21 - Light Voices #8 – Martina Kröll

00:00:03: Welcome

00:00:03: to Licht

00:00:04: hören,

00:00:05: a podcast about light lighting and the people behind it.

00:00:09: Here we explore this fascinating field from education in daily practice To how?

00:00:15: We imagine and shape its future.

00:00:18: Hello and welcome to licht hören.

00:00:20: I'm very happy to speak today to Martina Kröll another voice from The Lighting Community In Austria.

00:00:27: Martina who are you And what do You Do With Lights Today?

00:00:31: Hi

00:00:32: I am Bettina Greul and work as an electrical engineer at the engineering firm Klaus.

00:00:40: And lighting is one of my main area focus, especially how it affects people in spaces.

00:00:48: Sounds interesting!

00:00:49: You didn't start in lighting.

00:00:52: you were trained as an Electrical Engineer?

00:00:53: As already said can tell us about How did your path develop?

00:00:59: because like Lighting isn't always the way to go as an electrical engineer.

00:01:06: Of course, I didn't start out in lighting.

00:01:09: I trained as a electrical engineer and graduated it into two thousand five.

00:01:14: after that i worked in different technical fields for example beverage dispensing system cash register systems and alarm systems.

00:01:24: In ten started us Electrical planner, it's engineering from Klaus and the funny thing is that project with a strong focus on lighting seemed to find me naturally.

00:01:37: Was there moment when you thought lightning was the thing for me?

00:01:41: When I think about it now yeah maybe... There were one projects which stood out.

00:01:47: It was a lighting project in the working area of the Austrian Federal Railways And in this project you can check place, lighting mask wherever you want.

00:02:01: You have to consider safety and track area.

00:02:05: we have to protect nearby residents and reduce light pollution by using the right optics.

00:02:16: so working with all these constraints and responsibilities made me realize how complex and meaningful lighting can be.

00:02:26: So yeah, I think that was the moment when i felt this could be my

00:02:31: path.

00:02:32: What does a typical working day look like for you these days?

00:02:37: Today My work is a mix of planning coordination And quality control.

00:02:43: I coordinate to my team develop lighting concepts and do a lot of internal reviews.

00:02:50: that means checking technical plans and lighting calculation, making sure they match the concept.

00:03:02: I also work closely with architects or engineers and clients.

00:03:07: what i really enjoy is bringing everything together into one consistent solution.

00:03:14: One question!

00:03:17: What surprises people most when you talk about your job.

00:03:20: Many people are surprised how closely lighting is connected to health and vision, looking back it's surprised me as well when I started observing my twin sons one of them has a visual empowerment the other doesn't i realized how different light needs are even for the same age.

00:03:48: this changed my perspective and it surprised me how strong my private life, and my job as an electrical engineer suddenly overlapped.

00:04:02: So tell us about a project or situation you are particularly proud of?

00:04:07: I'm actually part one of the early projects with today's climbing hall that was designed with a strong daylight concept and our goal was to reflect this atmosphere in the evening by using glare-free spotlights.

00:04:29: And I think we were able find good balance between enough light, clear contrast allowing structure of space to remain readable.

00:04:39: so yeah after all that is successful in operation.

00:04:44: since

00:04:49: Great!

00:04:50: I can imagine if you think about your job, what would say is challenging?

00:04:55: One big challenge is getting everyone on the same page.

00:05:00: It's not always easy to get them working towards one clear concept and another challenge is helping others understand that even a simply lighting solution needs technical infrastructure.

00:05:17: Electric light always needs power to write cabling and control systems.

00:05:21: Something I'm proud of, a big challenge because lighting decisions can have long-term effects on people.

00:05:30: Is

00:05:31: there something which is less glamorous about your job?

00:05:34: What's

00:05:34: really frustrated me?

00:05:36: when well designed lighting concept isn't put into practice Because of budget cuts In large projects, planning and construction management are often handled separately.

00:05:52: This means that they sometimes have no influence on how the concept is carried out.

00:05:59: in a long-run small extra cost per luminaire it's more economical not only in terms of quality but also employee well-being, motivation.

00:06:13: I think this is a very common part of lighting.

00:06:17: so many people are not aware how important it is and How much it affects us?

00:06:22: That's why we're here.

00:06:24: So at some point you decided to do the European Lighting Expert Training.

00:06:29: Why did you choose to do that?

00:06:31: Honestly The european lighting expert training

00:06:35: Is

00:06:36: closely connected with the principles.

00:06:38: my boss Hi Quality has always been important in our company.

00:06:43: That's why we do regular training and this certification brings benefits in less-speed processes, as I mentioned lighting seemed to find me naturally so when it was offered the opportunity.

00:07:00: I gladly took it And very grateful for me.

00:07:04: This is more.

00:07:06: This training is more than a certification, it's the basis of lifelong learning.

00:07:14: Is this also something you would recommend to someone who was already working in planning and interested in lighting?

00:07:21: Of course yes!

00:07:23: For that occasion alongside your job... It's great way for me to grow and keep quality at the centre of my work.

00:07:37: recommend to everyone staying curious because lighting is not just about technology, it connects people health and responsibilities.

00:07:52: Thank you so much!

00:07:53: So I'm very happy to have your voice also in this podcast And i am very curious what else are gonna do?

00:08:01: Because I know You're really amazing with lighting.

00:08:05: I'm staying curious.

00:08:07: What's nice to be here and hear?

00:08:09: Want to build

00:08:10: skills, gain a formal title.

00:08:12: if you already work with lighting in planning

00:08:15: electrical engineering

00:08:16: or architecture the European Lighting Expert might be perfect for short-term job funding often just few weeks and a

00:08:26: Europe wide credential of pros who want certified check show notes details & contacts.

00:08:33: You have been listening to Licht hören, a joint project of the lighting societies in Germany Austria and Switzerland.

00:08:40: Thank you for listening!