September 2, 2025
This summer, we were lucky to have Isabella Drag join the Oculus Light Studio team as part of our summer internship program. Isabella is currently a masters student at USC School of Architecture.
During her time with us, she gained hands-on experience in lighting design and collaborated with our project teams, building new skills in Excel and Photoshop along the way. She even took on the challenge of learning to navigate California’s strict energy codes.
Here’s Isabella in her own words, reflecting on her experience—sharing insights, takeaways, and what she learned during her internship.
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August 25, 2025
About Us:
Oculus Light Studio is an award-winning lighting design studio based in the Culver City area of Los Angeles, CA, with a satellite studio in Seattle, WA. We are passionate about great lighting design and how it can enhance the visual environment. We believe in collaborative design and enjoy working on a variety of project types. Oculus offers an engaging, informal, and inclusive work environment, a 9-80 schedule with alternate Fridays off and work-life integration. Currently we work 3 days in the office, with 2 days remote. Other perks include 3 weeks of paid vacation, and discretionary remote workdays. Look us up on the web, Instagram, and Linkedin!
We are currently looking for a full-time lighting designer in Seattle, with 1-4 years’ experience to join our diverse team, currently working on a wide range of architectural lighting design projects located both locally and around the globe.
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Note from Stephanie
August 8, 2025
By Stephanie Freedman
This year marked my third time serving on the Lumen West Awards Gala committee—and my first time chairing the event. With a background in event coordination before joining Oculus, stepping into this role felt like a natural fit. Surprisingly though, the biggest challenge was finding a venue in Los Angeles. We needed a location that could accommodate 400 guests and offer three separate spaces for cocktails, the awards ceremony, and dinner. You’d think that would be easy in a city like LA—but it definitely wasn’t.
After a couple of months of scouting, calling, emailing, and probably spending more time on venue websites than anyone should, I narrowed it down to three places that fit the budget. We ended up choosing the Skirball Cultural Center—and it was perfect.
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August 4, 2025
We’re incredibly proud to announce that three Oculus projects have been honored with a 2025 IES Lumen West Award. We love what we do, but it’s always an honor when others love it, too! This recognition shows the power of thoughtful lighting design, and we’re thrilled to see these projects celebrated for their unique blend of community impact, innovation, and collaboration.
Here’s a look at the award-winning work:
Paramount Library – Award of Excellence
This renovation revitalized a beloved 1966 community hub. Visitors are now welcomed by a living green wall, while custom tunable white “skylights” mimic the natural rhythm of daylight in the central reading area, bringing a sense of the outdoors into a beautiful, flexible space. continued→
Note from Leslie
July 28, 2025
By Leslie Crapster-Pregont
Growing up in northern Wisconsin, my elementary school career ambitions rapidly evolved from teacher to lawyer to a physician that specializes in sports medicine. My career dreams were a mirror image of my surroundings; all lofty aspirations and admirable occupations that my skillset never aligned with. Ultimately, I slowly turned my passion in lighting into a career through a squiggly trajectory, a series of trial and error, until I found myself as an architectural lighting designer at Oculus Light Studio – for students in Los Angeles, SoCal NOMA’s Project Pipeline Summer Camp now offers a more direct route.
This year, SoCal NOMA hosted its 16th annual Project Pipeline Summer Camp. It’s aptly named “Project Pipeline” as it sparks the interest of Middle School students, provides foundational skills in architectural design for High School students, and offers internship and observership opportunities for college students – it provides a structure for those entranced by the creative world of design and construction, and shows them a path for turning a passion into a career.
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July 11, 2025
Located in the largest Vietnamese American community in the US, the Marian Gardens at Our Lady of La Vang Shrine honors a Marian apparition significant to Vietnamese Catholic history. Designed as a physical representation of the Rosary, Marian Gardens offer a winding path that guides worshippers through four shrines, each shrine offering a distinct space for meditative prayer of each decade (set of prayers in the Catholic faith that represent a segment of Jesus’ life).
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July 8, 2025
Oculus is proud to announce that four of our projects have received 2025 IES Illumination Awards of Merit. Each one represents a unique blend of thoughtful lighting design, community impact, and collaboration.
Paramount Library (with Johnson Fain)
This renovation breathes new life into a vital 1966 community hub. A living green wall welcomes visitors, while tunable white “skylights” mimic daylight in the central reading area—bringing nature indoors within an open, flexible layout.
St. Callistus Chapel (with Johnson Fain)
Located beneath Christ Cathedral, this chapel balances sacred tradition with modern lighting. Carefully layered light supports reflection, focus, and reverence, enhancing both architectural form and spiritual experience.
HPS Office (with RIOS)
With sustainability at its core, this office space features locally manufactured lighting and a hospitality-inspired atmosphere. Professional yet warm, the lighting reflects both environmental responsibility and design excellence.
Marian Gardens at Our Lady of La Vang (with Domus Studio)
Honoring a significant moment in Vietnamese Catholic history, this garden is designed to physically represent a Rosary. Subtle, purposeful lighting supports prayer, guides worshippers, and highlights art and architecture throughout.
A big thank you to our amazing design collaborators, reps, and manufacturers who helped bring these projects to life.
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Paramount Library
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St. Callistus Chapel
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HPS Office
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Marian Gardens at Our Lady of La Vang
May 22, 2025
Last week, our Seattle team had the pleasure of attending the 2025 IES Gloria Koch Leonidas Illumination Awards, hosted by IES Seattle at Block 41 in Belltown. The evening brought together a vibrant community of lighting professionals to celebrate outstanding projects from across the region. With multiple awards presented among various categories, it was an inspiring night highlighting the innovation and artistry driving Pacific Northwest lighting design.
We’re thrilled to share that our project, St. Callistus Chapel, received the IES Seattle Gloria Koch Leonidas Illumination Award for Interior Design. This recognition is especially meaningful for our Seattle team, as it marks our very first submission to the local IES chapter, and our first award.
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May 6, 2025
Oculus has a record number of projects nominated at this year’s IIDA Calibre Design Awards! A total of 8 projects were nominated including:
The Congressman Alan Lowenthal Trade & Education Center, nominated by Studio One Eleven in the Public & Community Spaces category, features dynamic lighting that enhances the interactive exhibits describing the operations and suitability initiatives at the Port of Long Beach. The lighting design needed to evolve with the space while remaining intentional so every design decision was about balance – highlighting key moments while ensuring the flexibility to grow and adapt, much like the port itself.
In the Transformation category, 11755 Wilshire designed in collaboration with Rios, epitomizes the design goal of transforming a stale office space into a multi-functional hospitality oasis. The abundance of decorative fixtures and accent coves make every corner of this space perfect for a spontaneous work meeting or a comfortable place to take a break.
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March 26, 2025
About Us:
Oculus Light Studio is an award-winning lighting design studio based in the Culver City area of Los Angeles, CA, with a satellite studio in Seattle, WA. We are passionate about great lighting design and how it can enhance the visual environment. We believe in collaborative design and enjoy working on a variety of project types. Oculus offers an engaging, informal, and inclusive work environment, a 9-80 schedule with alternate Fridays off and work-life integration. Other perks include frequent catered lunches and a part-time office dog. Look us up on the web, Instagram, and Linkedin!
We are currently looking for a full-time lighting designer with 2-5 years’ experience to join our diverse team, currently working on a wide range of architectural lighting design projects located both locally and around the globe.
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March 19, 2025
Nestled in the basement of a grand, light-filled cathedral, St. Callistus Chapel at Christ Cathedral offers an intimate sanctuary for up to 250 people. It also houses a columbarium, serving as the final resting place for bishops and funerary urns.
The lighting design fosters a serene atmosphere that enhances spiritual reflection and worship, emphasizing sacred elements that evoke reverence and connection. To achieve this ambiance, multiple custom fixtures were designed using standard products from different manufacturers.
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January 27, 2025
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Batuhan (Batu) Tumba to Associate at Oculus Light Studio.
Batu has been with Oculus for 3 years, with a key role in a variety of projects. These have included educational, multi-family, healthcare, office TIs, specialty studios, and studio lots. His expertise in Dialux and Revit has been a huge asset to our team.
Batu holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning and Architectural 3D Visualization from Turkey and a Master’s Degree in Architectural Lighting Design from Hochschule Wismar, Germany. When he’s not at work, you can find him enjoying playing the guitar, hiking, or going on road trips.
Join us in congratulating Batu on his well-deserved promotion. We’re excited to see what he’ll continue to achieve at Oculus Light Studio!
October 24, 2024
Last week, the Los Angeles Business Council celebrated its 54th Annual Architectural Awards, and Oculus is thrilled to announce that three of our projects have received awards.
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The Culver Studios
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Ranch Lot Studios
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9000 Wilshire
The Culver Studios was awarded a Community Impact Award. This iconic 100-year-old studio lot features 13 sound stages, offices, and outdoor event spaces, along with a range of amenities. In partnership with Gensler, Oculus provided lighting for the core and shell of five new multi-story digital media buildings, as well as enhancements to the plaza, event space, parking, and other outdoor areas.
Another studio project, currently under construction, also received a Community Impact Award. The Ranch Lot Studios in Burbank is set to be the largest under development in LA County. Our lighting design covers the core and shell of a five-story creative office space, production support offices, 16 sound stages, backlot facilities, and the entire 30-acre site. Oculus is working with Krismar Construction Co. and Worth Real Estate Group to meet LEED Gold standards for this project.
9000 Wilshire won a Workplace Award. In collaboration with Neil M. Denari Architects and HLW, this project is not only LEED Platinum certified but also holds WiredScore Gold and Fitwel certifications. Its striking purple facade—symbolizing a tailored suit—and a beautifully illuminated planting wall create a memorable presence at night, enhancing its identity from the street.
Congratulations to all the teams involved in these projects!
Note from Leslie
August 23, 2024
By Leslie Crapster Pregont
I still remember when I was 5 or 6, going with my Girl Scout Troop to the local theater for a tour. We were invited backstage, and I was given a lighting gel to hold in my hand. The feeling of the crinkly blue square in my hands is forever embedded in my memory. That experience for me was the first step on a lifelong journey navigating my way through performing arts, theater, lighting, and eventually, architectural lighting.
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Note from Stephanie
July 3, 2024
By Stephanie Freedman
Stephanie Freedman, Oculus’ Marketing and Business Manager, put in many hours of work with the Lumen West Event Committee organizing this very successful show. We are so proud of her work assisting the local lighting design community.
The annual lighting design gala of Southern California, the Lumen West Awards were a grand success this year. Tickets were completely sold out two months before the event and nearly 100 projects were submitted for consideration. A total of 33 awards were presented, including 24 awards of merit and 7 awards of excellence.
Oculus proudly received an Award of Excellence for the Google Visitor Experience project in Mountain View, CA. By the end of 2023, this project stood as the largest new construction project to achieve the Living Building Challenge’s (LBC) Materials Petal Certification, a significant accomplishment in its own right.
From a personal standpoint, I had the pleasure of serving on the Lumen West committee for the second consecutive year. Drawing from my background in event planning, it was a rewarding experience to contribute to an organization highly valued by colleagues.
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June 3, 2024
Located in Century City, HPS’s new law office blends inviting hospitality with modern professionalism. Beyond a lighting strategy that enhances both aesthetics and functionality, the project prioritizes sustainability. At the heart of the design, we made a conscious decision to incorporate a majority of light fixtures manufactured in Southern California. By supporting local manufacturers and artisans, we ensured superior quality and craftsmanship while minimizing the environmental footprint and boosting the local economy.
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April 25, 2024
Oculus Light Studio is thrilled to announce that seven of our projects have been nominated for this year’s 2024 Calibre Design Awards.
Still currently in the design phase, and nominated in the Unbuilt/On The Boards category, is the Century City Cultural Pavilion. We look forward to the completion of this project as we envision attending future galas like Calibre in a venue that we contributed in designing!
Nominated in the Work Medium category:
- Universal Music Publishing Group’s lighting scheme designed in collaboration with Gensler, includes a line of light that traces its way through the project uplighting the wood ceilings and dynamic atrium lighting that can be customized for live impromptu performances.
- 9000 Wilshire, a project in collaboration with Neil M. Denari Architects and HLW, has an eye-catching purple facade (a tailored suit was the metaphor), and the beautifully illuminated planting wall draws attention from the street scale, creating a strong identity at night.
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January 22, 2024
Oculus is proud and excited to announce that two of our coworkers have been selected as 2023 cohorts of lighting design’s global 40 under 40. Congratulations to Sarah Wang, Assoc. IALD, Associate Principal and Joel Weston, Assoc. IALD, Senior Associate.
Both Sarah and Joel are our long-time colleagues, with Sarah soon to celebrate her 10-year anniversary and Joel recently celebrated 8 years.
Oculus, along with Sarah and Joel would like to thank the distinguished panel of judges: Adam de Guara, Andrea Hartranft, Andrew Bissell, Charles Stone, Maneck Tandon, Sakina Dugawalla-Moeller, and Suzan Tillotson.
Thanks also to Light Collective for organizing the competition and FILIX Lighting for sponsoring.
Wishing Sarah and Joel much continued success at Oculus and congratulations to all the winners!
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November 29, 2023
Oculus is honored and excited to announce well deserved promotions!
Sarah Wang as our first Associate Principal
Sebastien Payannet to Associate
Stephanie Chou and Leslie Crapster-Pregont to Senior Designer
“When we started Oculus, we knew that developing designers and helping them reach their fullest potential would be critical to the success of the firm. As we increase our reach in our second decade, it has been a rewarding experience to mentor the growth in these individuals and we look forward to seeing their further development as leaders and designers making an impact in our field and in the wider AEC industry.”
– Scott Hatton and Archit Jain, Founding Principals
Note from Yu Jung
August 29, 2023
By Yu Jung Lee
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.
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