About our company

As the Principal of e² lighting design, Erin Erdman is involved in all phases of a project, from schematic design through construction and post occupancy. Her primary focus is to achieve the highest quality illuminated environments through effective communication with Clients and Design Teams to simultaneously meeting the Architect’s aesthetic desires, the programmatic requirements, and lighting budget. e² lighting design offers creative design, effective and concise lighting documentation for a successful lighting installation.

Since starting e² lighting design in January 2004, she has designed and managed a wide variety of projects including commercial, production and post-production spaces, residential, retail, places of worship, multi-unit dwellings, assisted living homes, building facades, theatrical spaces, and exterior landscapes. Most recently she designed the interiors for Techstyle Clothing headquarters which includes a multi-use stage for filming, web casting, panel discussions, and fashion shows. Techstyle’ s previous headquarters, Just Fab in El Segundo, won an international IES Award of Merit. Other notable projects include the lighting design for the Webster Retail Store and Ama Sushi at the Miramar Beach Resort along with designing the exterior and site lighting at Miramar, Sapire Residence in Pacific Palisades, Pacific Landing mixed use building, the Playa Vista Lobby Interiors and Foley and Lardner Law offices, both 2020 IES Award of Merit projects.

She has made a conscious decision to create a broad based and project diverse lighting design firm, not specializing in one architectural niche. This diversity keeps the firm aware of all cutting-edge lighting techniques and brings creativity and freshness to each project. When the client walks into a completed project and comments on the feel and atmosphere of the space without identifying any particular features, our job is complete. The design team worked together to create an environment where each design discipline is seamlessly integrated.

In addition to an accomplished commercial design portfolio, she has developed numerous residential projects treating the owner-clients to her comforting and efficient management style. Her residential design work ranges from ultra-modern to mountain lodge vernacular with project from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and throughout the United States, including Colorado, Utah, Montana, Connecticut, New York, Florida. Most recently the Sapire Residence in the Pacific Palisades won a Lumen West Award of Excellence and national IES Award of Merit 2020.

Erin is a graduate of the University of Colorado’s Architectural Engineering program, which is nationally renowned institution for lighting education. She is Professional Member of the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).

As a registered architect and lighting designer, Lindsey contributes a unique dual design perspective that enables her to quickly grasp big picture concepts and translate design intent into crafted details, ensuring that the lighting design reveals the essence of every project. Her dedication to striving for personalized design solutions and a collaborative team-based approach is evident in her professional accomplishments over 15 years in the design industry.

Lindsey’s experience includes a diverse collection of site/landscape parks and plazas, building facades, urban master planning, hospitality, multi-unit dwellings, mixed use, retail, and high-end residences. Her well-rounded expertise translates into the ability to enhance architectural features and add dimension with lighting as a medium, transforming spaces into experiences that connect people to their built environment.

Recent project highlights include a 10-acre exterior landscape for a high-end residence – complete with extensive walking paths, moments of reflection, water features, kids playground, and variety of gardens, a luxury multi-unit dwelling interior and exterior site composed of various courtyards and amenity spaces, and several building facades with complimentary entry plazas and roof decks throughout the Los Angeles community. Completed relevant projects include a prominent hotel with conference center in downtown LA, a multi-building mixed use development in Houston, TX, and a performing arts center in Beverly Hills, CA.

Designing with care, Lindsey ensures a long-term commitment to clients and shares their unique vision and goals. In tandem with design industry initiatives to share the benefits of quality lighting design, Lindsey actively supports the endeavor to implement lighting’s positive impact and create a sense of well-being catered to the population it serves. Access to daylight and circadian lighting, energy efficient performance, and reducing light pollution in support of environmental preservation are integral components of her core values during design.

With multiple IES Illumination Awards spanning various market sectors, Lindsey aims for above and beyond in design, process, and execution of her work. Lindsey advocates for sustainable design practices and is a LEED accredited professional with BD+C specialty.  She is also Lighting Certified with an LC credential to demonstrate her commitment to the lighting profession and advancements with ongoing continuing education. Her foundation with BIM technology stems from project-based experience as an Architect and she has spearheaded the implementation of Revit into the firm’s current workstream, supporting multidisciplinary teams to efficiently maintain a synced process.

For Gabby, lighting design has always been magical because of its ability to tell the story of a building, transform a space, enhance the human experience, and highlight cultural influences.

With ten years of experience in the design industry, she uses her background and personal experiences as the essence of her design. Gabby has a Bachelor of Science and a License in Architecture and Urbanism in Brazil and has achieved her Master’s in Fine Arts in Lighting Design from Parsons The New School of Design in New York City. Gabby has lived in Brazil, Switzerland, New York City and currently, Los Angeles, and has traveled around the world exploring different cultures, people, architecture, and design approaches.

With a background in Urbanism, she is able to analyze the relative to its geographic and cultural location, understanding how people will interact with the space, their values and culture. With a background in Architecture, she is able to comprehend and react to carefully designed spaces. With Interior Design as past work experiences she is able to observe details and collaborate with ideas to create subtle interactions between light and space. This unique diversity of disciplines together helps her design memorable spaces.

Her experience as a designer includes an internship with the renowned architect Frank Gehry, where she learned from an architectural perspective how to work on unique projects executed with the highest standards. Her experience as a lighting designer includes a diverse range of projects in hospitality, high-end residences, offices, mixed use, retail, parks and performing arts in the United States, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Relevant projects include Downtown Commons Sacramento/ Kimpton Hotel in Sacramento, Ama Sushi at the Rosewood Miramar Hotel in Montecito, Dreamland Resort in China, Great Park Neighborhood in Orange County, Ritz Carlton Bacara Hotel in Santa Barbara, and private residences throughout California.

Gabby’s experience as well as her background allow her to design spaces that seamlessly integrate lighting, architecture and urban environments. Always seeking for creativity, beauty, functionality and comfort, she aims to design quality and meaningful lighting projects that satisfy the client, have a collaborative effort between multidisciplinary teams and have a positive impact in the surrounding neighborhood.

Colby Freel is a designer with a diverse lighting background. In addition to his work in architecture, he has experience in all areas of lighting for entertainment including plays, musicals, corporate design, ballet, contemporary dance, and concerts.

As the craft of design continues to evolve, having a creative background to bring about novel approaches and incorporate new technologies is a powerful benefit to our clients. The principles of storytelling translate across both theater and architecture. As a theater artist, story telling is at the heart of Colby’s design process. Humans experience and make sense of the world as a narrative, and a lighting designers’ task is to craft the stories of homes and public spaces through light. Colby employs his theatrical training and experience to elevate the design and execution of many of eSquared’s commercial and residential projects that incorporate theatrical design approaches, fixtures, and control technologies.

With the advancement of lighting technology, Digital Multiplex (DMX) has become an increasingly prevalent lighting control protocol in the industry. Because of his experience with DMX control design, Colby has aided the eSquared team in implementation of this theatrically based technology. He has taught undergraduate courses and in-office education on DMX and theatrical fixtures as well as developed office practices on design documentation related to DMX. He also uses his theatrical programing experience in many projects that incorporate DMX fixtures.

Colby’s theatrical design credits include the world premier of Post Card American Town and San Diego State University, A Christmas Carol, at Cygnet Theater, and the world premier of Sapience at MOXIE Theater. Colby’s Assistant credits include Kinky Boots, and A Chorus Line at the Benedum Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA.

Colby received his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre: Design and Technical Theater from the Department of Theater and Film at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in May of 2019. In May of 2022 he received his M.F.A. in Lighting Design and Technology at the School of Theater, Television and Film at San Diego State University. Post-graduation, Colby was honored as the 2022 Hemsley Lighting Intern.

Vania Santos is a former culinary-trained Sous Chef and Executive Chef in Rancho Palos Verdes and Manhattan Beach, who demonstrated her creativity and visual presentation skills with beautiful seasonal dishes in an inviting atmosphere. Vania found her passion and love of Architecture when given the opportunity to travel to different hotels and assist with the opening of new properties by implementing the design features, space planning, and site surveys for new restaurants. The creativity of design developments and functionality of each space, from construction to opening night, motivated her to pursue and achieve an

A.S. in Architecture.

Vania enjoys seeing how light can help accentuate the architectural details as well as how light layers can transform an environment and its mood. Just like salt, light must be carefully placed to the exact amount; if too little, it’s almost unnoticeable, if too much, it’s unpleasant.

Since joining eSquared, she has taken a particular interest in how lighting can affect health. Vania has a passion to help improve the lives of those with neurocognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s. Manipulating light to mimic the rising and setting of the sun in interior spaces is very beneficial as it encourages a healthy circadian rhythm which in turn is known to relieve anxiety and overall improve both physical and mental health. 

Vania is developing and evolving our REVIT standards and practices, collaborating with project teams to learn skills and techniques to more seamlessly integrate lighting into the BIM environment.

Anne E. McMills is a theatrical lighting designer. Her far-reaching career extends across the many facets of the lighting world—from theatre, including Broadway and the West End, to television and theme parks to architecture, industrials, concerts, award shows, dance, and opera. In addition to her own projects, Anne has worked extensively as a Broadway associate, mounting productions in the United States, the U.K., Japan, Australia, and Germany.

Anne achieved her MFA degree in Lighting Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

Additionally, Anne is the Head of Lighting Design at San Diego State University and is also the author of The Assistant Lighting Designer’s Toolkit (ALDToolkit.com ) and 3D Printing Basics for Entertainment Design (3DPBasics.com ).