P2S Thought Leadership Series
Inside the Mind of a Lighting Designer
FEATURING Toranj Noroozi Lighting Service Leader & Senior Lighting Designer
Lighting design is both an art and a science, requiring creativity, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of how people experience space. In this edition of the P2S Thought Leadership Series, we go inside the mind of Lighting Design Service Leader, Toranj Noroozi to explore the ideas, influences, and design considerations that shape her work.
From balancing aesthetics with performance to collaborating with architects, engineers, and clients Toranj shares her perspectives on creating lighting solutions that enhance architecture, support occupant well-being, and bring each project’ s vision to life. Her insights offer a closer look at the thoughtful process behind successful lighting design and the important role illumination plays in shaping memorable, functional, and engaging environments.
What first sparked your interest in lighting design? Did you realize right away it could be a career?
My interest in lighting began while I was studying architecture as an undergraduate. I remember a professor talking about how moving a wall or a window just a few inches could completely change the way light enters a space, and, in turn, change how that space feels to the people experiencing it. That idea stayed with me. I became fascinated by how light can make a space feel open and uplifting, quiet and intimate, or warm and inviting, and how deeply it can influence our sense of well-being.
My path to architectural lighting design wasn’ t a straight one. During my MFA program, I studied theatrical lighting, where I learned about the poetry of light, how it can tell a story, create emotions, and transform a scene without changing the physical space itself.
Eventually, I realized I wanted to bring those two worlds together. On a stage, light helps tell a story for a few hours; in architecture, light becomes part of people’ s everyday lives. We live, work, heal, learn, and gather in these spaces, and the lighting we create becomes part of those experiences. That lasting impact is ultimately what drew me to architectural lighting design.
How would you describe your personal approach to lighting design?
I often think of lighting as the soul of a space. It reveals the character of the architecture and shapes how we experience it. My background in theatrical lighting has influenced that perspective, particularly the idea of using light to tell a story, not only the story of the building, but in some ways the stories of the people within it.
I like to begin by thinking about feelings: How do we want people to feel when they enter this space? How will they experience it, move through it, and use it? From there, I translate those intentions into the technical aspects of lighting, considering functionality, visual comfort, perception, and performance. As much as the project and the larger architectural vision allow, I also try to create lighting that goes beyond trends. To me, good lighting should feel integrated into the architecture rather than imposed upon it. Fixtures, forms, and technologies will change over time, but the quality of light and the experience it creates can be timeless.
4 P2S MAGAZINE SUMMER 2026