We’re back with another Lunching with Luminaries interview! This time, join us for a chat with Hadar Bendriem, Senior Associate located at our Boston Studio, and Eddy Garcia, Senior Associate at our Miami Studio. This duo will have you inspired to use your passions as design inspiration and potentially leave you questioning if you have ever had a ‘real’ bagel.

What sparks creativity for you? 

 Hadar: I really enjoy feeding off other people’s energy and ideas – things like thinking out loud with the team or looking at images together. Doing non-work-related things like traveling, trying new restaurants, movies, or shows, and being outside all help rejuvenate the creative spark at work.

 Eddy: For me, it’s all about travel. I travel a lot and try to be in a different place every two to three months and if I go past that time, I usually start getting travel fever! It’s all about the opportunity to see other cultures – coming from an architectural background, it’s fascinating to see the blend of historical richness of different places. I often find myself going back to imagery from my travels in the middle of a design session.

What does your average day look like?

Hadar: I’m a morning person, so I’m usually up between 5:00 and 5:30 AM. We have a very snuggly kitten, so I have a routine of giving her a little attention before my workout. I don’t drink coffee, so that’s not part of my routine, but I will sometimes drink tea.

Once work starts, I feel like every day is an adventure. One of the things that I find most appealing about lighting design is that you’re working with so many different project teams on different projects at once, so it keeps everything fresh and interesting! At this stage in my career, there’s a lot of meetings to attend so I think efficiency is key. Being able to take advantage of the time between scheduled meetings to collaborate with our team is important, especially now that I am working between two studios (Boston and New York). However, I like a good challenge!

Eddy:

I like starting my day early, so I usually wake up around 5:00 AM. By 6:00, I’m taking a 15-minute Lagree class – very intense and fun! I usually arrive in the office by 8:30 and, like Hadar, each day is ever-changing. As a project manager, everything ebbs and flows. All my projects are in different stages, from design to construction, so there’s a rapid shift from task to task for most of the day. It’s always fun.

Half of my day usually consists of collaborating with the team, either virtually or in-person, making sure that everything is moving along on each of my projects and reviewing documents or anything that needs to be sent out. The other half of the day might consist of writing proposals or attending business development or marketing events, which I enjoy!

If you could describe lighting design in 3 words, which words would you use? 

Hadar: Vital, inspiring, multifaceted.   

Eddy: Expressive, impactful, ethereal.  

What’s your favorite way to stay plugged into the design community (outside of the office)? 

Hadar: I’m working on building my network in a new-ish city, so I’m always trying to find opportunities to attend networking events. That allows me to meet both potential clients and peers in lighting design. Other than that, I try to take advantage of everything that Boston has to offer and get familiar with what’s around me because it’s all still new and you never know what’s out there!

Eddy: Whenever I can, I attend local design and architecture events, like AIA or IIDA, to stay plugged in. It’s a great way to stay on top of trends and meet with new or existing clients. I also constantly use online resources, like Facebook, business journals, and design groups, and stay up to date with research from sources like the The Real Deal . Both the Florida and national versions are great. It’s all about real estate and development, and it covers projects that vary in stage all the way from schematic to completion. 

What is a place (built/natural environment) that inspires you? 

Hadar: I really love being out on the water. I’m a former swimmer and rower so the water is super peaceful and inspiring to me. There’s something there that cuts through the chatter – you can get a rhythm going and it becomes the tempo for inspirational thoughts. I do ceramics also and have a similar feeling at the pottery studio. Ceramics are a form of creative therapy for me.  

Eddy: For me, it’s theaters. I love the performing arts, especially Broadway. I’ll take advantage of any opportunity to go out to the theater – you’ll often find me at the Adrian Arch Center, our local performing arts center in Miami, but my favorite in the world is probably El Teatro Real in Madrid. Not only does the theater inspire me, but it’s one of my favorite types of project to design. It feels full circle because I’ve seen hundreds of theater spaces over the years, and now I get to be a part of designing those spaces.  

What’s the best-kept secret in your city? 

Hadar: This is a little difficult because I still feel like a newbie in Boston, but I just discovered a kayaking spot in Newton, which isn’t too far away. It’s very serene and feels connected to nature, which is a nice contrast with where we’ve been kayaking – the trails between MIT and Harvard in the midst of all the university rowing and sailing teams, which is interesting. Just not as peaceful!

Eddy: Miami is such a big tourist destination that it can sometimes feel like everybody knows everything, but I’m going to say the Miami Beach Boardwalk. It’s not necessarily a hidden secret, but I don’t think enough locals take advantage of it. The whole boardwalk spans about 7 miles in one direction, so you can easily run a half marathon there which is unique. It’s beautiful because you pass high-end condos, beach views, and you end up at a park where you see the cruise ships in the port. The entire route is scenic.

 What’s something on the horizon that you are looking forward to? 

Hadar: One of my childhood friends is getting married in Austin, Texas, which I have never been to, so I’m excited to not only see many of my childhood friends but get a little taste of a new city. We won’t be there for long, but it will be fun to explore when we can.

 Eddy: In January, I’ll be running the Miami half-marathon. This is my longest official race – everything that long up to this point has been training. I’ve been training since September, so I feel excited and ready!

 You know we can’t leave without one last question – what’s for lunch?  

Hadar: I have a salad for lunch every day – I meal prep awesome salads for me and my husband so it’s usually the same thing. Today, though, I did have a bagel because my aunt was visiting from New York this weekend and she brought us a few real bagels.

Eddy: Leftovers! I do Home Chef every day because it’s so convenient – I love that I don’t have to sit down and plan every meal. Between my workouts, dog, and husband, the grocery store isn’t always an option. Today’s leftovers are meatloaf with honey-roasted carrots.