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LEDucation 2026 Call for Speakers

William Attardi on September 3, 2025

Deadline for Submissions is September 15, 2025. LEDucation is now accepting speaker proposals for its 2026 Conference, taking place April 14–15 at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City. Virtual sessions will be held the week prior to the in-person event. LEDucation provides insightful presentations, panel discussions, practical case studies, and addresses topics exploring emerging issues. The Conference will highlight the latest technologies, regulatory updates, essential issues, and lighting trends. Sessions are AIA CES–approved with many carrying AIA HSW approval as well. This Educational Conference draws expert lighting and architectural professionals along with those who are new to the industry—many seeking CEUs. Be sure your submission includes actionable takeaways and practical guidance that participants can immediately apply in their work. Call for Speakers – LEDucation

Lessons Learned in Problem Solving, Historic Renovation, Office Design, and Neuroarchitecture by Jeanette Fitzgerald Pitts

William Attardi on January 14, 2025

Innovative materials, unique circumstances, new design approaches, and the demand for people-first workspaces are pushing architects into new frontiers. In many cases, completed projects can serve as excellent teaching tools for demonstrating what can be accomplished architecturally in a space and how to best accomplish it. This course explores some of the lessons learned during the recent completion of several different types of projects and includes tips for creating workspaces that boost wellbeing by applying the principles of neuroarchitecture through the use of art, color, lighting and design.  AIA CES Provider statement: Endeavor Business Media is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number 10084542.  Credits: 0 AIA LU/HSW

Lessons Learned in Problem Solving, Historic Renovation, Office Design, and Neuroarchitecture – Architecture & Design Master Continuing Education

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.