Designing with light also means understanding the value of darkness.
Responsible architectural lighting: IED Kunsthal Bilbao’s collaboration with Slowlight
Date
10 November 2026
Lighting transforms our perception of spaces and the way we inhabit them, but its creative possibilities come with a responsibility towards the environment. This perspective is part of the Specialization Course in Architectural Lighting Design at IED Kunsthal Bilbao, which collaborates with the Slowlight Association.
The association promotes the protection of the night sky and good urban lighting practices. Its involvement in the programme brings these issues into the learning experience and encourages students to reflect on how, where and why we use light.
Slowlight and education in responsible lighting
The collaboration takes the form of an online class delivered each year to the course’s students by José Enrique “Coque” Alcázar, founder of Slowlight. This session raises awareness of the need to protect the night, complementing the technical and creative aspects of lighting design education. The connection with Slowlight offers a perspective on the relationship between artificial light, the nocturnal landscape and sustainability, linking learning to the debates shaping professional practice.
Studying architectural lighting at IED Kunsthal Bilbao
The Specialization Course in Architectural Lighting Design covers the fundamentals of professional lighting and its creative application in indoor and outdoor spaces for private use. Its approach combines theory, technical knowledge and practice to explore light as a design material and understand its expressive potential in architecture.
Collaboration with industry organisations such as Slowlight complements this learning and offers fresh perspectives for developing projects that are sensitive to people and the environment. This connection encourages students to make informed decisions and consider responsible lighting as part of the design process.
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