05 Oct A New Connection Formed: Introducing Light Years Theory – September/October 2026 Newsletter
BHA School of Lighting is excited to announce a new collaboration with Light Years Theory (LYT), an innovative digital platform designed specifically for the global lighting profession.
As part of this collaboration, Light Years Theory will become a support partner for our newsletters, helping us connect our students, alumni, and wider community with industry knowledge, professional opportunities, thought leadership, and global networking resources.
WHAT IS LIGHT YEARS THEORY?
For those not yet familiar with the platform, Light Years Theory is a growing digital infrastructure built for the lighting industry. It brings together lighting designers, manufacturers, educators, researchers, engineers, architects, students, and other industry stakeholders within a single connected ecosystem.
The platform has been designed to support the realities of modern lighting practice by providing access to:
✅ Professional networking opportunities
✅ Industry news and intelligence
✅ Technical knowledge and specialist resources
✅ Career and professional development opportunities
✅ Industry discussions and thought leadership
✅ Product information and innovation updates
✅ Recognition, visibility, and community engagement
Rather than being just another social media platform, Light Years Theory aims to create a dedicated digital environment where the global lighting community can connect, collaborate, learn, and grow together.
NEW OPPORTUNITUES FOR BHA STUDENTS
This collaboration creates another pathway for BHA School of Lighting students to engage with the wider international lighting community, discover career opportunities, expand their professional networks, and participate in meaningful industry conversations.
We are especially pleased to announce that the Light Years Theory team has generously provided an exclusive student benefit.
EXCLUSIVE STUDENT VALUE ADD-ON
Students enrolled in the Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering & Lighting Design programme will receive 6 Months FREE Full Access to Light Years Theory.
This exclusive benefit is available to both first year and second year Advanced Diploma students and provides an excellent opportunity to explore the platform, connect with lighting professionals worldwide, access industry insights, and participate in the growing LYT ecosystem.
Redemption details and activation instructions will be shared directly with eligible students via the First Year and Second Year WhatsApp groups.
🌍 Visit Light Years Theory: https://lightyearstheory.com/
📝 Create your free account: https://lightyearstheory.com/onboarding/entity
JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL LYT WEBINAR
To help introduce the platform to our community, BHA School of Lighting will be hosting a special webinar event with Akshara Vyas, founder of Light Years Theory.
Time to Step into the LYT (Light Years Theory)
🎟️ Book your place: https://bhaschooloflighting.clickmeeting.com/time-to-step-into-the-lyt-light-years-theory
Cost: Free of Charge
Date: 22 October 2026
Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm SAST (UTC+2)
Presenter: Akshara Vyas, Lighting Designer & Founder of Light Years Theory
About: This session will introduce Light Years Theory and provide a guided walkthrough of the platform’s key features and capabilities.
Attendees will explore how the platform brings together people, knowledge, opportunities, conversations, products, resources, and industry activity within a single interconnected environment.
The webinar will also demonstrate how users can:
🔹 Build their professional profile
🔹 Connect with industry peers
🔹 Participate in discussions
🔹 Share knowledge and expertise
🔹 Showcase projects and achievements
🔹 Discover opportunities across the lighting industry
🔹 Become active contributors within the global lighting community
Whether you are a student, educator, manufacturer, consultant, architect, engineer, or lighting designer, this webinar will provide valuable insight into how Light Years Theory can support your professional journey.
Presenter Bio: Akshara Vyas is a lighting designer and the Founder of Light Years Theory. Her work explores light as both an architectural tool and artistic medium, bringing together design, technology, sustainability, and professional community building.
Educated at the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID), Akshara’s work reflects a contemporary and interdisciplinary approach to lighting, shaped by international experience and a strong commitment to advancing the profession through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
🎟️ Book your place: https://bhaschooloflighting.clickmeeting.com/time-to-step-into-the-lyt-light-years-theory
We would like to thank the entire Light Years Theory team for supporting our students and wider community. We look forward to working together to strengthen connections between education, industry, and professional practice, while helping lighting professionals around the world learn, connect, and grow.
TUNEABLE WHITE LIGHTING: HUMAN-CENTRIC SOLUTION OR INDSUTRY MISCONCEPTION? featured in Sparks Electrical News Magazine
Over the past decade, tuneable white lighting has become one of the most widely promoted technologies in modern lighting design. The ability to adjust a luminaire’s Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT), typically from warm white (2700K) to cool white (6500K), is often presented as a key feature of Human Centric Lighting (HCL).
In many cases, the two concepts have become almost interchangeable. Projects featuring tuneable white luminaires and automated colour-temperature schedules are often described as human-centric lighting installations. But is that assumption justified?
This article titled “Tuneable White Lighting: Human-centric Solution or Industry Misconception?” was first featured and published in October 2026 edition of Sparks Electrical News magazine by Crown Publications, and was written by Daniel Hammond (Lighting Designer at BHA Lighting Design & Educator at BHA School of Lighting) at the link here.
MORE ELECTRICAL AND LIGHTING NEWS: www.crown.co.za/sparks-electrical-news
BHA SCHOOL OF LIGHTING STUDENT NEWS
Celebrating Academic Excellence at BHA School of Lighting
We proudly congratulate Priyanka Praful, Design Director at Lumin-Essence Lighting Solutions Pvt Ltd, on graduating with an A Merit Pass from our Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering and Lighting Design programme.
Priyanka demonstrated strong commitment, professionalism, and dedication throughout her studies and her achievement of an A Merit reflects a solid understanding of the course material and a consistent ability to apply lighting principles effectively in both academic and practical contexts.
Throughout the programme, she remained engaged, enthusiastic, and professional, contributing positively to the student community. It has been our pleasure to support and mentor Priyanka during her studies, and we wish her every success as she continues to develop her career within the lighting profession.
Design Director, Lumin-Essence Lighting Solutions, Bengaluru, India
We also congratulate Vincent Kilian of Regent Lighting Solutions on successfully passing the first year examinations of BHA School of Lighting’s flagship Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering & Lighting Design programme and progressing to the second year of study.
This achievement marks an important milestone in your professional development, and we wish you every success as you continue your learning journey and further develop your expertise in lighting design and illumination engineering.
RELUX Desktop Lighting Design Software Course
Congratulations to Gift Mthisi, Hein Roos, Siweya Ntsakiso and Frith Van Rooyen of uKhozi Consulting Engineers, together with Rudzani Mzamane of 2BLN Engineering and Simon Poo of Genlux Lighting, on successfully completing the RELUX Desktop Lighting Design Software Course.
This achievement reflects their commitment to advancing their lighting design knowledge and technical skills using one of the industry’s leading lighting calculation and visualisation platforms. We wish them continued success as they apply their newly acquired expertise in their professional projects and future career development.
Find out more about the RELUX Desktop Lighting Design Software Course: www.bhaschooloflighting.co.za/courses/short-courses/relux-lighting-design-software-course
We wish the following BHA SoL students well, as they prepare for their First Year exams of the Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering & Lighting Design course:
Clayton Davidson of PioLED Lighting, Durban, South Africa
Graeme Bevan, Full-time student at BHA School of Lighting, Mesilat Zion, Israel
Vaibhav Shete, Manager of Lighting Applications at LSI Lighting, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Welcome to all new BHA SoL students, we hope you enjoy your learning experience of your chosen course:
Thasnim Azeez, Lighting Designer at Studio Lumen, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering Course
Jannie Phillipson, Electrical Technician at MCE Electrical, Johannesburg, South Africa – Foundation Lighting Course & Relux Desktop Software Course
Ana Ramalho, CEO & Architectural Lighting Design at Fases Obliquas, Marinha Grande, Portugal – Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering Course
Sabrina May Ramirez, Lighting Consultant at Feelux Lighting, Manilla, Philippines – Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering Course
Johnny Strumpher, Electrical Technicia at MCE Electrical, Pretoria, South Africa – Foundation Lighting Course & Relux Desktop Software Course
Mahesh Surasgar, Founder & Managing Director at Jovo India, Bengaluru, India – Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering Course
Litha Vaphi, Director at ImbilingaFC, Cape Town, South Africa – Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering Course
BHA SoL Student Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the following past & present students who celebrate their birthdays this Septemeber and October! We hope you all have wonderful birthdays and that this next year of life brings great success and prosperity, and above all good health!
Burgher Nortje, Senior Project Manager at Anglo American, Johannesburg, South Africa – 1 September
Fatma Bayomi Abdelfattah, Electrical Design Engineer at Dar Al Riyadh Consultants, Cairo, Egypt – 3 September
Anthony Girgis, Graduate Lighting Designer at AE7, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 4 September
Edward Baldrey, Electrical Engineer at Bara Consulting, Hitara Park, South Africa – 7 September
Paula Henry Naguib Bachtly, Country Manager at Delta Lighting, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 8 September
Sara Mohammed, Architect at Samana Developers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 8 September
Vaibhav Shete, Manager of Lighting Applications at LSI Lighting, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 11 September
Constance Mokou, Full-time student at BHA School of Lighting, Polokwane, South Africa – 17 September
Shamiljan Nadampadi, Lighting Designer at Global Light & Power LLC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 21 September
Dean Boyce, Research & Development Specialist at One to One, Cape Town, South Africa (Graduate) – 22 September
Graeme Rhys Bevan, Full-time student at BHA School of Lighting, Mevaseret Zio, Israel – 23 September
Thandeka Mdunge, Graduate Engineer at SMEC, Durban, South Africa – 24 September
Ismael Alobaidi, Lighting Designer at Qamraa Lighting, Baghdad, Iraq (Graduate) – 25 September
Mina Adly, Senior Project Engineer at Siraj Lighting, Cairo, Egypt – 30 September
Ritesh Shah, Principal Lighting Designer at Lux Light Designs, Mumbai, India – 30 September
Thasnim Azeez, Lighting Designer at Studio Lumen, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 1 October
Martina Mántaras, Industrial Designer & Architect at TAU UY, Montevideo, Uruguay (Graduate) – 4 October
David Carr, Senior Technician at Carifro Consulting Engineers, East London, South Africa – 6 October
David Joshua Nathaniel, External Sales Representative at ARB Electrical Wholesalers, Durban, South Africa – 10 October
Melissa Lentz, Project Leader at Buchan, Sydney, Australia (Graduate) – 10 October
Carolina Pedraza Guevara, Colombia Business Development at iGuzzini, Bogata, Columbia – 12 October
Jeannine Vorster, Senior Interior Design at Gryphon & Co., Cape Town, South Africa – 15 October
Erin Jones, Lighting Designer at One to One, Cape Town, South Africa (Graduate) – 16 October
Syed Raed Ahmed, Architectural Lighting Designer at Keus Smart Home, Hyderabad, India – 16 October
Ryan Jones-Hockley, Managing Director & Lighting Designer at Light Source Design, Johannesburg, South Africa (Graduate) – 17 October
UPCOMING ENLIGHTENED COMMUNITY EVENTS
Date: 8 October 2026
Time: 6pm – 7pm SAST (UTC+2)
Presenter: Karim Daoudi, Key Account Manager & Head of Training at RELUX Informatik AG
The session also showcases RELUX’s latest AI powered design tools, designed to streamline workflows and improve efficiency. The innovative 2D to 3D PDF feature converts existing floor plans into fully usable 3D planning environments, eliminating the need for time consuming manual room modelling and significantly accelerating the design process.
In addition, attendees will be introduced to AI Image Generation, a powerful feature that converts RELUX lighting calculations into high quality, photorealistic visualisations with only a few clicks. This enables designers to quickly explore multiple design options, create realistic scenarios, and develop impactful presentations with greater speed and flexibility.
Join us to discover how the combination of lighting design, advanced visualisation, and artificial intelligence is transforming professional lighting planning, making it faster, more efficient, and more visually impressive than ever before.
Cost: Free of Charge
Date: 12 November 2026
Time: 6pm – 7pm SAST (UTC+2)
Presenter: Jeronimo Rios Sanchez, Lighting Designer, Electronic Engineer & Automation Specialist at EPM Group
Through a curated selection of real-world projects across different scales, you’ll explore how technical constraints and regulations aren’t roadblocks, but catalysts for creativity. You’ll discover how other disciplines can elevate a design, and how engineering can seamlessly serve the artistic vision. Each case study brings its own challenges and solutions, proving there is no single “copy-paste” formula for designing with light.
Finally, this session isn’t just about making a lighting system work. It’s about crafting spaces where people feel connected, comfortable, and inspired: spaces they truly want to remember.
NOW ON YOUTUBE – ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING: AN ARCHITECT’S PERSPECTIVE & INSIGHTS
The engaging and thought provoking webinar featuring Reem Nassour, Founder and Principal Architect of NAO Architects, and David Gilbey, an internationally respected independent architectural lighting and visual designer of d-lighting, is now available to watch on BHA’s YouTube Channel. Drawing on their extensive architectural and lighting design experience, Reem and David explored the creative relationship between architecture and light, sharing valuable insights into collaboration, design thinking, and the process of transforming ideas into meaningful, built environments.
📺 Watch now and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more educational content at www.youtube.com/@bhaschooloflighting
Rather than a traditional lighting presentation, this session offered a unique perspective on how architects and lighting designers collaborate to shape meaningful spaces. Through project examples, professional experiences, and open discussion, attendees gained valuable insight into the ideas, challenges, and opportunities that emerge when these disciplines intersect.
Some of the topics explored included:
🔹 The architect’s perspective on light within the built environment
🔹 The integration of lighting into architectural design
🔹 Managing visual clutter and achieving seamless lighting solutions
🔹 Collaboration between architects and lighting designers
🔹 How design ideas evolve from concept through to built reality
🔹 The role of light in enhancing user experience and storytelling within space
A sincere thank you to Reem and David for sharing their expertise, insights, and experiences with our global audience.
Our mailing address is:
BHA School of Lighting
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Royal Ascot, Cape Town
Western Cape, South Africa, 7441