Steven Rosen, FIALD, CLD, has announced his retirement as founder and CEO of Available Light, the lighting design practice he established in 1992 and led for 35 years.
His lighting design career spans more than four decades and more than a thousand projects, along with a long list of awards. In announcing the move, the firm pointed not only to the project record but to the community of designers, collaborators, clients, students and friends Rosen influenced—and learned from—over that time.
From theater to museums to architecture
Rosen began with a plan to spend a life of design in the theater, finding his greatest joy in visually interpreting dramatic works with light. He supplemented his theatrical career by lighting trade show exhibits alongside one of his mentors, Rick Chamberlain.
A chance trade show collaboration with museum exhibit designer Nick Paffett led to his first museum commission, the Virginia Air & Space Center. A few years later, an encounter with architect Bob Schaeffner produced his first architectural lighting design assignment: a new earth sciences building at Amherst College.
That progression—theater, trade shows, museums and architecture—shaped the firm's identity. Rosen said he saw no reason to focus on a single discipline when he could work across all of them.
Building Available Light
He built Available Light on the belief that unrestrained theatrical storytelling could serve a more expansive audience. What began as a single drafting table in his living room apartment in 1992 has grown into a national practice with six studios and almost 40 people. Its portfolio spans museum exhibition, architecture, themed entertainment, trade show exhibits and immersive environments around the world.
His wife, Susan Gochenour, believed in the vision and soon signed on as the young firm's first managing director.
Rosen won the first-ever IALD Radiance Award for Available Light's work on Building 7 at MIT. He received lifetime achievement awards from both LDI/Live Design and The Edison Report, became a Fellow of the IALD, and was named to the 2025 blooloop 50 Top Museum Influencer list.
A planned handover
Rosen described the team as his greatest achievement. “My greatest achievement has been assembling this team of passionate, talented, and hard-working professionals at Available Light,” he said. “Serving as their leader has been an honor and a privilege.”
He said the decision to step down was eased by the depth of the organization. “Realizing that we have multiple layers of people ready for the challenge of running the firm, I made my decision that the time is now to hand over the reins and cheer on their success. I am a very proud Founder!”
The announcement did not name a successor. According to the firm, Available Light will continue to evolve and push boundaries.
About the practice
Founded in 1992, Available Light describes itself as crafting compelling, innovative, sustainable and insightful lighting design for a broad range of project types. Its designers work across museum experiences, contemporary architecture, themed entertainment attractions and trade show exhibits.