Eric Chenault, LC, LEED A.P. received his BFA in Lighting Design from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1996. Prior to working with architectural lighting beginning in 1998, Eric has had extensive professional work experience on Theatrical and Concert Lighting projects in New York, around the US, and abroad. Intrigued at an early age, he has been working with lighting for the past 17 years.

It’s exciting to work with lighting as a material, visible wavelengths of radiant energy – with unique qualities and functions; it is both intangible, yet can be transformed to appear as a three dimensional object. Light’s biological qualities affect our immune system, our circadian rhythm, and our mood. Just as modern life is evolving toward a return to balance with nature, a successful lighting design plays a major supportive role in achieving what is most beneficial for us, and for the environment. This includes creating energy-efficient and long life means of incorporating incandescent sources responsibly, and exploring how all technologies old and new have application worldwide and unique ways of being controlled in todays dimming systems.

Embracing the sustainable design philosophies and research of the US Green Building Council and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, I’m fully committed to the diverse applications of integrating daylighting with sustainable electric lighting. Currently serving on the IES Sustainable Lighting Committee, and personally researching the embodied energy and a cradle-to-cradle perspective of sustainability in lighting. It’s great to be passionate about emphasizing the big picture. Daylighting integration is demonstrated most recently on the 425,000 SF Vanderbilt University Medical Center – MRB4 project, currently under construction, which involved extensive Radiance dynamic daylight simulations to develop the daylighting control strategies (including assisting the architect with glazing and shade systems specifications in addition to the lighting) used to design an aesthetically pleasing yet energy efficient building with comfort and connection to daylight, while flexibly reducing peak electrical demand in a warm climate.

My theatrical lighting background and experience with complex computer-based lighting controls led to quickly excelling with maintaining and integrating design concepts with automated systems for projects with Mather Jorgensen Lighting Design such as Science City – a Children’s Science Museum in Kansas City, the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., as well as the Lumen Award winning Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame project, designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates.

Recent work on projects in New York City with Anita Jorgensen Lighting Design, such as York Capital Management, Jack Resnick & Sons and RBC Capital Markets has allowed me to explore bringing comfort and clean, energy-efficient design aesthetics to commercial office spaces.

It’s been a pleasure to be a part of fun Broadway production teams, some of which were Tony award winning lighting designs such as Cabaret and Fosse. Diverse experience including museum installations, industrial and special event lighting as well as large scale institutional, healthcare, commercial and residential architectural projects really has made my practice feel well-rounded.

This multi-faceted work experience has made me an essential team member on unique projects throughout the US and Europe.

LEED Accredited Professional by the US Green Building Council

Lighting Certified by the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions

Member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
serves on the Sustainable Lighting and the TV, Theatre & Film Lighting Committees