Registered Architect in New York and New Jersey, she founded Aki Ishida Architect PLLC in 2007. Aki’s work is a synthesis of spatial uses of light and her interest in active public engagement of space. Her projects focus on the potential of light, both natural and artificial, to create opportunities for the design of environments which use light in new ways. The context of her work ranges from interactive public art installations to re-thinking impact of light on healthcare delivery in hospitals. Most recently, she led a group of students and fellow affiliate faculty of ICAT to design and install an interactive audio-visual installation Lantern Field at the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery in Washington, DC. The project was one of a dozen international winners of 2013 Architectural Lighting Design Award.