We dedicate ourselves to build a working environment in which pleasure is part of all processes.
Founded in 1997 in Rio de Janeiro, LD Studio is one of Brazil’s most respected lighting design firms. Over nearly three decades, we have built a portfolio that spans a wide range of project types and scales, with a trajectory marked by international awards and features in leading industry publications.
We work on residential, commercial, corporate, hospitality, retail, museum, cultural, restaurant, bar, outdoor, and bespoke lighting projects. Across every project, our guiding principle remains the same: to reveal what is distinctive and alive in each space, story, and human experience.
Our goal goes beyond delivering technically exceptional lighting design. We want clients, architects, and end users to come away from every project inspired by the results, the collaboration, and what light has made possible.
Our team is driven by a genuine passion for design, a spirit of constant curiosity, and a commitment to being present at every stage of the process, from the initial brief to the final installation.
For almost 30 years, we have built our reputation on technical excellence, collaborative methodology, creativity, and the belief that lighting is one of the most transformative elements of architecture and the human experience.
We illuminate beyond light.
Lighting has the power to awaken not only the architectural gaze, but also dynamic experiences and sensations, between the contrasts of light and shadow. The essence of architecture is revealed through light.
History
The constant and continuous search for understanding and learning has put us where we are today, with the capacity to handle very complex projects and – at the same time – to treat small and delicate projects in all their importance and potential.
The architect Mônica Luz Lobo founded LD Studio in Rio de Janeiro, driven by the desire for the freedom and independence to specify the most appropriate lighting solution for each project. During this period, residential projects marked the beginning of the architectural language that would come to define our work.
LD Studio received the Edwin F. Guth Award for Excellence in Interior Lighting from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) for the lighting design of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores Church in Rio de Janeiro. Following a meticulous restoration, the project used light to reveal and celebrate the church's architectural and historical richness.
LD Studio received the Paul Waterbury Award for Excellence in Outdoor Lighting from the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and an Award of Merit from the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for the lighting design of Pampulha Church, Oscar Niemeyer's architectural landmark in Belo Horizonte. The concept behind the project was to enhance the monument without competing with its architecture.
This period also marked an important phase of growth for LD Studio, as we expanded our team and increased our investment in new technologies.
We also completed our first international project: the lighting design for Los Molinos Shopping Center in Colombia.
LD Studio received an Honorable Mention at the Illumination Awards and the Edwin F. Guth Award for Excellence in Interior Lighting from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the project represented a major challenge for our team due to the close integration between lighting and architecture, with many lighting elements embedded directly into the concrete structure.
LD Studio received two of the international lighting industry's most prestigious awards: the Darc Award in the Structures – Low Budget category and the Darc of Darcs, awarded to the most-voted project, for the lighting design of the Pier Mauá Cranes.
Beyond the technical recognition, these awards reflected what the project truly represents: the ability to transform industrial structures into a poetic experience, uncover beauty where it was least expected, and use light as a tool for urban reinvention. It is a project that remains alive in the memory of both the city and our team.
During this same period, we also went through an internal transformation we called "The Leap," a strategic process of reinvention and organizational restructuring developed in partnership with facilitator Diana Joels.
This exercise in self-reflection was instrumental in redefining the way we connect with both clients and collaborators, leading to the implementation of a more collaborative, fluid, and human-centered way of working.
Mônica Luz Lobo was elected President of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), an international organization dedicated to supporting a global network of independent lighting design professionals who meet its rigorous qualification standards.
The IALD is committed to advancing the profession and establishing the global standard of excellence in lighting design while promoting the recognition and continued development of lighting designers worldwide.
LD Studio received the 2023 Abilux Lighting Design Award in the Commercial/Hospitality category for the lighting design of Hashtown. The project used dynamic lighting techniques to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for a commercial office located in an underground space.
LD Studio celebrates 30 years.
We are grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey. Three decades later, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence and to what truly matters. We believe that meaningful human relationships are at the heart of every great project, because it is through genuine collaboration that the best ideas come to light.
