(Europe) – Lighting designer Chiara Carucci has unveiled her new practice, Noctua, a Cultural and Natural Heritage Lighting Design Consultancy.

Carucci launched the firm to act as a bridge between research and practice, aiming to protect heritage by integrating cultural narratives with environmental responsibility, while ensuring conservation and enhancing visitor experiences.

The principle behind the company is that heritage sites are living history, and their stories should continue to be told even when the sun sets. Conservation efforts can often be focused just during daylight hours, and Noctua seeks to make more of these precious natural and built environments.

Carucci will lead Noctua’s efforts in addressing heritage sites and diverse urban environments with innovative, tailored solutions. Her adaptive management process, which includes thorough analysis, hands-on testing, and stakeholder input, has already shown success in past projects. This approach will guide Noctua through all project stages, ensuring long-term value while reducing risks in cost, time, environmental impact, and ongoing operational expenses like energy and maintenance.

Noctua is teaming up with Erik Hagström, Lighting Designer, and Dr. Rosangela Addesso, Environmental Scientist, bringing together lighting and environmental expertise to ensure that Noctua can deliver sustainable, innovative solutions, especially in ecologically sensitive projects.

Carucci says: “With two decades of experience in the lighting industry, traveling for work and conferences across the world and meeting the most interesting people (and living beings) I realised that I bring a quite unique perspective to the table that I should fully embrace and take advantage of. I also quickly came to appreciate how much I enjoy collaborating with individuals who possess multiple skill sets.

“Throughout my professional journey, working alongside experts like water and traffic engineers, conservation architects, and scientists has proven invaluable. A memorable instance occurred in 2017 during a discussion about a linear park in Sweden, where the City architect raised concerns about beavers harming trees and consequently disrupting bird nests, including those of two protected species. The guidance of a zoologist and an ornithologist enabled us to devise an optimal solution for the lighting design.

“As my work in Sweden continued to broaden my perspective on the interconnectedness of ecosystems and cascading effects of our design after dark, I found myself increasingly drawn to projects that considered the needs of all living beings. I gained experience working in various environments and harmonizing the coexistence of different species. “Walking the talk” led me to an exciting project: I was offered the opportunity to design the lighting for two tourist caves that are home to protected bats, in a very delicate ecosystem. Since the project was in Italy and we had just transitioned to working remotely, I realized this was the perfect moment to scale down and focus on what truly mattered to me – serving not just people, but all living beings.”

She adds, “Fast forward three years, after moving to Cilento, Italy, while continuing to collaborate with colleagues and clients in Sweden, I found myself longing for a space dedicated to informed design – one that bridges research and practice and fosters interdisciplinary cooperation and storytelling. This vision is a reality with Noctua: I look forward to welcoming forward-thinking, passionate people to co-create new ways of living after dark.

www.noctura.life