Wie beeinflusst Licht unsere Wahrnehmung – und welchen Beitrag kann es zur nachhaltigen Architektur leisten?

In der aktuellen Folge des JUNG Architecture Talks Podcasts spricht Sabine De Schutter, Gründerin von Studio De Schutter in Berlin, über die Bedeutung von Licht in der Raumgestaltung. Für sie ist Lichtplanung kein rein technischer Akt, sondern ein Zusammenspiel von Atmosphäre, Funktion und Verantwortung.

Studio De Schutter ist ein von Frauen gegründetes und geführtes Lichtplanungsstudio. Als deutsche Botschafterin der globalen Initiative Women in Lighting ist es Sabine De Schutter ein Anliegen, ein Netzwerk für Frauen in der Lichtplanung, Lichtkunst und im gesamten Bauwesen zu schaffen und deren Sichtbarkeit zu stärken.

Studio De Schutter is a women-founded and led lighting design studio. As the official German ambassador of the global Women in Lighting initiative, Sabine De Schutter is committed to building a strong and visible network of women working in lighting design, light art, and throughout the building sector.

At Studio De Schutter, we design lighting systems that do more than illuminate—they adapt, evolve, and align with long-term sustainability goals. Our lighting design for the Coreum Hotel in Stockstadt am Rhein (near Frankfurt) exemplifies this commitment.

The Coreum Hotel is a unique hospitality concept that serves as both a hotel and a live demonstration space for modular construction. We were brought on board to deliver a lighting concept that meets the highest standards of flexibility, circularity, and guest comfort.

Am 26. Juni 2025 findet im Rahmen des WIA Festivals (Women in Architecture) in Berlin ein spannender Abend statt, bei dem die wichtigsten Perspektiven und Stimmen von Frauen in der Innenarchitektur zusammenkommen. Ich freue mich, zusammen mit Expertinnen wie Jana Stumpe, Verena Geier, Sandra Bruns und vielen mehr zu diskutieren, wie wir als Innenarchitektinnen die Gestaltung von Räumen für alle vorantreiben können.

Dieser Abend bietet nicht nur spannende Impulse, sondern auch die Chance, Netzwerke zu knüpfen und gemeinsam über die gesellschaftliche Verantwortung nachzudenken, die wir in der Innenarchitektur tragen.

Join lighting expert Sabine De Schutter—founder of the renowned lighting consultancy in Berlin and Antwerp, Studio De Schutter—for a thought-provoking talk in Barcelona: "Creative. Immersive. Sustainable. Light with Purpose." Drawing on experience from projects across Germany, Belgium and Europe, Sabine will explore how meaningful lighting design can transform spaces and support circular building practices. This free Open Talent event is a must for anyone passionate about design, architecture, and sustainable innovation.

Wenn Lichtplanung auf Gastronomie trifft

Vor einem Jahr öffnete Le big TamTam im historischen Hanseviertel Hamburgs seine Türen – ein kuratierter Foodcourt unter einer denkmalgeschützten Glaskuppel, der inzwischen zu einem der spannendsten Hospitality-Projekte der Stadt zählt.

Die Lichtplanung stammt vom Berliner Studio De Schutter und wurde nun im MD Magazin veröffentlicht. Das Projekt zeigt, wie Lichtplanung für Gastronomie historische Architektur respektiert und gleichzeitig ein modernes, atmosphärisches Erlebnis schafft.

What does the future of work look like – and how can light support it? At the Ambiente 2025 Future of Work Academy, Berlin-based lighting studio Studio De Schutter showcased how innovative lighting design from Berlin creates sustainable, flexible, and human-centered workspaces. From concept to execution, our approach to lighting design Berlinputs wellbeing, atmosphere, and adaptability at the core.
Wie sieht die Zukunft der Arbeit aus – und welche Rolle spielt Licht dabei? Auf der Ambiente 2025 Future of Work Academy zeigte das Berliner Lichtplanungsbüro Studio De Schutter, wie Lichtplanung aus Berlin nachhaltige, flexible und menschzentrierte Arbeitswelten ermöglicht. Unsere Lichtplanung Berlin verbindet Atmosphäre mit Funktion – für Räume, die zum Arbeiten und Wohlfühlen einladen.

We zijn trots om te delen dat Sabine De Schutter en Studio De Schutter uitgebreid aan bod kwamen in de nieuwste editie van Power+ by Techlink. Het artikel blikt terug op de keynote tijdens Future Lighting 2024, waar Sabine sprak over de rol van lichtontwerp binnen circulair bouwen.

We’re happy to share that Sabine De Schutter and Studio De Schutter were featured in the latest issue of Power+ by Techlink, highlighting her keynote at Future Lighting 2024 in Gorinchem.

The conference brought together designers, engineers, and manufacturers to discuss energy efficiency, sustainable lighting, and smart systems — and how these shape the future of work and public space.

Tijdens Future Lighting 2024 presenteerde Sabine De Schutter haar visie op circulair bouwen en lichtontwerp. Ontdek hoe duurzame lichtplanning uit Berlijn en Antwerpen bijdraagt aan flexibele, toekomstgerichte ruimtes – met oog voor hergebruik, sfeer en energie-efficiëntie.
At Future Lighting 2024, Sabine De Schutter shared her vision on circular building and lighting design. Discover how sustainable lighting design from Berlin and Antwerp supports adaptive, energy-efficient spaces built for the future.

Studiert um zu bauen? baunetz CAMPUS fragt nach

#49 Lichtdesignerin: Spotlight auf Zirkularität - Sabine De Schutter

Im Gespräch mit Sabine De Schutter

Ob Fachplaner*in im konventionellen Architekturbüro oder Grenzgänger*in im Bühnenbau: In unserem „ALUMNI-Podcast: Studiert, um zu bauen?“ sprechen wir mit unseren Gästen über ihre beruflichen Stationen nach dem absolvierten Architekturstudium, über ihre aktuelle Situation und die Wege, die sie dorthin geführt haben.

Host und Produktion: Kerstin Kuhnekath

Redaktion und Text: Katharina Lux

Publication in Hotel + Technik

We're Published in Hotel + Technik!

Exciting news! Our latest insights on planning and building with artificial intelligence are featured in Hotel + Technik. Discover how AI is transforming the hospitality industry and how we're integrating these advancements into our projects.

Read the full article here: Hotel + Technik

Exciting News! We're Nominated for the German Lighting Design Award!

We are thrilled to announce that Studio De Schutter has been nominated for the prestigious German Lighting Design Award!

Our innovative projects in the spotlight include:

Peak Ace: A modern office lighting solution that enhances productivity and comfort. Explore the project here

Impact Hub Berlin: A circularity-focused lighting scheme promoting sustainability. Learn more about it here

Kita Töpchin: A thoughtfully designed lighting project for a daycare center, creating a nurturing and playful environment.The

This recognition is a testament to our team's dedication to excellence and innovation in lighting design. Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey!

Check out the full list of nominees: German Lighting Design Award

#LightingDesign #AwardNomination #Innovation #Sustainability #StudioDeSchutter

ONLINE! "No time to waste" - TEDxBerlin Salon

Circularity in architecture and design is the focus of Sabine De Schutter's TEDx Berlin talk. Learn how challenging design and construction norms lead to innovative projects that effectively integrate nature, daylight and improve living quality all while keeping sustainability at the top of mind. Discover how urban mining can reshape our cities through repurposing building materials and the promotion of refurbishment over new construction. From creative architectural approaches to the use of recycled and upcycled materials in projects like Impact Hub Berlin, learn how circular methods in architecture and lighting design are shaping a sustainable future in the built environment.

#circularity #circularfuture #sustainability #sustainablefuture #architecture #lightingdesign Belgian lighting designer Sabine De Schutter founded her eponymous Studio De Schutter based in Berlin.

Studio De Schutter provides lighting consultancy services from creative planning for artificial lighting to daylight optimization, as well as the planning of dark-sky-friendly solutions. Sabine teaches architectural lighting design at Wismar University of Applied Sciences and design innovation at the Hasso-Plattner Institute, and is the ambassador for Women in Lighting in Germany. With many years of experience, curiosity, and technical expertise, Sabine De Schutter's work is characterized by a sustainable and innovative approach. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Wondering about the influence of algorithms to design⁉️

This you can see already in our projects for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Hamburg.
Different variations of this light cloud were tested and visualised, using parametric design. Letting us test multiple variations and run them by the architects we collaborated with for coordination.

Knowing this, HOTEL+TECHNIK asked us what's next. And which role will AI play in the retail and hotel industry. READ our answer below in thid blog post

We're thrilled to share that Sabine De Schutter will be speaking at the upcoming TEDx Berlin Salon event - "Our future in a circular economy - No Time to Waste "!

At Studio De Schutter, we always champion sustainable lighting. Our approach stems from a respect for nature and the environment, as well as protecting and reusing what is existing.

Join Sabine on the 11th and 12th of April where she will share her insights and ideas on circularity in construction, architecture and lighting design. See you there!

The LIT Awards, also known as the Lighting Design Awards, is a competition that celebrates excellence in lighting design across various categories such as architectural lighting, interior lighting, exterior lighting, and product design. The awards recognize innovative and creative lighting solutions that enhance architecture, spaces, and experiences.

This award attracts submissions from lighting designers, architects, engineers, manufacturers, and other professionals involved in the lighting industry from all over the world. Winning a LIT Award is considered a significant achievement and provides recognition and visibility within the lighting design community.

For the third year in a row, Sabine De Schutter was asked to be part of the jury panel. With the large number of entries in various categories, this is not an easy task. It is an honour to be in the front row seeing many great submissions showcasing cutting-edge lighting designs and to honour the talented individuals and teams behind them.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in various aspects of design to enhance efficiency, creativity, and problem-solving. Here is how we see the potential and how we used it in our project for the Harry Potter Theatre in Hamburg.

The lighting scheme of the Harry Potter Theatre looks poetic, yet it is very technical and realised through parametric design and detailed engineering. The biggest challenge in this project was dealing with the static limitations and the constraints of the listed building, whilst creating a dense cloud of light bulbs.

Algorithms enabled us to merge the different limitations and generated design variations based on specified criteria and constraints (slide to see the overview). The light cloud consists of more than 3000 and 7,5km cable. From early on in the design process we started working with parametric design (Rhino + Grashopper), due to the complexity of the structure and the design intent for the lighting scheme. This allowed us to experiment with the shape of the cloud and design a system in which every one of the 3,000 pendants with 37 different lengths could be allocated.

Like this, AI helped us to manage complexity from planning and production to mounting of the lighting. We see a future in IA powered architecture, and thus lighting design.

Collaborating closely with LXSY architekten and our lovely client, we embarked on an extensive roof renovation in Berlin-Kreuzberg. For this project, we consulted on both the daylight and the artificial lighting. We studied and optimized the skylight positions to achieve the perfect balance between natural and artificial illumination.

The dining area is the highlight for our client. Given the brief that the space should remain flexible for different table positions and settings, we created an eye-catching lighting feature with mouth-blown globes from Bocci. Each globe is unique and the copper mesh embedded in them, makes for a warm glow and textured look.

Circular building is revolutionising various aspects of the design process and construction methods. With the workspace Impact Hub Berlin at CRCLR House the architects of LXSY ARCHITEKTEN have won the FRAME AWARD 2023 "Co-Working Space of the Year". This achievement marks a significant milestone in the building industry, highlighting sustainable building practices.

The circular concept employed at Impact Hub Berlin is centred on the reuse of materials and lighting fixtures “as found”, including upcycled components. Approximately 70% of the materials and products utilised in this project are sourced from recycled, reused, or renewable sources. High-quality reused and new renewable materials were used as they are. Lighting systems have been modernised with energy-efficient LED retrofits where necessary.

Circularity in lighting consultancy - from theory to practice.

Impact Hub Berlin is a community and co-working space where the concept of circular construction was put into practice, transitioning from theory to reality. It stands as the first co-working space to implement sustainable building practices of this magnitude. Approximately 70% of all materials have a history, and this also holds true for lighting.

We collaborated with LXSY ARCHITEKTEN, allowing us at Studio De Schutter to engage in circular lighting planning. Priority was given to the reuse of fixtures from the existing inventory, such as those from the former Impact Hub, as well as those from partners like Concular. This included converting old fluorescent light fixtures to LED to reduce energy consumption during operation.

Circular planning and construction also encompass what happens to materials, whether they are building materials or lighting fixtures, after they've been used in a project. This is where modular systems come into play. Fixtures consisting of components that are not glued or permanently installed but rather assembled through screws promote maintenance, interchangeability, and ensure the longevity of the installation. Examples include traditional sockets, power rails, or LED strips, where light sources can be easily replaced with many manufacturers offering alternatives.