Iain Ruxton
Associate Partner
Iain studied at the University of Glasgow and, whilst working as a graphic designer, became interested in lighting design for its mix of creative and technical skills. He has been with the practice since 1996, becoming Associate Partner in 2020.
Iain has developed a wide range of knowledge and expertise. He is an expert in the technology of light and lighting and has become a leading authority on lighting control and associated topics. He manages much of the CPD for the design team in our London studio.
“Light existed before architecture. It is not just an adjunct to architecture. Light is a material, yet it is also more - it can, and does, change continually.”
During his time with the practice Iain has worked on a wide variety of projects including the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, HBOS Headquarters in Edinburgh, Heathrow Terminal 5, La Nuvola Exhibition and Conference Centre in Rome, the Mersey Gateway Bridge, the world’s tallest building - the Burj Khalifa, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, which won an IALD Radiance Award, the top prize for lighting design.
Iain has lectured at universities including KTH in Stockholm and Napier in Edinburgh. He wrote the “Lighting Design” chapter of the Society of Light and Lighting’s Lighting Handbook, 2018, as well as numerous articles in the lighting and general press, including a regular opinion column in Lighting magazine for two years.
He has presented at many conferences and events, including five iterations of the Professional Lighting Design Convention, the IALD’s Enlighten Europe conference, several events organised by the Architect’s Journal, and at shows such as Lux Live and the Surface Design Show. He has also sat on, and chaired, discussion panels at many of these events.