Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design

What Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design does

Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design (CBB) is a New York-based, woman-owned architectural lighting design consultancy founded in 1985 by Francesca Bettridge, Stephen Bernstein, and the late Carroll Cline. The firm employs 18 professionals and provides end-to-end lighting design services spanning concept, schematic design, and construction administration for corporate offices, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, museums, theaters, retail, hospitality, civic landmarks, and luxury residences. CBB differentiates through deep expertise in sustainable LED systems, tunable white lighting, DMX-controlled color-changing fixtures, daylighting integration, and historic preservation lighting; principals are personally engaged on every project, a model that has produced more than 200 industry awards from IALD, IES, GE Edison, NLB Tesla, and Architectural Lighting Magazine.

The firm's client base is concentrated among tier-1 architecture practices (Gensler, Pelli Clarke & Partners, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Olson Kundig, John B. Murray Architect) and institutional end-clients including Davis Polk & Wardwell, Yale University, Stony Brook University, Frost Bank, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Harry Winston. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees determined by scope and complexity, with no disclosed pricing or subscription model. The firm maintains its headquarters at 118 East 28th Street, New York, and expanded internationally in 2024 with the launch of CBB Asia, a Korea-based regional office led by Nicole Kim as Managing Director and Head of Asia, supporting projects across Korea, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

CBB operates three practice areas: core architectural lighting design, CBB Homes (specialized residential), and CBB Asia. The firm is privately held with no external investment, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue. Team credentials include IALD Fellowship, IALD Professional Membership, IES Membership, NCQLP Lighting Certification, LEED AP, and WELL AP, with multiple team members serving on IALD boards and IES committees. Notable operational outcomes include a 50% reduction in energy consumption at the Yale Peabody Museum renovation and a 28% power reduction versus code at Davis Polk offices, contributing 4 LEED points toward Gold certification.

Name

Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design

Legal name

Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design Inc.

Website

https://cbbld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design is a woman-owned, New York-based boutique architectural lighting design consultancy founded in 1985, serving corporate, healthcare, education, cultural, and luxury residential clients with end-to-end lighting design services and a 200+ award portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting design
• Lighting consulting services
• Sustainable lighting design
• LED lighting design
• Historic preservation lighting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Lighting Design Services: CBB provides architectural lighting design consulting services to architects, developers, and building owners. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design services spanning concept through construction administration.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CBB provides professional architectural lighting design consulting services to architects, developers, and building owners. The firm delivers end-to-end lighting design spanning concept development through construction administration for commercial, institutional, healthcare, cultural, educational, hospitality, retail, and high-end residential projects, with deep expertise in sustainable LED design, daylighting integration, custom fixtures, and historic preservation lighting.

Product overview

Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design (CBB) is a lighting design firm offering architectural lighting design services across three main practice areas: Architectural Lighting Design (commercial, institutional, and residential projects), CBB Homes (specialized residential lighting), and CBB Asia (regional Asian practice). The firm provides end-to-end lighting design from concept through construction, serving sectors including corporate offices, healthcare, theaters, museums, libraries, retail, hospitality, education, and landscapes. CBB is known for sustainable and LEED-certified projects and has been recognized with over 200 lighting awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Lighting Design Services Comprehensive lighting design services for commercial, institutional, and cultural projects including corporate offices, healthcare facilities, theaters, museums, libraries, retail, hospitality, education, and landscapes, delivered for architects, developers, and building owners.
• CBB Homes (Residential Lighting Design) Specialized residential lighting design services covering city residences, town and countryside homes, and waterfront properties, with expertise in art lighting, home office lighting, landscaping, wellness-focused lighting, and sustainable design for luxury residential clients.
• CBB Asia (Regional Lighting Design Practice)

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% less energy consumption at Yale Peabody Museum
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fisher Marantz Stone: Boutique architectural lighting design firm headquartered in New York with a comparable project portfolio spanning museums, civic landmarks, and commercial buildings. Directly competes with CBB for the same high-end architectural projects and top architects.
• Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design: Specialty architectural lighting design firm with offices across the US, working on cultural, healthcare, education, and commercial projects. Direct competitor for the same premium project types CBB serves.
• Tillotson Design Associates: Award-winning architectural lighting design consultancy with a similar boutique structure and comparable museum, cultural, and institutional project focus. Directly competes with CBB on high-profile cultural and civic work.
• Focus Lighting: NYC-based architectural lighting design firm with comparable services across hospitality, retail, cultural, and commercial projects. Direct competitor with overlapping service offerings and similar boutique positioning.
• Domingo Gonzalez Associates (DGA): Architectural lighting design firm specializing in commercial, institutional, and cultural projects. Competes directly with CBB for mid-to-large scale architectural lighting commissions.
• HLB Lighting Design: Specialty lighting design firm with offices in multiple US cities providing services across healthcare, education, commercial, and cultural sectors. Direct competitor to CBB in nearly every project category.
• L'Observatoire International: NYC-based boutique lighting design firm with comparable project scope including museums, retail, and cultural venues. Direct competitor for premium NYC and international commissions.

Broad incumbents

• Buro Happold (Lighting Design): Global engineering consultancy with a dedicated lighting design practice offering integrated MEP and lighting services. Competes with CBB but typically on larger integrated projects where one-stop-shop delivery is preferred.
• Arup (Lighting Design): Global engineering and design firm with a strong lighting design practice serving complex, large-scale architectural projects. Overlaps with CBB on flagship cultural and commercial projects where multidisciplinary integration matters.
• WSP (Lighting Design Practice): Large global engineering consultancy with a lighting design practice serving commercial, transportation, and institutional projects. Overlaps with CBB on commercial and civic work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CBBLighting
• Facebookfacebook.com/cbbld

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design