Tao is a lighting designer with a background in architecture and interior design. She focuses on specialty lighting design. She has a Ph.D. in interior design from the University of Minnesota, where she additionally has taught lighting design for interior designers. Tao is recipient of multiple lighting design awards, including the IES Award of Excellence.

Featured Projects View All Work
A beloved icon made modern

University of Minnesota, Northrop Auditorium Revitalization
Acoustic design ingenuity for a welcoming, world-class facility

Hope College, Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts
Renewing the People’s House for the next 100 years

State of Minnesota, Capitol Restoration
A place of beauty and remembrance

Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum
Multidisciplinary design and a world-class museum expansion

Walker Art Center, Expansion
Comprehensive design fosters world-class work environment

General Mills, World Headquarters

University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital