Parsons The New School for Design and the MFA Lighting Design program is proud to support the Professional Lighting Design Convention, PLDC 2013, as a Partner University.

Cross-Disciplinary design practice that considers an holistic approach to complex design relationships is essential to successful projects in the constructed world that we inhabit. As part of our educational mission at SCE, we believe that forming curricula that teaches students the roots of unique disciplinary skills through a supportive, empathetic and collaborative design process that includes multiple cognate disciplines is critical to ensure that their future professional work embodies these traits.

The Allied Studio, a cross-disciplinary design studio that mixes graduate students from Architecture, Interior Design and Lighting Design, every fall term identifies an actual client and site within New York City for students to analyze and propose new design interventions. This year the class worked with the Harlem School of the Arts; a rich cultural center and significant community anchor that offers classes in dance, theater, visual arts and music for students ranging in age from toddlers to early adulthood.

As part of the Sheila Johnson Design Center public programming, lighting design students conduct a light “focusing” exercise to assure the gallery lighting supports the aesthetic interests of the exhibition.  This offers students tangible hands on experience with luminaires, light sources and optics.