Howard Brandston passed away on Friday, February 24th from Alzheimer’s Disease. He was 87 years old.
Howard graduated from Brooklyn College in 1957. He founded H.M. Brandston & Partners in New York City in 1966, one of the first architectural lighting design firms (now Brandston Partnership or BPI). Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Howard became one of the most recognized lighting designers in the world. He completed over 2,500 projects globally. He is best known for the relighting of the Statue of Liberty in 1986.*
According to the company website, Brandston went on to receive many lighting awards, including Lifetime Achievement awards and “Fellow” status with both the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). Early in his career, he worked with major NYC developers in trend-setting designs for hotels, office lobbies and exterior environments. Working internationally was a part of his early business model.
Edison Report said, “Brandston was one of the founding members of the IALD and is credited with writing the mathematical equation used to set the upper power limit for lighting for their first energy code. This gave him standing with the Department of Energy.”
Robert Prouse, former business partner at Brandston Partnership, shared the news of Brandston’s passing with a LinkedIn post on Friday, February 24th: “It is my sad duty to tell you-all, that Howard Brandston passed away peacefully this afternoon, after a few days in hospice care. For those that didn’t know him, he was a towering figure in architectural lighting design. He was a founding member of the IALD, Past President of the IESNA, and recipient of MANY awards. Memorial service tentatively scheduled for NYC in May…”
Howard is survived by his wife of 35 years, Melanie (Manning), his brother, Andrew, and his children Perry, Lori, Sarah, and Raj, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. There will be a celebration of life event in spring 2023 in New York City.