Rogier van der Heide studied at the Institut Supérieur des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and the Amsterdam School of the Arts. Until March 2010, he was Director with Arup and the Global Leader of Arup Lighting. In that role, Van der Heide has been responsible for innovative, creative and well-executed projects all over the world. Winning many prestigious awards and working together with world-renowned architects like Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid, his work is widely recognised as leading in the field of creative and independent design.

Nowadays, as Chief Design Officer for Philips Lighting, Van der Heide explores the new and unique ways that innovative LED-lighting can meet people’s needs and aspirations to create meaningful, life-enhancing solutions. His mission is to inspire architects, interior designers, artists and lighting designers around the world with products and solutions that unleash one’s creative freedom. He specializes in the creation of spatial experiences that are imaginative, colorful and stimulating.

Last year, Van der Heide spoke at TEDxAmsterdam 2010 on the relation between light and health: What if people could leave the Intensive Care Unit two or three days earlier because of smart lighting? Also, he practised what he preached as he acted as the light designer for the TEDxAmsterdam stage, making many audience members a little happier, and who knows, maybe a litte healthier too.

Further reading:

• Rogier van der Heide’s personal website
• @rogiervdheide
• Rogier’s Linkedin profile

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