Creating comfort through light

NIRA WATTANACHOTE

Credentials: MIES, WELL AP
Senior Associate

Nira brings to her project work a unique set of design skills that balance aesthetic creativity with technical expertise. She joined the Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design team in 2000, became an Associate of the firm in 2006, and was promoted to Senior Associate at the start of 2013.

In her previous work in interior design, Nira came to realize that lighting makes the difference between a good project and a truly inspired one. “Successful lighting transforms the way that people experience and perceive architecture,” she says.

This discovery is something that she expresses not just in words, but in the design of her projects. At CBB, she has been a key design team member in numerous award-winning projects, earning multiple Lumen, IALD, NLB Tesla, and IES Illumination Awards, as well as a GE Edison Award.

Nira’s project experience includes high-end corporate office buildings, large-scale hospitality and residential complexes, and performing arts centers. Her expertise in custom fixture design for her projects combines innovation with practicality and an expert knowledge of energy-efficient lighting design techniques.

She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, and a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design from Parsons The New School for Design, where she has also taught AGI classes for the school’s Master of Fine Arts program.

SANG YUP LEE

Credentials: MIES
Senior Associate

Sang has been a member of the Cline Bettridge Bernstein team since 2001. He became an Associate of the firm in 2007 and was promoted to the role of Senior Associate at the start of 2013. Sang brings to CBB’s project work a unique combination of strength in design leadership, artistic talent and technical excellence.

His work includes lighting design projects of almost every type – master plans, hotels, museums, churches, corporate towers, office interiors, science labs, university campuses and landscapes/exteriors. A number of these projects are winners of lighting awards, including a Lumen Citation, an Architectural Lighting Magazine Citation for Best Use of Daylighting, an NLB Tesla Award, an IIDA Award, a Best of Design Award from The Architect’s Newspaper, and multiple IES Illumination and LIT Awards.

He graduated from Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture, then continued on to focus his studies at Parsons The New School for Design in New York, where he completed a Master’s Degree in Lighting Design.

RENATA GALLO

Senior Associate

Renata joined the lighting design team at Cline Bettridge Bernstein in 2007. She became an Associate of the firm at the beginning of 2013 and was promoted to a Senior Associate’s role in 2018. She was initially drawn to lighting design while studying at the New York School of Interior Design. On a course assignment to create a light sculpture, she found that she enjoyed the art of illumination and the ability to use light in creating different settings and moods.

A resourceful and versatile designer, Renata has held key design roles in many CBB projects where sustainability is a prime consideration. Her work in this area includes the first law office interiors to achieve LEED certification. Her projects span a broad range, from high-end commercial spaces to budget-conscious educational buildings. In her years at CBB, several projects in Renata’s portfolio have been lighting award winners.

What Renata finds most rewarding in her work is a project’s successful outcome – seeing the completed installation and hearing favorable comments from clients and architects. “Every day that I work at CBB gives me the chance to learn something new!”

MICHAEL HENNES

Credentials: MIES, LEED AP BD+C
Associate Principal

Michael, an Associate Principal and Project Director at CBB, brings over 35 years of experience in architectural lighting design to his projects. He joined the firm in 1987, directly after graduating with high honors in Architecture from the University of Florida. His educational background gives him insight into the many ways in which light can reinforce architecture.

He has held leading design roles in over 90 award-winning projects at CBB, including Torre Iberdrola (Bilbao, Spain) and the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, New York City – the world’s first commercial towers to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

As a LEED Accredited Professional, Michael is committed to the goal of sustainable, energy-efficient lighting design solutions. He was a member of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CALiPER guidance committee, which supported testing of solid state lighting equipment and distribution of the results in the public interest.

He has lectured at LEDucation and has presented at events for the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), the IES New York Section (IESNYC), The Center for Architecture in New York City, and Light Congress 2006. He has given tours of CBB’s projects for Open House New York, DLFNY, IESNYC, AIA Archtober, NYCxDesign, and Central Park Conservancy. He has written for LD&A Magazine.

Michael has served on lighting design juries for Parsons, New York School of Interior Design, IESNYC Lumen Awards and the IES Illumination Awards. In 2023, he won an IESNYC Brilliance Award for service to the lighting community.

FRANCESCA BETTRIDGE

Credentials: FIES, IALD, LC
Principal

Francesca, President and Principal of Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design, contributes insight, creativity, and commitment to sustainable design to her projects. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with esteemed architects on award-winning national and international projects encompassing a wide range of types and styles.

Francesca’s project experience encompasses some of the world’s most iconic buildings. She worked on one of the first LEED projects, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, as well as the world’s first LEED Platinum certified skyscrapers in both the USA and Europe – the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park (New York City) and Torre Iberdrola (Bilbao, Spain).

She has been honored with over 155 lighting awards, including Lumen Awards of Excellence and Citations, NLB Tesla Awards, A/L Magazine Outstanding Achievement Awards, Awards of Excellence and Citations, the Paul Waterbury Award of Distinction for Exterior Lighting, the GE Edison Award of Excellence, IALD Awards of Excellence and Awards of Merit, IES Illumination Awards, LIT Awards, and The Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards.

Francesca is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society (FIES), and has served on the Board of Managers and the Richard Kelly Scholarship Committee of the IES New York Section. She is a Professional Member and former Secretary of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), and is Lighting Certified by the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions. She served on the Advisory Board of Architectural Lighting Magazine.

She has been a keynote speaker at international lighting conferences: twice at Expo Lighting America in Mexico City; at the Lighting Days event in Stockholm; and at LightFair International in San Diego.

A graduate of Barnard, Francesca studied at Parsons The New School for Design and the Open Atelier of Design, which she co-founded. She has taught at Fashion Institute of Technology and at Parsons The New School for Design.

MIN YOUNG KIM

Associate

Min Young graduated from Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, Korea, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design. Her interest in lighting arose from those studies; this career choice attracted her because of the positive impact that thoughtful lighting design can have on the environment.

She was accepted into the Master’s Program at Parsons The New School for Design and moved to New York City, where she went on to earn a Master’s degree in Architectural Lighting Design. Min Young excelled in her chosen educational field: she received a merit scholarship from Parsons, and won a Thesis Award for a study of using colored light and shadow to transform vacant lots in New York City, improving people’s visual experience in those neighborhoods.

To supplement her studies, Min Young worked as an intern at CBB during 2016; following a brief assignment with Cooley Monato Studio she joined CBB as a full-time designer in 2017, and was promoted to Associate at the start of 2023. At CBB, she works on a variety of projects, including office towers, historic building renovations, and government facilities.

Min Young says, “I am intrigued by the challenge of creating lighting solutions that embrace both the functional and the aesthetic aspects of architectural design.”

CLARA SAMUDIO

Associate

Clara studied architecture at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. Following her graduation, she began her career in design at David Restrepo & Cia. Arquitectos, also in Bogota, where she rose to the position of Senior Architect and worked on corporate, hospitality and residential projects. Two of these projects, a restaurant and a bank branch, were published in the Colombian architectural magazine Exkema.

Her architectural work led to her acceptance into the Masters’ Program at Parsons The New School for Design. However, it was her professional and personal experience with the many ways that design can influence human experience that drew her to the lighting design discipline. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Architectural Lighting Design from Parsons in 2018, and her thesis, “Lighting: the Historic Value of Brick and Cities’ Identity,” was selected for presentation at the 2018 Illumination Engineering Society (IES) Conference. Clara joined CBB as a designer after her graduation, and was promoted to an Associate’s position at the start of 2023. 

Clara’s international travels have given her a global perspective on design and its effects on our health, happiness and success. On a journey that began in her hometown on the Colombian/Venezuelan border, traversed both Latin America and Europe and concluded in New York City, she has developed an appreciation for design as an influence on social interaction. In her own words: “Good lighting encourages and welcomes people to use a project, making human beings the center of the designer’s creation.”

Tiffany Skinner

Accounting Assistant

Tiffany is a native New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn. She has known since her grade school days that she wanted to be part of the corporate business world; this goal was solidified when she joined a business education program in high school.

She earned her Associate Degree in Business Administration from Katharine Gibbs School. Immediately following her graduation, she was appointed to the position of Office Manager by a non-profit organization headed by one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Roscoe C. Brown. Tiffany began working at CBB in 2004 as the firm’s receptionist. Since that time, she has become a key player on CBB’s administration team. Her role covers a range of responsibilities, including assistance with accounting and invoicing, supervising reception, and orientation of new staff who join CBB.

“What I enjoy most about working at CBB is the people I work with,” Tiffany says. “Over the past 15 years, I have come to consider them not just my co-workers, but my extended family. I am also happy to have built an excellent rapport with the clients and manufacturers who work with CBB.”

NATHALIE FAUBERT

Credentials: IALD, MIES
Senior Associate

Nathalie joined Cline Bettridge Bernstein in 2000, having received her M.A. in Architectural Lighting Design from Parsons The New School for Design. She became an Associate of the firm in 2007, and was again promoted, to a Senior Associate’s position, at the start of 2013. Since joining the firm she has worked with many talented designers – both the architects who are her clients, and her fellow lighting designers at CBB – who inspire her on a daily basis.

Her interest in lighting arose from a lighting design course required as part of her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design at Philadelphia University. The qualities that lighting can impart to both interior and exterior environments appealed to her, and from that point became the focus of her studies and career.

Raised in Haiti, Nathalie’s diverse artistic background includes design experience in architecture, interior design and furniture design. Outside of her professional scope, she is a talented designer of custom jewelry. Her innate creativity and technical ability have contributed to CBB’s projects in the hospitality, educational, commercial, and residential fields. Her project work at CBB is published in numerous design industry magazines, with articles appearing in Architectural Digest, Interior Design and Oculus.

She is an Adjunct Professor at the New York School of Interior Design, where she teaches Architectural Lighting Design courses. 

Nathalie is a professional member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society (MIES).

NICOLE YOON KIM

Senior Associate

Nicole joined CBB in 1998, after completing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Architectural Lighting Design at Parsons The New School for Design. She became an Associate of the firm in 2007 and was promoted to a Senior Associate’s position in January 2013.

Her project work covers a broad spectrum, ranging from high-end houses and apartments for high-profile owners to retail venues and corporate buildings. She was a key player in CBB’s work with world-renowned jeweler Harry Winston, leading a series of new and renovated “salon” projects in the USA and around the world. One of these projects, the new Harry Winston Shanghai Pavilion in China, was awarded a GE Edison Award of Excellence.

She responds to her clients’ design needs with a precise, highly professional yet very personalized service. Her thoroughness, attention to detail, and commitment to good client relations firmly support CBB’s´ reputation for optimal lighting solutions.

Nicole is both a talented designer and an enthusiastic mentor to the firm’s´ junior design staff and interns.

BATUHAN TUMBA

Designer

Batuhan (Batu) started his professional career as an Urban Designer and Architectural 3D Visualizer, after his 2015 graduation from Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, Istanbul with a BSc of City and Regional Planning. His interest in lighting developed through his 3D artwork, in which he experimented with adding lighting effects to architectural designs. Through this process he realized the depth and dimension that well-designed lighting can bring to architecture, and its positive impact on the people who use those buildings. This realization drove him to continue his education, specializing in architectural lighting design. In 2017, he graduated from Hochschule Wismar, Germany with a Master of Arts in lighting design.

He worked for CBB as an intern in 2016, then spent 2017 abroad, completing his studies and working as a designer in Istanbul. He rejoined CBB as a full-time designer at the end of 2018. Batu’s work at CBB encompasses a variety of projects, including educational buildings and campuses, healthcare centers, private residences and corporate offices.

In his project work, Batu maintains a passion for creating atmospheres that are both user-friendly and inspired. He believes that lighting has the power to affect our visual and emotional perception, providing the users of buildings and spaces with the best possible experience.

Nadia J. Hall

Receptionist

Nadia earned her B.A in Political Science from Brooklyn College, with coursework focused on African American politics. Throughout her studies, she sought internships to round out and hone her career skills. She worked in a variety of intern roles that enabled her to develop strong administrative capabilities. These positions led Nadia to seek a front-office role in professional services, where her leadership capabilities and interpersonal communication strengths would be valued. She was welcomed into the CBB team in 2018.

As CBB’s receptionist, Nadia is both the first point of contact for the firm’s clients and a vital part of the administrative team. Her duties are wide-ranging and include welcoming and greeting the clients who phone or visit the office, project administration tasks, and assisting in the production of promotional material and bids.

Nadia comments that her position with CBB is a perfect fit, saying, “I enjoy witnessing the dedication and inspiration that each team member brings to the table; it’s infectious!” She finds her role challenging and appreciates daily opportunities to work creatively and dynamically.

NICK STUCHLAK

Credentials: MIES, LEED GREEN ASSOC.
Designer

Nick joined Cline Bettridge Bernstein as a designer in May 2016. Previously, his roles as an Electrical Engineer in Houston, TX and Philadelphia, PA had focused on the MEP aspects of lighting. While working with lighting as an Engineer, Nick found himself drawn to the artistic opportunities offered in architectural lighting design. He moved to New York City in 2015 and has worked on a range of projects that include building façades, transportation hubs, high-end offices, and public buildings for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).

Every day, Nick brings his perspective as both a lighting designer and an engineer to his project work. His key interests are sustainable design, lighting controls, the use of color to add dynamism, and the inventive and practical application of daylighting techniques.

Nick graduated from Pennsylvania State University (PSU) with a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree (concentration in Lighting and Electrical Design) and a minor in Architectural Studies. He also studied structural design and architecture both abroad in Italy and at PSU. He is a member of the IES and a LEED Green Associate.

CHI IAMSAKUL

Credentials: PLDA
Associate

Chi received a B.A. in Architecture from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. In her ensuing four-year career as a professional architect, she was drawn to projects where lighting design was a significant factor. She saw the many ways in which lighting can accent and enhance a building’s architecture.

During continued studies for an M.A. in Architectural Lighting Design at Hochschule Wismar, Germany, she worked as an intern at CBB. Following her graduation in 2008, she joined the team as a full-time Designer and was promoted to the role of Associate in 2013.

Working at CBB, Chi appreciates the variety of projects and the ongoing opportunities that these projects present for professional growth and learning. She has a special interest in designing attractive, user-friendly and cost-effective lighting for offices and institutional buildings.

Chi is a member of the Professional Lighting Designer’ Association (PLDA).

LINDSAY ARENSBERG

Associate

Lindsay joined Cline Bettridge Bernstein as an intern in 2011, while in graduate school at Parsons the New School for Design. Following her graduation in 2012, she joined the CBB team as a full-time Designer. She was promoted to an Associate’s position in 2015.

She first pursued her interest in lighting through her study of theatrical lighting design at Boston University, where she received her BFA in Theatrical Design with a Concentration in Lighting. As an undergraduate she was introduced to architectural lighting design as a field, in which she took an immediate interest. Drawn by the direct impact that lighting has on people and their environments, she was compelled to pursue lighting design as a career.

Lindsay lends her talents to a wide range of projects, including schools, health facilities, corporate offices and building façades.

ALEXIS ARNOLDI

Credentials: MIES, IALD, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Associate

Alexis joined the Cline Bettridge Bernstein team in 1998, was made an Associate of the firm in 2004, and was promoted to a Senior Associate’s position in 2013. He holds leading design and management roles in a diverse selection of the firm’s projects, spanning a broad range of uses, styles and design needs.

As a LEED Accredited Professional, Alexis possesses an in-depth knowledge of energy efficient, sustainable lighting design. He brings this focused expertise to many CBB projects including corporate offices, academic centers and museums. A skilled team leader and trusted client manager, he heads projects involving highly complex, world-recognized building developments. He has held key roles in award-winning projects, with two Lumen Citations, an IIDA Award and an IES Illumination Award.

Inspired by opportunities to create better buildings and spaces through the incorporation of light, Alexis appreciates the daily challenges that his work presents. “What I like most at CBB is working with the different architects who are our clients and their wide array of projects and design styles. I enjoy the opportunity of bringing their work to a higher level through the use of light,” he says.

Alexis holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Engineering, with an emphasis on Lighting Design, from Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society and a Professional Member of the International Association of Lighting Designers.

Amer Alchama

Credentials: IALD, MIES
Designer

Amer began his design studies at Damascus University in Syria. He completed his undergraduate degree at the New York City College of Technology, where he was on the Dean’s honor list for three years before graduating magna cum laude in 2017. Following his graduation, he continued his studies for a Masters’ degree in Architectural Lighting Design at Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

He joined CBB as an intern in 2018, working with CBB design teams on a variety of projects including night imagery lighting for tower façades and outdoor sites. His work at CBB also fulfils the hands-on design experience required for his Masters’ degree and for completion of his thesis on the psychological effects of different lighting schemes when viewed through virtual reality devices.

Prior to working with CBB, Amer worked as a New York City landmarks specialist, gaining experience in the preservation of historic building facades city-wide. In this role, he learned that lighting is a key aspect of architectural design, which transforms a project’s aesthetic and its impact on human well-being. He makes this philosophy the basis of all his work at CBB.

JIYOUNG LEE

Associate

Jiyoung joined Cline Bettridge Bernstein in 2006 and was promoted to Associate at the start of 2013. Her undergraduate training in furniture design introduced her to the theory and practice of lighting design. She went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in architectural lighting design from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.

At CBB, Jiyoung works on design teams for both interior and exterior lighting projects. She has brought her design talent and technical skills to performing arts centers, community buildings, university facilities and large-scale works for international clients.

She is intrigued by the relationships that exist between light in its many forms and the way that people feel within the spaces where they work, play, learn and live. She enjoys working with lighting forms and effects to create colors, moods and ambiences that make people respond positively to their varying activities and environments.

Maria Ruby E. (Ruby) Reyes

Office Manager

Ruby has extensive experience in office management, personnel supervision, benefits, and finance/accounting. Prior to working at CBB, she held roles in administration, finance and personnel, and social sciences research at both private and non-profit firms in NYC and Manila (Philippines). She moved to the USA in 1983, where she worked for 10 years as part of a NYC non-profit organization before joining CBB in 1994.

Ruby’s role as CBB’s Office Manager is busy and multi-faceted, with responsibilities that include finance/accounting, staff benefits, office facilities and maintenance, and management/supervision of the administrative and maintenance personnel.

She graduated with a BA in Economics from Maryknoll College, Quezon City, Philippines, where she was on the Dean’s List. She continued her education with postgraduate studies in Economics at the Jesuits’ Ateneo de Manila University.

Sophia DeChiazza

Marketing Director

Sophia graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University. She joined CBB in 2009, upon returning to the USA after 17 years of work experience in Auckland, New Zealand. While in Auckland, she studied Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Finding creative fulfillment in working with these programs, she pursued a career path of marketing and bid management for architecture and design firms.

This new-found passion became a career path, in a profession that Sophia has pursued ever since. She enjoys the variety offered by her role as CBB’s Marketing Director: using words and graphics to create promotional materials; working with architects to develop bid scopes; collaborating with a talented team of designers; and most of all the satisfaction associated with proposal efforts that win new projects for CBB.

In addition to her marketing and proposal work, Sophia assists CBB in the NYC School Construction Authority’s Summer Internship Program. This annual program gives talented high school students an opportunity to work for CBB as marketing assistants during their summer vacations, under her leadership.