What Luma Lighting Design does

Luma Lighting Design is an architectural lighting design firm founded in 2001 and operating as a dedicated service line within PAE Engineers, a B Corporation and Just Label engineering firm. The company delivers nine specialized service offerings spanning architectural lighting, exhibit lighting, landscape and site lighting, facade lighting, custom luminaire design, art and installation lighting, daylighting design and analysis, photometric modeling, and sustainable analysis. Its work targets commercial real estate, higher education, civic and cultural, hospitality, healthcare and labs, residential, and transportation sectors across the United States and select international markets including China and Thailand.

The firm's technical foundation is built on photometric simulation and daylighting analysis integrated with LED lighting systems and intelligent lighting controls. It supports certifications across USGBC LEED (through Platinum), WELL Building Standard, Living Building Challenge, and Net Zero Energy frameworks, and emphasizes regenerative design outcomes such as 80% daylight illumination and 70% energy reduction versus code at the Bullitt Center. Project delivery runs from concept design through post-construction administration in collaboration with architects, MEP teams, and developers. LUMA operates from five US offices (Portland headquarters, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York) and maintains a B2B project-based professional services revenue model with fees determined by project scope and complexity. The client base includes named enterprise accounts such as Visa, Microsoft, Tableau, Meta, Tommy Bahama, Kimpton, OHSU, UCSF, and the City of Portland, supported by an award portfolio spanning IALD, IES, AIA, ASLA, IIDA, and Michelin-recognized projects.

Name

Luma Lighting Design

Legal name

LUMA Lighting Design

Website

https://lumald.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Luma Lighting Design is an architectural lighting design consultancy operating within PAE Engineers, delivering lighting, daylighting, and sustainable design services for commercial, higher education, civic, healthcare, and hospitality projects across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Lighting Design Professional Services: LUMA generates revenue through providing architectural lighting design services on a project basis. Services include concept design through post-construction administration for architectural lighting, exhibit lighting, landscape and site lighting, facade lighting, custom luminaire design, art and installation lighting, and daylighting analysis. Revenue is project-based with fees determined by project scope and complexity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LUMA Lighting Design is a professional architectural lighting design consultancy that provides full-scope lighting design services from concept through post-construction administration. The firm designs indoor and outdoor lighting solutions across architectural, exhibit, landscape, facade, custom luminaire, art installation, daylighting, and sustainability-focused applications for commercial, institutional, hospitality, healthcare, cultural, and residential projects.

Product overview

LUMA Lighting Design is an architectural lighting design service of PAE, offering a comprehensive portfolio of nine specialized service offerings rather than a single unified software product. The core offerings include Architectural Lighting (full scope from concept through construction), Exhibit Lighting, Landscape and Site Lighting, Facade Lighting Design, Custom Luminaire Design, Art and Installation Lighting, Daylighting Design, Photometric Modeling and Analysis, and Sustainable Analysis and Design. These services are applied across diverse project types spanning commercial, higher education, hospitality, civic, laboratory, cultural, residential, sustainability, and transportation sectors. The firm designs innovative indoor and outdoor lighting solutions that are sustainable and regenerative, with a design process that is highly collaborative and inherently sustainable from concept to execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Lighting Design Services Full-scope services from concept design through post-construction administration phases, including design documentation, lighting and lighting control systems, and coordination with design and consultant teams. Aimed at architects, developers, building owners, and institutions commissioning commercial, civic, cultural, healthcare, and institutional projects.
• Exhibit Lighting Design Lighting design focused on successful display of media including art, graphics, retail, trade-show spaces, and themed attractions and visitor centers. Serves museums, galleries, retail brands, and visitor center operators.
• Landscape and Site Lighting Integration of lighting in exterior natural environments whether urban, suburban, or rural. Typical projects include corporate and academic campuses, public and private parks, plazas, and gardens.
• Facade Lighting Design Composition of building and urban form as defined by light at night. Includes conceptual studies, renders, and analysis of form, material, reflection, and light.
• Custom Luminaire Design Creation of unique, bespoke light fixtures to meet specific project demands. Includes design, documentation, and coordination of fabrication through qualified manufacturers.
• Art and Installation Lighting Collaboration with artists in the integration of light as a medium in art installations.
• Daylighting Design, Integration, and Analysis Analysis of quantity and quality of daylight entering buildings through windows, skylights, and reflective surfaces. Includes attention to maximizing visual comfort and reducing energy use, with collaboration among owners, architects, facade consultants, and MEP teams.
• Photometric Modeling and Analysis Predictive simulation software tools to evaluate lighting illumination and luminance levels. Calculates light delivery in any design (interior or exterior) incorporating surrounding objects, obstructions, and varying shapes.
• Sustainable Analysis and Design Sustainability-focused approach with extensive project experience in USGBC LEED buildings (through Platinum Certifications), WELL Building Standards, and Net Zero Energy Buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bullitt Center achieved 80% daylight illumination and 70% energy reduction below code
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PAE EngineersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUMA is a dedicated lighting design service within PAE Engineers, a Just Label and B Corporation certified engineering firm. This integrated relationship provides LUMA direct access to mechanical, electrical, and building performance analysis experts, enabling cross-disciplinary collaboration for holistic sustainable building design.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Available Light: Mid-sized architectural lighting design firm serving commercial, institutional, and cultural clients. Comparable to LUMA in service breadth, including architectural lighting, daylighting, and lighting controls.
• Arup Lighting: Lighting design practice within global engineering firm Arup, paralleling LUMA's embedded position within PAE Engineers. Comparable in delivering integrated lighting and MEP engineering on complex, sustainability-driven projects for global clients.
• Buro Happold Lighting: Lighting design practice within Buro Happold, a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy. Highly comparable structure to LUMA/PAE - lighting design as a specialty within a broader engineering firm - with similar focus on sustainable and high-performance buildings.
• Fisher Marantz Stone: New York-based architectural lighting design firm and one of the most awarded practices in the field. Closely comparable to LUMA in services (architectural, exhibit, landscape, facade lighting), client base (cultural, civic, commercial), and project scale.
• Tillotson Design Associates: New York architectural lighting design firm specializing in museums, galleries, and high-end cultural and commercial projects. Comparable to LUMA in focus on architectural integration, daylighting, and custom luminaire design for marquee institutional clients.
• Lighting Design Alliance: California-based architectural lighting design firm with strong West Coast presence and concentration on commercial, education, and healthcare projects. Closely mirrors LUMA's Pacific Northwest footprint and sector mix.
• Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design: Large US architectural lighting design practice with offices on both coasts. Comparable to LUMA in offering full architectural lighting services across commercial, healthcare, education, and civic sectors with emphasis on sustainable design.
• L'Observatoire International: International lighting design collaborative with strong cultural and hospitality portfolio. Comparable to LUMA in delivering high-design architectural lighting for museums, hotels, and commercial spaces globally.
• Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design: New York architectural lighting design firm working on cultural, educational, and commercial projects. Comparable to LUMA in scale, service offerings, and client types including museums, universities, and corporate headquarters.

Broad incumbents

• ME Engineers: Multi-disciplinary MEP and lighting design engineering firm with national footprint. Comparable to PAE/LUMA structure - engineering firm with embedded lighting design capabilities - though larger and broader in scope than LUMA's dedicated lighting practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/luma-lighting-design

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Luma Lighting Design