Spotlight on Diversity February 2024
Emad Hasan Brings His Whole Self to Lighting Design
Emad Hasan
Senior Associate, L'Observatoire International
Emad Hasan was born and raised in the US, but has recently been focusing more on his heritage. Both his parents were born in Palestine and emigrated to the US from Jordan. His extended family is scattered across the region: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, etc. “Since I had kids of my own, I’ve been more focused on the history of my family and where people came from. I concentrate more on the cultural side of things, rather than the political. I haven’t visited in years…. It’s a very politically charged region at the moment, always has been — now more than ever. For me it’s always been important not to get bogged down in politics, and rather focus on the beautiful cultural aspects.” Hasan said that he feels at home in the NYC lighting design community: “I have always felt like I can be myself.”
He explained that his immediate family does not live in the current Israel-Hamas war zone, but his parents and extended family are concerned for friends and family in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel. Then there is the possibility of an expanded conflict zone. “Lately, whenever people find out that I’m Palestinian-American they immediately ask if I have family there.”
At home in the design community
Hasan mentioned his many long-standing relationships with Jewish friends and colleagues. “We speak often about how easy it is for us to be close, to be friends and to not look at religion as an issue.” As a Senior Associate at L’Observatoire International, “it's never been a question whether or not we have one faith or another. I think that what's always bound us all is the desire to create great design, together. At least in my experience in the design community, there's a lot more tolerance because we share the same goals and ideas of what we want to accomplish every day….
“Outside the design community, I am often reminded of who I am and where I came from – in a negative way – especially when I was young.” Hasan declined to have a deeper discussion of his faith and faith practices, but expressed his dismay at intolerance and violence in the name of religion.
Strangers hear his name and often profile him in a negative way. “Growing up around kids who just didn't understand that I was raised with not only Middle Eastern culture, but also as an American. There was a lot of teasing and bullying. It took me until becoming an adult to understand how to not be ashamed of my heritage. That’s how I fell into design in college: looking for like-minded people where it didn’t matter. We all shared the desire to create.”
In fact, he continued, discussions of politics and religion rarely come up in conversations at work. “Race and religion can play significant roles in who we are. Because of the way I was treated in the past, I try to never let those things be a reason that I treat somebody differently.”
Starting at Penn State
The lighting program at Penn State drew him to lighting design. “That made me realize that I wanted to work more closely with architects on their projects and be part of shaping the built environment…. I could have a lot more input into how people feel and experience a space.” Hasan spent over 16 successful years at The Lighting Practice, with Helen Diemer as his primary mentor, before he joined L’Observatoire in 2023. “Philadelphia is a much smaller market. The lighting and design community is tight-knit and everyone pretty much knows each other. The [big NYC] culture shock was how reps hold events multiple days of the week and you’re always meeting someone new. I’m finding that the community of people I work with here are equally welcoming.”
Be that as it may, visits to construction sites can be uncomfortable. “I have definitely been on job sites where contractors have treated me differently. I could tell there were cultural assumptions being made about me, and whispers behind my back. Early in my career, I adjusted the way I speak and act around contractors. I know I shouldn’t have to, but I do….
And while NYC lighting design can be more diverse [it depends on the firm], most of our clients are not. The architecture industry is not exactly filled with diversity. But I don't feel like that's ever hindered my career growth or the success of a project.”
Can his heritage be an advantage?
He remarked particularly on the diversity of personnel and clientele at L'Observatoire. “That’s one of the reasons I came here. You have people bringing their cultures to the table, and bringing back insights from projects and design partners all over the world. I’m learning a lot from everybody's background and experience…. It's pushed me outside of my comfort zone and is teaching me new ways to approach lighting design.”
Hasan explained that people in different countries design and build projects differently, and their expectations and experience of lighting also differ. He recalls childhood visits to the Middle East as beige and sundrenched: “The interiors tended to have a lot of lighting contrast, and you didn’t always turn the lights on during the day. A lot of that had to do with energy costs. Once your eyes adjusted, you had ample sunlight to do whatever tasks you needed to do. The evenings felt brighter with cooler color temperatures, perhaps a psychological way to counter the heat.”
As a designer, that international mien pushes him to think beyond the obvious lighting solution. “How does the culture of the region affect the decision making, or the way that we speak about the project? Understanding the project’s context plays a major role in the way we approach design…. And then you might extrapolate that same design idea to other contexts.”
Hasan’s past participation in the IALD helped to develop his international network. And the prospect of working on projects in the Middle East excites him. Ultimately, he sees his career as a series of transitions. “I might have been doing this for over 16 years, but that doesn’t mean I’m not learning something new every day, or willing to take new risks. It’s what keeps design exciting.”
