Your Interview Patricia Mateo

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Patricia Mateo

Engineer
Madrid
Introduce yourself (name, company, position, country) and tell us how you got into lighting design (including education/qualifications).

My name is Patricia Mateo, I am passionate about light, art, product design and digital marketing. My background is in Interior Architecture at the San Telmo School of Art and later, I studied Industrial Design Engineering at the University of Malaga.

Working in an architecture studio, I was struck by the need for light, how it could create different spaces and enhance artistic works depending on the light source.

Also, my role had to change and that's when I started working as a lighting designer. I specialised in projects for museums, art galleries, churches and cathedrals.

Today I work in the sales team of Lamp Madrid, I give technical advice on lighting projects and I try to make light an important and fundamental pillar at the beginning of each project.

Tell us about your work – is there a specific type of project you like to work on or an area you specialise in and why?

I have worked with different lighting companies, each specialising in different areas (decorative lighting, technical lighting, outdoor lighting, performance lighting).

However, I have always enjoyed working on the lighting of museums or houses with works of art, as there are many important factors to think about when lighting a work of art that are not easy to understand.

In addition, I also love designing hospitals and offices, as I have been studying for several years how I can help and improve the quality of people through light.

We are in a constant state of change and to be able to design you have to pay attention to this, without forgetting that you have to "humanise" spaces, have good visual comfort, make good use of resources and make people feel at home.

What project are you most proud of and why?

I am very proud of many projects that I have carried out during my professional career, but I could highlight a luxury home in the centre of Malaga.
It was my first project as a lighting designer, I worked together with architects, interior designers and artists from the initial phase to the end of the project. One of the premises was to unify the technical lighting with the decorative lighting and that the technical lighting was incorporated into the architecture.

The house had a risky concept, it was designed with a light, climate and sound control system for the three floors, so it was necessary to create different spaces just with light. Finally, I had to coordinate with all the trades, go hand in hand with the interior designer, illuminate works of art, respect the façade of the building, create different atmospheres as events were created on the terrace.

It was a challenge and a source of pride to have worked on such a unique project.

What is the biggest challenge that you have overcome in your career?

One of my daily challenges is to explain that the lighting design profession is as important as any other.

Unfortunately, in some countries, such as Spain, the figure of the lighting designer barely exists.

Another important challenge is to know in which area I feel more comfortable, where I can develop my creativity and how I can manage the projects in the best possible way, as we always work under a lot of pressure and without time.

But I would definitely say that my biggest challenge has been to learn without training day by day from everything around me and to end up designing my own lighting concept.

How does light inspire you?

Light is a design tool in itself, it is capable of turning the same space into a different one, playing with materials, spectrums and shapes.

Light in all its forms and shapes inspires us, it makes us feel good, it is capable of activating you in the morning, of relaxing you in the afternoon, of changing your mood.

Somehow, light helps us to heal.

What is your message for other Women In Lighting?

Women in lighting is a challenge, a great initiative and a beautiful project that gives a voice to all the people who are passionate about light.

It is not an easy world, you have to fight for a profession that is little recognised but which ends up producing magnificent and great results.

I fully support all the people who want to immerse themselves in this fantastic profession.

Lives in:
Madrid
Born in:
Málaga
Qualifications:
-Interior Design
-Industrial Design Engineer
-Master's Degree BIM Project Development and Management
-Master's Degree in UX|UI
Started working with light in:
-Jesús Herraiz Iluminación.
-Erco Iluminación S.A.
-Lamp S.A.
Now works at:
Lamp S.A.
Professional membership:
APDI
Loves:
Art, music, photography, travel, sports

“Women in lighting is a challenge, a great initiative and a beautiful project that gives a voice to all the people who are passionate about light.”

Selected portfolio:

El Retablo Mayor de la Iglesia del SalvadorRestaurante PaxLoewe MadridRestaurante Beluga

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