Get a Grip on Lighting a Podcast hosted by Michael Colligan and Greg Ehrich and sponsored by National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors interview Melissa Mattes and Brian Huff and discuss lighting design and sustainability. “Leave the earth better than how we found it.” That’s Melissa’s definition of sustainable. Of course she agrees that it is more complicated than that when it comes to the lighting industry. Melissa divides her time between architectural lighting design and sustainable manufacturing consulting. As the leader of Sladen Feinstein’s sustainability efforts. To watch/listen to the full episode click here.
We think women working together will change the world – and the work Alex, Reiko, Melissa, Margie, and Sarah are putting into sustainability may also help save it. As an industry, we have made a significant impact on energy consumption through the shift to predominantly LED specification. But sustainability goes well beyond this and the lighting community has an obligation to understand how else we can improve our impact on the environment. We fully support the conversation mindful Materials is driving. Learn more below about the amazing women leading the charge! Find out more information on the letter, its progress and how you can help. Click here.
Melissa Mattes from Sladen Feinstein Integrated Lighting and Aaron Smith of Finelite were interviewed by Montel Williams for his new show, "The Competitive Edge with Montel Williams." This program aired on Lifetime in July 2022 and featured the two experts discussing material transparency, sustainable lighting solutions and what gives our firms the competitive edge.
To watch the full video click here.
Supply chain transparency was virtually unknown 16 years ago, yet these days it commands attention across a broad spectrum of industries. Hear from Reiko Kagawa and Melissa Matts along with Jane W., Karen Jess-Lindsley, and Jonathan Penndorf as they dive into the topic of sustainability and transparency in the lighting industry.
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inside.lighting catches up with Melissa Mattes to discuss the importance of material transparency for lighting products and the steps that some leading manufacturers are taking to support the initiative.
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Written by, Melissa Mattes
The architectural industry has made significant strides in the last five to 10 years in its sustainable offerings of products, building practices, cleaner materials and regenerative ideals. But where does this leave the lighting industry? By comparison, we are behind the rapidly expanding sustainable advancements of the larger built environment. While we are all familiar with discussing targets related to energy efficiency, we rarely have a larger discussion of holistic project goals, encompassing topics like materiality ideals across the entire architectural, engineering and consultant team. “Material transparency” is a key part of the conversation when making informed decisions about the products we specify, and their impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, health and well-being.
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The new Lowell Justice Center, designed by Finegold Alexander Architects has achieved LEED-Platinum certification, the first new state courthouse to achieve this certification in the United States. The project was recently featured in New England Real Estate Journal.
To read the full article click here.
Material Transparency within the Lighting Design Community
A Contributor piece by Josh Feinstein and Melissa Mattes
The architectural industry has made big strides in the last 5-10 years in its sustainable offerings of products, building practices, cleaner materials, and regenerative ideals. But where does this leave the lighting industry? By comparison, we are lagging behind the rapidly expanding sustainable advancements of the larger built environment. While some may argue the reductions in operational carbon with LED technology, we must pause and ask ourselves, “Is better efficiency and lower wattage enough?” While we can boast high efficacy, have we considered the embodied carbon of our fixtures, or essentially where our luminaires come from, what are they made of, and where they go at the end of their life?
To read the full article click here