode 5️⃣ Targetti USA - https://bit.ly/targettiusa Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: Designing for Delight in Aspen 00:02:12 Sponsor Spotlight 00:03:35 Welcome Home: When Every Room Is Loved 00:06:10 The Real Reason Clients Hire Architects 00:08:32 Prototyping Life: Risk, Trust, and the Perfect 10 00:13:24 Balancing Light: Natural, Harsh, and Intentional 00:14:53 Construction as Art and Collaboration 00:15:49 Judgment Over Style: Building for Legacy 00:18:45 The Power of Yes: Reframing Every Design Challenge 00:22:33 That Was Then, This Is Now: Evolving Spaces and Lives 00:24:08 Holistic Design: The Italian Bottega Model 00:25:39 Before We Continue: Sponsor Spotlight 00:27:49 Collaboration Defined: Open Hearts and Curiosity 00:30:00 Lighting Philosophy: From Daylight to Emotion 00:37:03 The Lighting System Debate: Switches vs. Automation 00:41:50 Understanding Business Models: Working with Lighting Designers 00:46:53 Before We Jump Back: Sponsor Spotlight 00:47:43 Getting Rid of Recessed Lighting: The Challenge 00:44:02 Lifelong Learning: Mid-Career and the Now What Moment 00:55:12 Closing: When Do You Feel Most Alive?

What happens when you sit down with an interior designer who's spent years shaping the energy of some of the country's most ambitious sports venues—and ask her how light transforms hospitality into emotion? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego to sit down with Edith Ponciano, an elite interior designer whose work has redefined what it means to experience a sports venue. From Collegiat to NFL and multi-use stadiums nationwide - she talks about how the gameday experience is being redefined. It's a deep dive into the philosophy, process, and creative tension that transforms a stadium from a place to watch a game into a destination where people feel something the moment they walk in. Recorded on location at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA, this conversation reveals why lighting isn't just an element of design—it's the emotional foundation that makes hospitality work. Edith reveals why sports venues should feel like hotels, why lighting creates energy, not just illumination, and why the most successful spaces blur the line between architecture, interiors, and atmosphere. This conversation goes deeper. It's about the tension between creating beauty and creating energy, the challenge of selling something people feel but don't see, and why the most rewarding moment isn't the rendering or the approval—it's walking into the space on opening day and watching 35,000 people experience something you helped create. Edith shares why she loves working on sports venues despite not being a sports fan, why collaboration matters more than ownership, and why lighting designers need stronger advocacy from the design community if the profession is going to grow. 💡 Key topics explored: • Why sports venues should feel like hospitality spaces—and how that mindset reshapes design decisions • How lighting creates energy versus experience—and why that distinction matters in different spaces • The three-tier budget structure for sports venues—and how lighting gets allocated across public, club, and premium spaces • Why decorative lighting often takes priority over architectural lighting—and when that needs to change • How to collaborate with lighting consultants early enough to influence the design—not just execute it • Why renderings lock expectations—and how to build flexibility into the visualization process • The challenge of selling lighting as a luxury when it's not a statement piece—and why it's 25 to 50 percent of what makes a space work • How to navigate value engineering without destroying the design intent • Why integrated architectural lighting details matter more than product selection—and how to fight for them • The importance of bringing lighting designers into the process during schematic design—not after documentation starts • Why lighting designers need stronger advocacy from interior designers, architects, and the broader design community • What makes opening day the most rewarding moment—and why validation comes from people experiencing the space, not approving the rendering Whether you're a designer wondering how to collaborate more effectively with lighting consultants, a lighting professional trying to understand how interior designers think, or anyone curious about what it takes to create spaces that make people feel something without knowing why—this conversation offers a rare, honest look at the intersection of hospitality, sports, and the emotional power of light. Listen now to discover why lighting isn't just part of the design—it's the energy that makes everything else work. ❤️ Big appreciation for the partners who support this work and trust the vision. They believe in thoughtful conversations, strong community, and letting designers' voices lead. Grateful to build this together. 1️⃣ Eureka Lighting - https://watch.lytei.com/EurekaRabbitHole 2️⃣ Kelvix - https://watch.lytei.com/Kelvix 3️⃣ LEDflex - https://watch.lytei.com/LEDFLEX 4️⃣ Diode LED - https://watch.lytei.com/diode 5️⃣ Targetti USA - https://bit.ly/targettiusa Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: Sports Venues as Hospitality 00:02:03 Sponsor Spotlight 00:03:12 Welcome to Snapdragon Stadium: Culture Meets Design 00:04:36 Blurring the Lines: Indoor-Outdoor Stadium Experience 00:09:23 The Role of Lighting in Creating Energy vs. Experience 00:10:31 Architectural vs. Decorative Lighting: Finding the Balance 00:19:51 Budget Breakdowns and the Value of Lighting 00:26:45 Working with Lighting Consultants: Collaboration from Day One 00:36:53 Before We Continue: Sponsor Spotlight 00:48:25 The Chair Swap: Lighting Designer Answers Designer Questions 01:00:26 Looking Ahead: Tennessee Titans Stadium and the Future

What happens when you sit down with a lighting designer who's saving 90% of his time using AI—and ask him to show you exactly how he does it? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel travels to Dubai to sit down with Faraz Izhar, a lighting designer who has transformed his entire workflow using artificial intelligence—not as a replacement for creativity, but as a power tool that amplifies it. This isn't a conversation about theory or hype. It's a candid, deeply practical look at how AI is being used right now to create cinematic presentations, automate boring tasks, and unlock creative possibilities that simply weren't feasible six months ago. Faraz reveals why prompting is the new soft skill of the design era, why AI agents are already handling luminaire schedules and technical documentation, and why the best measure of success isn't the rendering—it's how fast you can iterate, explore, and communicate your vision to clients in ways that make them feel the project before it's built. He walks through the entire process: how he uses Midjourney to create custom mood images tied directly to project narratives, how Kling and Google Veo transform static renders into cinematic sequences that show transitions from dusk to night, and how Suno generates soundtracks that elevate presentations into immersive experiences. But this conversation goes deeper. It's about the tension between automation and intuition, the risk of cultural homogenization, and why the human element must remain at the forefront—even as machines learn faster than we ever imagined. Faraz shares why guardrails matter more than speed, why AI hallucinates and how to catch it, and why the industry needs to embrace this technology now—not because it's perfect, but because the designers who don't will be left behind. 💡 Key topics explored: • How AI reduced concept development time from one week to three hours—and what that means for creative exploration • The tools that matter: Midjourney for images, Kling for video sequences, Suno for soundtracks, and custom AI agents for technical documentation • Why prompting is a soft skill—and how poetic, metaphorical language unlocks better results than technical jargon • How to build custom AI agents that automate luminaire schedules, extract data from manufacturer PDFs, and format everything in seconds • The importance of guardrails: defining what AI cannot do before you start—and why cultural context matters • How AI understands lighting nuances: color temperature, beam spread, grazing techniques—and where it still struggles • The difference between generative AI and AI agents—and why both are essential to modern workflows • Why trust must be earned: manual checks, proofreading, and the human sniff test that keeps AI outputs honest • The risk of bias, hallucination, and copyright infringement—and how to stay ethical while using powerful tools • What AI can't do yet: integrate into Revit and Dialux for automated photometric calculations—but why that's coming soon • Why the human element must remain: intuition, sensitivity, and the ability to know when AI has gone off track • The future of lighting design: faster iterations, cinematic storytelling, and a profession that embraces technology without losing its soul Whether you're a designer wondering how to get started with AI, a firm leader trying to understand what's possible, or anyone curious about how technology is reshaping creative work—this conversation offers a rare, honest look at what's working, what's not, and why now is the time to embrace the tools that will define the next decade of design. Download the cheat sheet: ❤️ Big appreciation for the partners who support this work and trust the vision. They believe in thoughtful conversations, strong community, and letting designers' voices lead. Grateful to build this together. 1️⃣ Eureka Lighting - https://watch.lytei.com/EurekaRabbitHole 2️⃣ Kelvix - https://watch.lytei.com/Kelvix 3️⃣ LEDflex - https://watch.lytei.com/LEDFLEX 4️⃣ Diode LED - https://watch.lytei.com/diode 5️⃣ Targetti USA - https://bit.ly/targettiusa

What happens when you sit down with someone who's built one of the world's most successful lighting design practices—and ask him what it really takes to turn creativity into a sustainable business without losing the soul of the work?In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Paul Miles, founder of a global lighting design practice spanning nine studios across four continents, to unpack the philosophy, pressure, and people-first thinking that transformed a passion for connecting people in space into a thriving international firm. This isn't a conversation about business strategy or portfolio highlights. It's a candid, deeply human look at what it means to build something meaningful in a creative industry—why empathy is the foundation of every great design, why clients get the projects they deserve, and why the hardest part of running a design practice isn't the work itself, it's balancing the desire to obsess over every detail with the reality that fees are tight, timelines are brutal, and you still have to keep the lights on.Paul reveals why design starts with people, not products, why interrogating the brief matters more than jumping straight into fixtures, and why the best lighting design often means keeping it simple—even when your instinct is to over-design. He walks through the uncomfortable truth that designers are often undervaluing their experience, the challenge of selling creativity in a world that wants everything quantified, and why sometimes you just have to give the client 450 lux because that's what they need. But he also shares the joy that keeps him coming back: that moment when you walk onto a project, turn off all the lights, and slowly bring each circuit to life—breathing soul into a space and watching people respond without even knowing why.💡 Key topics explored:• Why empathy is the foundation of great design—and how understanding people shapes every decision• The importance of interrogating the client's brief and asking why before jumping into what or how• How to balance creative obsession with commercial reality—and why that tension never goes away• Why designers massively undervalue their experience—and the challenge of pricing decades of knowledge into a two-day project• The myth that lighting design has to be complicated—and why simplicity is often the right answer• How to push back on unrealistic briefs and disconnected scopes—and why it takes courage to do it• The reality of building a global practice: empowering teams, stepping back as a founder, and watching others shine• Why clients get the projects they deserve—and what separates award-winning work from checkbox design• The danger of designing by numbers—and why the industry needs to remember that lighting is about feeling, not just metrics• How AI is starting to challenge creativity in ways that are both exciting and terrifying• Why the lighting industry needs better representation, professionalization, and evangelism—and what's holding it back• The privilege of working at the crossroads of creativity, technology, sociology, psychology, and ecology❤️ Big appreciation for the partners who support this work and trust the vision. They believe in thoughtful conversations, strong community, and letting designers' voices lead. Grateful to build this together.1️⃣ Gotham Lighting - https://watch.lytei.com/gotham2️⃣ Kelvix - https://watch.lytei.com/Kelvix3️⃣ LEDflex - https://watch.lytei.com/LEDFLEX4️⃣ Diode LED - https://watch.lytei.com/diode5️⃣ Targetti USA - https://bit.ly/targettiusa

What happens when you sit down with someone who's built one of the world's most successful lighting design practices—and ask him what it really takes to turn creativity into a sustainable business without losing the soul of the work? In this episode of LytePOD, host Sam Koerbel sits down with Paul Miles, founder of a global lighting design practice spanning nine studios across four continents, to unpack the philosophy, pressure, and people-first thinking that transformed a passion for connecting people in space into a thriving international firm. This isn't a conversation about business strategy or portfolio highlights. It's a candid, deeply human look at what it means to build something meaningful in a creative industry—why empathy is the foundation of every great design, why clients get the projects they deserve, and why the hardest part of running a design practice isn't the work itself, it's balancing the desire to obsess over every detail with the reality that fees are tight, timelines are brutal, and you still have to keep the lights on. Paul reveals why design starts with people, not products, why interrogating the brief matters more than jumping straight into fixtures, and why the best lighting design often means keeping it simple—even when your instinct is to over-design. He walks through the uncomfortable truth that designers are often undervaluing their experience, the challenge of selling creativity in a world that wants everything quantified, and why sometimes you just have to give the client 450 lux because that's what they need. But he also shares the joy that keeps him coming back: that moment when you walk onto a project, turn off all the lights, and slowly bring each circuit to life—breathing soul into a space and watching people respond without even knowing why. 💡 Key topics explored: • Why empathy is the foundation of great design—and how understanding people shapes every decision • The importance of interrogating the client's brief and asking why before jumping into what or how • How to balance creative obsession with commercial reality—and why that tension never goes away • Why designers massively undervalue their experience—and the challenge of pricing decades of knowledge into a two-day project • The myth that lighting design has to be complicated—and why simplicity is often the right answer • How to push back on unrealistic briefs and disconnected scopes—and why it takes courage to do it • The reality of building a global practice: empowering teams, stepping back as a founder, and watching others shine • Why clients get the projects they deserve—and what separates award-winning work from checkbox design • The danger of designing by numbers—and why the industry needs to remember that lighting is about feeling, not just metrics • How AI is starting to challenge creativity in ways that are both exciting and terrifying • Why the lighting industry needs better representation, professionalization, and evangelism—and what's holding it back • The privilege of working at the crossroads of creativity, technology, sociology, psychology, and ecology ❤️ Big appreciation for the partners who support this work and trust the vision. They believe in thoughtful conversations, strong community, and letting designers' voices lead. Grateful to build this together. 1️⃣ Gotham Lighting - https://watch.lytei.com/gotham 2️⃣ Kelvix - https://watch.lytei.com/Kelvix 3️⃣ LEDflex - https://watch.lytei.com/LEDFLEX 4️⃣ Diode LED - https://watch.lytei.com/diode 5️⃣ Targetti USA - https://bit.ly/targettiusa Chapters 00:00:00 Opening: Design Is About People 00:01:22 Sponsor Spotlight 00:02:58 The Why Behind Every Design 00:08:33 The Business vs. The Craft: Balancing Creativity and Commerce 00:12:44 Selling the Toolbox: How to Value Design Experience 00:14:09 The Industry's Education Problem 00:15:22 Knock Knock: Making Lighting Design Essential 00:16:09 The Middle East Market: Opportunity and Pressure 00:32:09 Clients Get the Projects They Deserve 00:29:45 Before We Continue: Sponsor Spotlight 00:35:27 The AI Test: When Technology Challenges Creativity 00:36:32 What Challenges Design Most Right Now 00:39:54 The External Pressures: Sustainability, Neurodiversity, and Design by Numbers 00:39:03 Sponsor Spotlight: Tarjeti USA 00:44:17 Keep Playing With Light 00:48:13 People Are the Purpose 00:50:22 Closing Thoughts: Professionalizing the Industry