A Bright Summer at Oculus Light Studio
Jumping into my summer internship at Oculus Light Studio was like opening a book I always wanted to read. The experience here bridged the gap between theory and practice for me. I’ve always loved to see how design can impact our everyday lives. After a few lighting courses, I knew I wanted to learn more and my interest grew stronger. Oculus gave me that great opportunity and a lot more.
At Oculus, being a lighting design intern was not just about lighting and shadow – it was a holistic learning experience. These past three months, my days as a lighting design intern were filled with learning and hands-on tasks. Every day was filled with new lessons. I found myself working on client presentations, lighting fixture schedules, drawing lighting & control plans (great chance in getting familiar with tools like CAD and Revit), and even working on advanced lighting calculations. I also had a chance to make different iterations of exterior lighting concepts. I am glad that I could engage in all the processes of how each project developed and had a chance to work on different scales of these projects from residential to multi-story office buildings and even worked on landscape projects. Each task, no matter how big or small, added a piece to my growing understanding of the puzzle.
But the learning experiences were not limited to the boundaries of my workstation. One of the memorable parts was seeing our plans come to life. Walking into a room and adjusting lights was simply amazing. It is one thing to design on a computer, but seeing it in real life is something else. There is something special about seeing your designs come alive.
More than that, the people at Oculus made my summer even brighter. From the very first day, everyone was so welcoming with warmth and hospitality. Everyone was so open, always ready to help me or share their knowledge. Whenever I faced challenges, there was always someone by my side, ready to brainstorm solutions. And even though I communicated with people in the Seattle office, I never felt apart. There was always someone to guide, mentor, or simply chat over a cup of coffee.
I discovered the value of teamwork and the joy of seeing a project towards the end together, beyond the technical skills. Working at Oculus has made me realize how important lighting is for architects to create comfortable and pleasing spaces. Oculus did not just teach me about lighting design; they introduced me to the entire industry and made me feel comfortable in this new world.
I am moving forward to my last year as an undergraduate in architecture school. I am not just carrying new skills with me, but also memories of this summer. My time at Oculus was not only about drawing up plans; it was about understanding the beauty and importance of lighting in our daily lives. I am excited to take all these lessons with me on my journey ahead.