Keynote by Mark Hershman
Senior Lighting Designer, Henderson Engineers
Originally delivered at Light+ in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 23rd, 2025.
In a keynote that blended humor, hard-won insight, and a touch of theatricality, Mark Hershman invited Mercer Zimmerman’s Light+ attendees to rethink how lighting shapes the visual experience of architecture. Drawing from decades of experience and a collage of past lectures, Hershman’s talk—“Lighting for Visual Impact”—was a spirited presentation about the power of light to direct the eye, define space, and elevate design.
He opened with a series of visual “oops” moments—misaligned fixtures, obstructed views, and streetlights swallowed by buildings—examples of what happens when lighting and architecture fail to collaborate. These humorous missteps set the stage for a deeper exploration of what visual impact really means, how it’s achieved, and how it can be lost when too many elements compete for attention.
At its core, visual impact is about directing and captivating the eye. Mark illustrated this with a simple exercise: close your eyes, then open them quickly. Where does your gaze land? Almost always, it’s the brightest element in the space. This physiological response is unavoidable—and powerful. Designers can harness it to guide attention, create hierarchy, and shape experience.
To build visual impact intentionally, Mark emphasized the shared vocabulary between lighting and architecture: line, mass, form, and rhythm. These graphical elements are foundational to both disciplines, and lighting has a unique advantage—it can create form where none exists. In a monolithic ceiling or a black box space, lighting can introduce rhythm, draw literal lines, and elevate otherwise flat environments.
One of the most compelling concepts Mark introduced was footprint mapping—a planning tool borrowed from retail design that helps establish lighting hierarchy. By mapping out zones of emphasis (point-of-sale areas, circulation paths, perimeters), designers can prioritize where light is needed and why. This “why” question, he argued, is often overlooked but essential. If you can’t explain why you’re illuminating a space, the design loses clarity—and budget.
He emphasized that luminance, not illuminance, drives visual perception. A white column with a splash of color may draw the eye more effectively than a floor flooded with light. Understanding reflectivity, contrast, and vertical emphasis allows designers to do more with less—saving energy and cost while enhancing visual experience.
In the second half of his talk, Mark introduced a framework for spatial impressions—the emotional and perceptual cues lighting creates within a space. He explored five distinct modes:
Spaciousness: Relies on indirect, volumetric light and is the hardest to achieve without sacrificing impact.
Intimacy: Created by lowering the psychological ceiling and focusing light near the ground.
Tension: Rare in architecture but common in theater, where selective illumination evokes unease.
Relaxation: Balanced lighting across surfaces creates a calm, inviting environment.
Focus: Blends comfort and engagement by directing attention to specific surfaces.
Mark also shared several concept-to-reality examples, including the Sacramento Kings’ Golden One Center (#1), where architectural fins and folds were selectively illuminated to enhance form without overwhelming the structure. Rather than lighting the entire façade, Mark focused on areas that created rhythm and depth—saving budget while amplifying impact.
He also highlighted a movie theater in Overland Park, KS (#2), where translucent baffle elements allowed for color-driven intimacy, and a retail store in Leawood, KS (#3), where vaulted ceilings demanded a sense of spaciousness. In each case, lighting was used not just to illuminate, but to interpret and elevate the architecture—sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically.
Two final examples illustrated the range of Mark’s approach. In an art installation near Dallas (#4), he used dichroic panels to create what he called “static animation”—a layered bounce of light that felt kinetic despite being fixed. And in a Kansas City congregation (#5), he worked with the architect to create a star-like ceiling of freeform point sources, balancing rhythm, color, and hierarchy to draw the eye and reduce uniformity. Footprint mapping helped him cut the lighting budget in half while preserving impact.
Mark ended his talk with a nod to controls and zonal logic, emphasizing how lighting can be dynamically tuned to shift mood and hierarchy. By separating zones—such as pendants, sconces, and column lighting—designers can show owners how a space transforms with subtle adjustments. This not only enhances visual impact but also helps owners understand the design intent in real time. “Sometimes the space gets mushy,” he said, “but with the right control strategy, it becomes clear, intentional, and powerful.”
Ultimately, Mark’s message was clear: visual impact isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters. When lighting is aligned with purpose, hierarchy, and architectural rhythm, it becomes more than illumination. It becomes experience.