Meet our 40 Under 40 Honoree: Joe Brenner
News
Selected from hundreds of nominations across 33 countries, EwingCole associate Joseph Brenner, LEED AP, BD+C, has been named a 2025 Light Collective 40 Under 40 winner, an international honor recognizing emerging leaders who are shaping the future of architectural lighting. Joe was recognized for his passion, creativity, and growing impact on the built environment.
Joe is a lighting designer at EwingCole, with experience across the firm’s healthcare, education, and science & technology practices, enabling him to bring a broad range of aesthetic and technical expertise to clients and design teams. He believes that beautiful design must also be environmentally practical throughout the building’s or space’s entire life cycle.
He took the time to share how he approaches lighting design, what defines success in his work, and what he hopes to accomplish as his career continues to evolve.
What does being named a Light Collective 40 Under 40 winner mean to you at this point in your career?
I feel honored to be recognized amongst such a prestigious and impressive group of alumni, including fellow designers. After a decade in this field, it’s incredibly fulfilling to have worked on a wide range of noteworthy projects and to have the opportunity to continue growing in such an innovative and compelling industry.
What originally drew you to architectural lighting, and what keeps you excited about the discipline today?
Lighting affects how people feel, and experience architecture — that combination of design, engineering, and psychology pulled me in early on. Every project is a new puzzle: how to use light to support the architecture, shape experience, and find a bit of magic within the design. I’m excited by each new challenge and chance to be creative.
In your view, what separates good lighting design from great lighting design?
Good design solves the practical problem. Great lighting design is seamless with the architecture — it goes unnoticed because it feels natural. It uses layers of light to support wayfinding, reveal materials, and highlight what matters. It’s when function becomes harmony.
How does collaboration with architects, interior designers, and engineers shape your lighting strategies?
Lighting is a team sport. To create an integrated solution, you have to understand the architectural vision, the interior palette, the engineering constraints, and the client’s priorities. When everyone is aligned early, lighting becomes part of the architecture rather than a late overlay, leading to better visual and technical outcomes.
In what ways do you think lighting can influence how people feel, behave, or connect to a space?
Light sets the emotional tone. With the right light, the same room can feel intimate or spacious, energized or calm. It impacts comfort, safety, focus, and how we perceive a space. Lighting can quietly guide behavior without physically changing anything.
