Jordan Agustin joined Landscape Forms in August 2019 as its first president of the lighting business. Agustin’s addition to the team is part of a new corporate structure, in which the company’s lighting, structure and furnishings, and Studio 431 businesses will operate as separate units, each with its own president and responsibility for customer interface, production, profitability, and growth. The new structure will support the company’s strategy to address changing markets and expand market opportunities. We sat down recently with Agustin to learn more about his background and thoughts on the future of lighting at Landscape Forms.

Where are you from and how did you get involved in lighting?

I was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, and studied industrial design at Queensland University of Queensland. As I spent more time working with clients who were using lighting products, I went back to school to study lighting design in order to really understand the theory of light. It was while studying lighting design that I was exposed to the physiological effects of lighting and the importance of good product and lighting design.

I grew up in the industry as Lumascape, the company I’ve worked with professionally for the last nearly 20 years, is a family business. I’ve done nearly every job there, from product assembly, toolmaking, and export sales to product management and sales leadership. I had a very in-depth, hands-on lighting education.

Beyond your hands-on lighting education in your earlier years, how did the many functional roles you held at Lumascape prepare you for leading the lighting business at Landscape Forms?

I had opportunities to see the business from multiple angles, from conceptualization, prototyping and engineering to reviewing early models with customers and finally to commercialization and sales. I gained a well-rounded experience.

What sparked your interest in lighting?

Lighting is a profession that requires both engineering and creativity to be successful. That combination really appeals to me. There aren’t a lot of careers where you get to work at both ends of the spectrum.

In your opinion, what’s on the horizon for the lighting industry?

LED technology has reached a level of sophistication that goes beyond what was previously possible. New technologies and existing technology being repurposed for illumination applications continue to emerge, but it is going to take something groundbreaking to take us beyond the LED. The biggest change coming will be the mainstream adoption of ‘Power over Ethernet’ (POE) technology and the evolution of the luminaire from being primarily tasked with providing illumination to becoming a digital device within a data-driven ecosystem of devices.

What is your point of view on lighting?

Quality lighting requires a human-centric and environmentally aware approach. Visual experience and visual comfort are increasingly mainstream subjects as people become more attuned to lighting and specifically bad lighting! Awareness of how lighting affects people in a space through color temperature, perception of glare, flicker, and overall light levels are critical to creating a luminaire that really fulfils the criteria of quality lighting.

As we speak today, you’ve been at Landscape Forms for two months. In that brief period of time, what vision are you framing for its lighting future?

Landscape Forms lighting will continue to expand its footprint in the outdoor space, partnering with design innovators to bring new products and platforms to market. Our roots in design, quality of light, and high-quality construction will continue to guide us. We are unique in the industry with our capabilities to bring both lighting and outdoor furniture to market, creating places people want to be. Building upon the concepts of quality of light and placemaking, we can look outside of the typical boundaries of what a luminaire is. Ultimately, the sky is the limit for us.