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Owen Howlett - Senior Research Project Manager

Owen Howlett is a specialist in the fields of daylighting and electric lighting, complimented by skills in mathematical modeling, statistical analysis and research design.  He also has specialized knowledge of luminaire manufacturing and lighting control systems.

Mr. Howlett has first-hand experience influencing markets and design practices by using research, best practice guidance, standards, regulations and marketing.  While working for the European luminaire manufacturer Zumtobel Staff, he was responsible for developing the market for the company’s products in the United Kingdom .  Howlett’s published research on the reflectance properties of computer screens was instrumental in the 2001 re-writing of the UK ’s office lighting standard, which instigated a market move away from parabolic louvers towards more ergonomic fixture types.

While working for Zumtobel Staff, he authored the company’s 225-page Technical Applications Guide, the first book of its kind in the world, with 50,000 copies circulated in Europe , Asia and the US .  This book discussed the effects of lighting on the appearance and ergonomics of interior spaces, and set out detailed design options for effective lighting and compliance with lighting codes. He continues to write articles for architectural and design magazines covering lighting issues ranging from aesthetics to glare calculations to LED technology.  He has a special interest in promoting research results to the lighting and energy efficiency communities.

As a designer, he advised on the use of electric lighting and daylighting in commercial office buildings, transport interchanges, the Scottish Parliament building, and was the lead lighting designer for a visual performance evaluation laboratory for an automobile manufacturer. 

As a researcher, Howlett has designed and conducted experiments in the fields of human factors, photometry and luminaire heat performance.  He was appointed Visiting Scholar at the Lighting Research Center from 2002-2003.  During this time he created a software model that used hourly weather data to predict lighting energy savings from a venetian blind opening device, and produced a three-dimensional model to predict whether drivers could detect reflective pavement markings.  He also taught classes for the LRC’s MS in Lighting course.  His particular research interests include discomfort glare and human interaction with control systems.

Since joining HMG he has drafted the residential lighting manual to accompany the 2005 revision of the Title 24 standards, and has analyzed the photometric performance of skylights as part of HMG’s ongoing work in daylighting.

He has presented at conferences and events in the UK , Germany , Austria and the US ; notably at the Glasgow 1999 City of Architecture lecture series, the 2001 Building Services Journal Conference, and the 2002 Peak Load Management Alliance Conference.

From 1999-2003 he was on the editorial board of the International Journal of Lighting Research and Technology.  He holds an MS in Light and Lighting from the Bartlett School , London , and an MFA in Engineering and Art History from the University of Cambridge .