About the Design Track

About the Design Track

“The RMLA has completely changed how I perceive light and will absolutely make me more successful professionally.”  -- RMLA Participant

Solve practical lighting design problems with hands-on experiences and background knowledge on color, health, and technology with the Design Track

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You should take this track if you work in . . .

  • lighting design and want more depth in developing strong design concepts
  • lighting sales and want to grasp how designers incorporate new technology into their designs
  • engineering or product development and want to understand the design aspects of lighting
  • interior design, architecture, or theater and want to develop new expertise

You should take this track because you want to . . .

  • gain a deeper understanding of the design process
  • be able to describe the aesthetic qualities of light
  • translate desired aesthetic qualities into design concepts
  • sharpen skills in developing and communicating cohesive lighting concepts
  • practice presenting and defending your concepts to a group
  • acquire hands-on experience with different lighting products and materials
  • experiment with different ways to solve practical lighting challenges
  • learn the latest about LED luminaires, controls, and other emerging lighting technologies
  • gain new ideas for applying daylighting into architectural interiors
  • practice applying technical information such as TM-30 color metrics, product cut sheets, and light and health considerations to your designs

This may not be the right track for you if . . .

  • you are a highly technical person who is primarily interested in the science of lighting
  • you love to run lots of calculations but don’t enjoy hands-on concept experiments
  • you are a highly experienced lighting designer with a formal lighting background and strong conceptual skills (but then again, a refresher never hurts!)
  • you have less than one year of experience working in lighting (the content assumes some basic familiarity with lighting lingo and practices)

 

Track details:

  • Track begins at 8:30 AM on Thursday (continental breakfast available at 8:00 AM)
  • Track ends at 1:00 PM on Sunday (travel from DIA should not be scheduled before 3:00 PM)
  • Coffee and pastries, break snacks, and lunch included each day
  •  An evening reception and farewell lunch included
  • Cost of track is $2500, with discounts available for early registration and groups

 

 Design Track Schedule Overview

 
Thursday - Lighting & People
​8:30 am - 5:30pm
Friday - Lighting & Technology
​8:30 am - 5:30pm
Saturday - Lighting & Design
​8:30 am - 5:30pm
Sunday
​8:30 am - 1:00pm
General  Topics
  • Delivering light to people: An overview of the lighting industry
     
  • Lighting quantities & concepts: Hands-on experiences
 
  • Technology trends in light sources & luminaires
     
  • Lighting controls & case studies
     
  • Light and color discussion & demos
 
  • Lighting design process & examples
     
  • Light, architecture and perception exercise
     
  • Light and health discussion & exercises
 
 

 

  • Course wrap-up and discussion; lunch
 
Design Track
Developing lighting design concepts
Field work & using technical dataThe schematic design processLighting design documentation & communication

* General topic sessions are held jointly with the RMLA Technical Track.

Design Track Informational PDF 

Logistics

Lodging

Lodging

The RMLA is located in the Engineering Center on the University of Colorado Boulder campus.  There are several national chain properties (Boulder Marriott, Embassy Suites by Hilton Boulder, Hilton Garden Inn Boulder, Residence Inn by Marriott Boulder Canyon Boulevard) along Canyon Boulevard just west of 28th Street; these hotels are within a 15-20 minute walk or very short drive to the Engineering Center. The historic Hotel Boulderado and the modern St. Julien Hotel & Spa are near the pedestrian-focused Pearl Street Mall area in downtown Boulder, less than a ten-minute drive to campus. Other hotels can be found within the City of Boulder, and more economical options are often available in nearby towns such as Superior, Louisville, Lafayette, Broomfield, and Longmont. Traffic between Boulder and these surrounding towns can be heavy during typical commuting hours. CU Boulder and the RMLA are not able to offer discounted rates for lodging.

Food

Past students in our professional lighting programs have remarked that they often learn a lot from the other students in the class, and we provide opportunities to socialize and network over meals throughout the course. The RMLA registration fee includes a group lunch each day of the course, which will be either catered or served at the award-winning Center for Community at the university. We also serve coffee, pastries, fruit, and other snacks during the breaks. An RMLA student and faculty reception is held on either Thursday or Friday evening, giving us a chance to relax together and become better acquainted. Appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages are provided by the RMLA; costs for alcoholic beverages are each individual’s responsibility. 

Transportation from Denver International Airport (DIA) to Boulder

Driving Directions from DIA to Boulder

  • Follow Airport Exit signs to Pena Blvd. After 9.7 miles, Pena Blvd. merges into I-70W.
  • From I-70 W - Take the I-270 N Exit (exit number 279) toward Fort Collins.
  • Merge onto US-36 W

Estimated Time: Approximately 48 minutes (allow an hour during peak traffic times) 
Estimated Total Distance: 45 miles 

Rental car agencies at DIA

 

Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus service 
Regional service to/from DIA & Boulder
www.rtd-denver.com

Airport shuttle service to/from DIA

Transportation within Boulder

Boulder local buses: https://bouldercolorado.gov/goboulder/bus
     The Skip, Bound, and Hop pass campus daily

Car rentals:

Boulder B-Cycle (a community non-profit bike sharing system): https://boulder.bcycle.com/
     Daily and monthly passes available

City walking paths and maps: https://bouldercolorado.gov/goboulder/walk

Parking

On-campus daily parking passes will be provided at no additional charge for RMLA attendees.