Architectural Lighting Design
We are Lighting Design Experts
At Office for Visual Interaction (OVI), we are more than lighting designers–we are philosophers, storytellers, and tailors who identify the essence of a project and craft our designs into vivid architectural metaphors.
Our mission is to design and produce legacy-worthy masterpieces that radiate not just with light, but with rich narratives that thoroughly understand a project’s position in society and time.
We see light as more than a tool; its interaction with surfaces and materials tells an emotional tale, providing depth and structure to a space. Every project is a new opportunity to communicate an idea.
We seek to nurture and further the union of daylight and design. We believe the sensations that lighting stirs are inseparable from the space itself; it is as elemental to architecture as glasswork. We absorb location-specific details, exacting technical specifications, textured facades–every factor and concept that forms the complete project–in order to divine the essence of the overall vision.
In both breadth and scope, OVI’s portfolio is vast and inclusive, comprising intimate, humble installations and iconic, larger-than-life works–each approached with equal passion and humanity. Our designs and products discover and emphasize stories as dynamically composed visual soundtracks that underscore and invigorate architectural masterpieces. The stories that shape our work advance the industry while honoring and echoing the ideas of the past, memorializing and progressing the quintessence of a place, a people, an era.
Our job is to extract, refine, and strengthen the stories that make any location exceptional. Each is brought to life with bold thinking and hidden logic, a sophisticated aesthetic, and a celebration of humanity creating an iconic, emotional, and holistic expression of light.
OVI was founded in 1997 by Jean Sundin and Enrique Peiniger and is based in New York City.
About
Founders
Driven by the virtuosity of its founders, Chief Creative Officer Jean Sundin, and Chief Innovation Officer Enrique Peiniger, the studio’s work reflects their passionate curiosity, technical imagination, and inspired artistry.
OVI Founder, Jean Sundin
Jean Sundin
Founder & Chief Creative Officer
One of the world’s preeminent exponents of architectural lighting design, Jean Sundin began her decades-long career working on the Louvre’s Pyramid, the Korean War Veteran’s Memorial, and the Hirshhorn Museum. Since then, her aspirational career has brought her to touch the largest architectural master plans and the smallest of lighting details. Jean’s compelling point-of-view is a result of her training in both Western and Eastern design philosophies, the classical tradition as well as Feng Shui.
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OVI Founder, Enrique Peiniger
Enrique Peiniger
Founder & Chief Innovation Officer
Enrique Peiniger was formally trained in the fields of architecture and social sciences, his manifold way of thinking defines all his work. As a humanist and engineer, Enrique articulates a project’s historical and cultural context while devising state-of-the-art technology developed to achieve the economy of work. Enrique designs with sensitivity, clarity, and logic, integrating originally engineered lighting into his aesthetically sophisticated solutions.
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Team
Rachel Barrow
Senior Project Manager
“Lighting design should enhance architectural features, not overpower it. The best lighting design is generally unseen”
- The Crown Aman Hotel | New York City, USA
- Niagara Falls State Park |Niagara Falls (NY), USA
- World Expo Dubai – Al Wasl Plaza | Dubai, UAE
- LAX Terminal 5 | Los Angeles, USA
Markus Fuerderer
Project Director & Product Design
“We exist in light of the matter.”
- King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) | Riyadh, KSA
- 740 8th Avenue | New York City, USA
- NEOM Trojena Discovery Tower & Mountain Observatory | NEOM, KSA
- The New York Times Building | New York City, USA
Wendy Jiang
Project Director
“Playing with light and shadow makes for fascinating design experiments.”
- Unicorn Island Masterplan | Chengdu, China
- Apple Fifth Avenue | New York City, USA
- Nanjing Yuzui Runmao Tower | Nanjing, China
- Canadian Parliament – West Block |Ottawa, Canada
Emanuela Mannino
Executive Administrative Assistant
“Outlook is everything and inspiration is everywhere”
Maria McMillan
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
“Any truly fulfilling role starts by surrounding yourself with supportive, creative and motivated minds.”
Soumya Undavalli
Lighting Designer
“Design lies in that sweet spot between comfort and extravagance.”
- ReImagine the Erie Canals | New York State, USA
- University of Texas, Arts Performance Complex, Atheneum and Performance Hall | Dallas, USA
- Seaway Hotel and Residences | Miami, USA
- Ionad Eilean Na h-Òige| Eriskay, Scotland
Testimonials
OVI & Zaha Hadid Architecture testimonial from Christoos Passas
OVI testimonial from Gordon Gill of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Testimonial by Stefan Boehme the client from The Rookery Building about OVI.
Testimonial about OVI from Bob Forrest, Partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Testimonial about OVI from Colin Fox, Senior Manager at Bovis Lend Lease
Testimonial about OVI from Anthony McCall, an artist.
Testimonial about OVI from Enric Miralles, Co-Founder of EMBT
Testimonial about OVI from Hussain Ali-Khan, Vice-President of Real Estate Development at The New York Times
Testimonial about OVI from Margaret Newman, Chief of Staff at NYC DOT
Testimonial about OVI from Dino Ng, Assistant Commissioner at NYC DDC
Testimonial about OVI from Mark Husser, Managing Partner at GRIMSHAW
Testimonial about OVI from Armstrong Yakubu, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners
Arne Emerson, Partner, Morphosis Architects Testimonial about OVI