Skip to main content

Our Team

At Lux et Veritas Design, our dedicated team is led by founder Hilary Wainer. Our team members have diverse educational backgrounds in lighting design, architecture, interior design, theatre and engineering. Our collective skill set allows us to tackle each project to formulate unique solutions through equal amounts of creativity, ingenuity and technical prowess. Our devoted staff members share a passion for lighting and its realization through the architectural form.

Principal, Founder

Hilary Wainer

Hilary Wainer founded Lux et Veritas design in 2013, after having practiced lighting design for over two decades.  Her dedication to Developers, Architects & Interior Designers  spans hundreds of projects across the globe, allowing her to  bring client’s creative visions to reality through the use of illumination in the built environment. Hilary’s success stems from her belief in a pro-active, collaborative team process and attention to detail.  Her success is also shared with others through her exemplary leadership and dedication to mentoring.

Hilary came to architectural lighting through theatre. She was particularly drawn to how light and color are able to transform a space both physically and psychologically, creating an emotional connection with one’s surroundings. She later pivoted to architectural lighting where she could use her talents to illuminate less ephemeral experiences.

Over the course of her career, Hilary has specialized in luxury hospitality, resort, convention center, spa and restaurant projects with a vast portfolio spanning the globe.  Her work also includes a wide variety of other project types including mixed-use developments, healthcare,  museums, corporate campuses, sports venues, themed environments, educational facilities, aviation hubs , aquariums, multi-family and retail venues. Her professionalism and commitment to the projects and her clients has made Hilary a respected and coveted consultant in the world of architecture.  In addition, her creativity, innovative thinking, and dedication to the art of illumination are the foundation of her award-winning success.

Hilary  is an Associate Member of both the International Association of Lighting Designers and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. In addition, she completed her LC Certification and LEED Accreditation (LEED AP).

Associate Principal

AmyAnn Ehmcke

AmyAnn Ehmcke has been working in the architectural lighting design field for over two decades. While earning a BFA in Interior Design at Iowa State University, she realized she was drawn to the lighting classes in particular. She had been seeking a career path which blended both art and science and the idea of focusing on architectural lighting design became even more appealing during her study abroad in Rome, Italy.

She was fortunate to start working in the field of lighting shortly after graduation and spent the earlier years of her career focused retail projects at Pavlik Design Team in Florida. These designs ranged from large malls and department stores to specialty, boutique, jewelry stores with project locations across the United States, Mexico, South America, and South Korea.

Since moving to the Atlanta area, AmyAnn has broadened her expertise by collaborating on a wide range of hospitality type projects while also working on the lighting for stadiums, airports, multi-family developments, and corporate office buildings. She enjoys the variety of design challenges brought by each project and looks forward to implementing solutions that meet both the technical and aesthetic criteria. She is currently a Member of the Illuminating Engineering Society and a Lighting Certified Professional.

Senior Associate

Gonzalo Patino-Zanelli

Gonzalo is a designer with over 12 years of professional experience in the fields of interior architecture and lighting design. Originally from Lima, Peru, he has always had a passion for art and culture. As a young adult, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Southern Polytechnic State University (now KSU) and a MA in Interior Design from the Savannah College of Art & Design, here in Atlanta, Georgia.

His first job out of college was in lighting, working under Ms. Wainer. This opportunity made him mature into the designer he is today. He came to appreciate not only the importance of what we do to make living spaces work; but it also learned that as lighting designers, we can make spaces exciting, beautiful and, most importantly, memorable.

Gonzalo has been with Lux et Veritas Design intermittently since 2012, and he has been fortunate to work on a wide variety of hospitality, entertainment, commercial and high-end residential projects in North and Central America, the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia. His unique professional experience allows him to understand project specific architectural conditions from the client and the consultant side. Gonzalo is a reliable problem solver who cares deeply about the design process.

Designer

Mason Schmidt

Mason came to Lux et Veritas Design as a recent graduate from the University of Florida where he earned a BFA in theatrical production with an emphasis in lighting design. Mason’s first foray into lighting design dates back to his 4th grade production of The Jungle Book, and since then has dedicated his education to light numerous theatrical and dance productions ranging from Sweeney Todd to Rosencantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

Having attended UF in the midst of the pandemic, Mason used this time to broaden his horizons past theatre and began working on projects relating to film, museum lighting, and most notably, architectural lighting. From this moment, Mason found a passion for lighting architecture and for sculpting and defining the spaces and experiences we encounter every day.

Upon graduating in the spring of 2022, Mason was brought on to the Lux team as a Junior Designer where he has had the opportunity to work alongside a talented team of designers on high-end hospitality, corporate office, and multi-family development projects. Mason is looking forward to continuing to refine his craft and the next big design challenge.