AD PRO Sourcebook: 11 Architectural Lighting Designers to Elevate Your Projects

Lighting specialists are increasingly vital for top architects and interior designers – acting as cartographers, scenographers, and researchers who blend technology with spatial awareness to craft thoughtful illumination schemes. ‘I view the role as both a technical consultant and a creative partner,’ explains Hervé Descottes, founder of L’Observatoire International. He emphasizes the collaborative nature, comparing the lighting designer’s role to a film director’s collaboration with a cinematographer.

Key Lighting Design Firms

AD PRO has compiled a list of 11 highly-regarded architectural lighting designers. Fisher Marantz Stone, members of the USGBC and International Dark-Sky Association, are known for their eco-friendly approach, often integrating solar solutions. Recent projects include the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Pittsburgh International Airport. Focus Lighting, with a bespoke light lab in Brooklyn, meticulously demonstrates lighting schemes under various conditions to clients, earning recognition from AD100 designers like GRT Architects and Ken Fulk. They’ve recently illuminated the Ambassadors Clubhouse restaurant in New York and Nancy Mah’s Hudson Valley home.

HLB Lighting Design, established in 1968, boasts 10 global offices and offers diverse services, including light art installations and daylighting manipulation. They’ve collaborated with AD100 designers on residential projects in the Hamptons and Silicon Valley. Orsman Design, known for their work in Water Mill, New York, consistently delivers sophisticated lighting solutions.

These firms represent a range of expertise, from sustainable design to bespoke lighting labs and expansive global operations, all dedicated to enhancing architectural projects through strategic illumination.