From Canada to Lisbon: Jordan Faust’s Journey in Shaping Light and Design
Where does your passion for light originate from?
Even though I grew up surrounded by light in my dad’s retail lighting store in Canada, it wasn’t until I moved to Singapore as an architect that I discovered its influence. I studied landscape architecture at the University of Guelph in Canada and was drawn into the profession because I enjoyed designing beautiful and functional outdoor spaces. After working in Canada for a few years, I relocated to Singapore where I worked as an architect and discovered what it means to be a lighting designer. While working on a hotel project and collaborating closely with the lighting consultant, I saw first-hand that light can redefine space and create an entirely new experience as day turns to night. Inspired, I enrolled in a Master’s of Architectural Lighting and Design Management at Hochschule Wismar.
Tell us about one of your favourite projects?
A project that sticks out for me is a heritage lighting scheme for the Enex Mall Heritage Façade in Perth—a building with a deep history and unique architectural details. We were tasked with bringing this iconic building at the heart of Perth’s CBD to life through a façade lighting scheme. Our response was to embed RGB flood lights within the setback balconies, producing a backdrop of light that allowed the delicate lighting elements at the front of the façade to reveal the craftsmanship of the architecture. The RGB lights brought a touch of flair to the building, along with the capacity to celebrate national events and local holidays.
What led you to Lisbon?
I was based in Singapore with Klaasen Lighting Design for three years, then relocated to Lisbon to set up a new office. Lisbon is a great city. The country has a rich cultural heritage and there’s a real appreciation amongst the designers and architects based here for traditional crafts and native resources. At the same time, contemporary design is very prominent and there is a lot of emerging talent. This merging of styles and influences has created an interesting balance between heritage and innovation. As a result, the region is continuing to evolve and assert its position as a key destination for design and architecture.
What is the goal for Nulty Lisbon?
It goes without saying that tourism is a key industry for Portugal, so we are busy expanding our network of developers, architects and designers who specialise in this sector. Hospitality design is a fascinating space right now due to the rise of a health-conscious end user, so clients are looking for schemes that support wellbeing and help people emotionally connect with their surroundings—it’s undeniable that light has a role to play here.
There’s also been an influx of urban revitalisation projects in Lisbon recently, where the aspiration is to preserve the city’s cultural heritage and historic architecture. This is another key area of interest for us, because Nulty has considerable expertise working on heritage schemes and developments.
All of this is why I’m delighted to be heading up Nulty’s new Lisbon studio—there’s a wealth of inspiration and huge opportunities for growth.
