Aurora Lighting Design
Aurora Lighting Design is a Chicago-based architectural lighting design practice providing professional consulting services to architects, developers, and institutions across cultural, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, education, and outdoor sectors; founded in 2005, it now operates as the Chicago studio of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersGrayslake, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Aurora Lighting Design does
Aurora Lighting Design is an independent architectural lighting design practice founded in 2005 by Leslie M. North in the Chicago metropolitan area. The firm delivers professional lighting design consulting services to architects, developers, and institutional clients across six vertical sectors: cultural and civic, corporate and commercial, healthcare, hospitality and retail, institutional and education, and outdoor environments. Its core offering is custom lighting design grounded in an "appropriate lighting" philosophy, executed by a small team of credentialed professionals (IALD, PE, LC, LEED AP) working from the Chicago Board of Trade Building.
The business operates on a project-based professional services model with quote-driven, custom pricing. GTM motion is direct enterprise field sales — B2B engagement with architects, developers, and institutions through collaborative design processes rather than productized offerings. Marketing is limited to organic social (Facebook, LinkedIn, X) and a portfolio-driven website. No software products, APIs, or technology platform underpin the service; differentiation rests on human expertise, certifications, and design judgment rather than proprietary technology.
In 2023, Aurora Lighting Design was acquired by Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD) and now operates as RBLD's Chicago studio, combining Aurora's 20-year regional practice with RBLD's international portfolio in culture, civic, and outdoor environment projects. RBLD is a Certified Women-owned Business Enterprise, a credential that flows through to the Chicago studio. The combined entity was recognized with 2025 IES Awards, and leadership consists of two principals — Leslie M. North and Carla Bukalski (Strategy & Operations) — supported by a small design team.
Aurora Lighting Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aurora Lighting Design
- Legal name
- Aurora Lighting Design
- Website
- https://aurorald.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Aurora Lighting Design is a Chicago-based architectural lighting design practice providing professional consulting services to architects, developers, and institutions across cultural, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, education, and outdoor sectors; founded in 2005, it now operates as the Chicago studio of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aurora Lighting Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Lighting Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lighting Design Services (BPAHAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB)
Keywords
Where Aurora Lighting Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grayslake
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aurora Lighting Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Lighting Design Professional Services: Provides professional lighting design consulting services to architects, developers, and institutions across multiple sectors including cultural, civic, corporate, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, retail, institutional, education, and outdoor environments.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Aurora Lighting Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aurora Lighting Design is an independent architectural lighting design practice that delivers professional lighting design consulting for cultural, civic, corporate, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, retail, institutional, educational, and outdoor environment projects. The firm creates lighting solutions that are technically brilliant and emotionally resonant, working directly with architects, developers, and institutions through collaborative design engagements. Now operating as the Chicago studio of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD), the practice combines 20 years of local expertise with RBLD's expanded resources and international portfolio.
Product overview
Aurora Lighting Design is a lighting design services company founded in 2005 by Leslie M. North. The company operates as a single unified service offering—professional lighting design consulting—rather than a software platform or modular product suite. In 2023, Aurora joined Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD) as a Chicago studio, combining its 20-year expertise with RBLD's expanded resources. The core offering is lighting design services delivered through collaborative project teams that work across diverse sectors including cultural, civic, corporate, healthcare, hospitality, retail, institutional, education, and outdoor environments. The team operates from the Chicago Board of Trade Building and serves leading architects, developers, and institutions in Chicago and beyond.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lighting Design Services Professional lighting design consulting covering cultural and civic spaces, corporate and commercial environments, healthcare facilities, hospitality and retail spaces, institutional and educational buildings, and outdoor environments. Delivered to architects, developers, and institutions through collaborative project engagements that produce technically brilliant and emotionally resonant lighting designs.
Companies that use Aurora Lighting Design
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Aurora Lighting Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Aurora Lighting Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD)flagshipAurora Lighting Design has joined Reed Burkett Lighting Design as a Chicago studio. This collaboration combines Aurora's 20-year legacy and expertise in Chicago's leading sectors with RBLD's international recognition for culture, civic, and outdoor environment projects. The partnership, described as 'constructive interference,' creates a single, brighter wave with greater impact than the sum of its parts. The collaboration broadens combined impact while maintaining commitment to creative, client-centered solutions.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Aurora Lighting Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- ME Engineers: Engineering consultancy whose lighting design practice often teams with architects on commercial, sports, and cultural projects. Comparable as ecosystem participant offering lighting design but as part of a broader MEP/lighting engineering practice rather than a pure design studio.
Direct peers
- Available Light: Boutique architectural lighting design practice with strong cultural, higher-education, and museum portfolios. Comparable in size, sector mix, and IALD-certified talent stack to the Aurora studio.
- Focus Lighting: Independent architectural lighting design firm serving entertainment, hospitality, retail, and cultural markets. Comparable as a mid-size specialty lighting design consultancy competing for the same institutional and commercial commissions.
- Lightswitch: Architectural lighting design firm delivering cultural, entertainment, hospitality, and experiential projects. Comparable boutique consultancy competing for similar mid-to-large design commissions.
- Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design: Architectural lighting design firm with decades of experience on civic, higher-education, and cultural projects. Directly comparable in service offering, sector mix, and design-led positioning to the Aurora/RBLD Chicago studio.
- Fisher Marranz Stone: Long-established New York architectural lighting design practice serving cultural, civic, hospitality, and commercial clients with IALD-credentialed designers. Closely comparable in scope, seniority, and project type to the Aurora studio under RBLD.
- Reed Burkett Lighting Design: Parent firm of the Aurora studio; offers the same architectural lighting design services across cultural, civic, healthcare, and outdoor projects. Directly comparable service model, client base, and credentialed design practice.
- Cline Bettr Bernstein Bernstein Lighting Design: Established lighting design consultancy serving cultural, civic, and commercial clients in the U.S. Comparable as a peer architectural lighting firm competing for similar institutional projects.
Broad incumbents
- Arup Lighting Design: Global engineering consultancy with a dedicated architectural lighting design practice covering commercial, infrastructure, and cultural projects. Overlaps with Aurora on large institutional lighting commissions but operates as one service line within a much larger multidisciplinary firm.
Regional players
- HLB Lighting Design: U.S. lighting design practice with strong presence on West Coast civic, hospitality, and museum projects. Comparable in services and clientele, but primarily competes in different regional markets than the Chicago-based Aurora studio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Aurora Lighting Design social profiles
Digital presenceAurora Lighting Design compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Aurora Lighting Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aurora Lighting Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Aurora Lighting Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aurora Lighting Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aurora Lighting Design
What does Aurora Lighting Design do?
Aurora Lighting Design is an independent architectural lighting design practice that delivers professional lighting design consulting for cultural, civic, corporate, commercial, healthcare, hospitality, retail, institutional, educational, and outdoor environment projects. The firm creates lighting solutions that are technically brilliant and emotionally resonant, working directly with architects, developers, and institutions through collaborative design engagements. Now operating as the Chicago studio of Reed Burkett Lighting Design (RBLD), the practice combines 20 years of local expertise with RBLD's expanded resources and international portfolio.
Is Aurora Lighting Design a public or private company?
Aurora Lighting Design is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Aurora Lighting Design founded?
Aurora Lighting Design was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Aurora Lighting Design based?
Aurora Lighting Design is headquartered in Grayslake, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aurora Lighting Design make money?
One revenue line is on record: lighting Design Professional Services.
Who are Aurora Lighting Design's main competitors?
ME Engineers is listed as an others. Direct peers are Available Light, Focus Lighting, Lightswitch, Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, Fisher Marranz Stone, Reed Burkett Lighting Design and Cline Bettr Bernstein Bernstein Lighting Design. Arup Lighting Design is listed as a broad incumbent. HLB Lighting Design is listed as a regional player.
Does Aurora Lighting Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aurora Lighting Design.
What industry is Aurora Lighting Design in?
Aurora Lighting Design's product category is Architectural Lighting Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAJ, Lighting Design Services, with a secondary code of IMAGAIAB, Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior). Its NAICS code is 541310 and its SIC code is 8711.