UP CLOSE WITH
JAMES POORE James Poore is Regional Lighting Director at Aecom in London Design has been a lifelong passion of mine, and so has lighting—though it wasn’t until I was asked, “How did you get into lighting?” that I realised just how deeply rooted that fascination was. There was no single moment; rather, a persistent curiosity about light—its power, mystery, and emotional impact—has followed me since childhood. I have worked in events and production since 1997 and in architectural and built-environment lighting design since 2000. My interest in light can be traced back to school, where art, design, electronics, science, and physics projects all seemed to orbit around it. By A-levels, the focus became unmistakable. My final Design project transformed music into dancing beams of light using mirrors, motors, circuitry, and a homemade smoke machine. My Electronics project converted audio into rhythmic light pulses, exploring light as both a technical and emotional medium. Art college intensified this obsession. Light featured in almost everything I produced—from photography exploring shadow and silhouette to installations using backlit screens and live performance. My final degree show revealed an entirely different exhibition under ultraviolet light. Further study in Interior Architecture clarified the relationship between light and space. Seeking part-time work, I joined a firework company, choreographing 60
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pyrotechnics for concerts, orchestras, and large-scale events across the UK and abroad. Downtime on site drew me to lighting rigs, learning through observation and conversation. This led to full-time production and stage lighting work, including the £10 million opening ceremony of the King Faisal Foundation’s Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh—a multimedia spectacle blending light, music, and pyrotechnics. Back at university, I organised the end-of-year degree show, flooding the atrium with theatrical colour using hired stage lighting. One visitor, Steve Edge, was far more interested in the lighting than my portfolio; the following Monday, I was offered a role as a lighting designer in London. Joining Lighting Design House felt natural. I rose to Senior Designer, leading projects including the Platform for Art exhibitions with London Underground, balancing artistic sensitivity with technical constraints and earning multiple industry commendations. In 2002, I joined Sutton Vane Associates, delivering major public realm, heritage, and landmark projects worldwide, earning RIBA and Landscape Institute awards. By 2005, I founded JPLD, delivering nearly 20 years of award-winning lighting projects globally—from museums, airports, and public spaces to palaces, festivals, and private residences. The practice remained
small, intimate, and defined by trust, craft, and curiosity. After reflection, I decided to make port for the final time. In April 2025, I joined Lee, Patricia, and the exceptional lighting team at AECOM as Regional Director, bringing a lifelong journey with light into its next chapter. .If you’re starting out in lighting design, stay curious and experiment with light in every way you can. If you can attend art college, do it, it will help open your mind to a wider world, and look for apprenticeships or graduate programmes with reputable companies. Seek hands-on experience, volunteer as a technician, go on project visits to gain invaluable onsite live experience to understand issues and challenges first hand, especially during the construction phase.. Collect and study light samples, and make mock-ups to test ideas. Build your network of contacts and talk to mentors and senior professionals, the lighting community is small, friendly, and full of passionate people. Above all, grab every opportunity with both hands and immerse yourself in real-world learning. A good lighting designer is a unique individual and has a blend of artistic vision, technical precision, and scientific understanding, all while remaining a pragmatic realist. ■