After finishing school in Austin and an architect's apprenticeship in Dallas, Mr. Pitts, after nine years preparation sat for and passed the architect's exam in Austin. After passing the exam Allen worked sometimes as an architect but more often as a general contractor and a construction management project manager. In these endeavors he was required to specify and install commercial and residential lighting fixtures. Specifying and installing commercial and residential lighting fixtures was often an exercise in frustration because commercial and residential lighting fixture, up to about 1990, were made of glass and steel or aluminum. The fixtures were expensive and uglier than a mud fence. Incandescent light bulbs operate at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that singes wood and melts plastic so light fixtures have to be made of glass and steel or aluminum. Then in the late nineties LEDs (light emitting diodes) evolved from being system indicators on the front of electronic panels to being brilliant illuminators that operate at room temperature. This evolution was a game changer in specifying and installing commercial and residential lighting fixtures. Systems, including electronic schematics, PCBs (printed circuit boards) and 3D CAD (computer aided design) fixtures were designed and produced. Handsome and functional fixtures are 3D printed in ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic. Working first on home automation systems for closets, staircases and small spaces, Allen began designing and building architectural light fixtures using LEDs as a light source. The fruits of these labors can be seen at the Chandeliers page.