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Discovery of the Interrelationships Between Lighting and Architectural Space The team: Avraham Mendall Mor, Matthew Handel, Sungwon Jung, David Brown
The goal of the project was to renovate a marketing firm. In doing so we decided that whatever was done must be extremely flexible with respect to point of focus, mood, and general illuminance. With the development of new control systems and the prices of these systems dropping, new lighting designs are including lighting systems that can change by the push of a button. Before the renovation, the space was painted with high chroma colors and very little flexibility. (see before pictures) Our design included so many systems that the model space had to be renovated to accommodate the additional lighting systems. The space now has the ability to drastically change point of focus, mood, and general illuminance. Our team focus was to create flexibility in the space through light. My partner David and I were to deal with the columns, arches and walls. In creating ideas for this project, I decided to continue my exploration in computer visualization. I created the space in AutoCAD and then 3D Studio (see renderings). My original designs called for leaving the columns in place but painting everything white, which would allow gels to be placed in the fixtures to change the color of the walls, arches and columns. In the model I placed lights and lit the space realistically. When the team assembled, we discussed our designs and started to construct a rough model of the space. The columns, made from PVC pipe, were to be concave with a concave arch reaching from one column to another . The column system also included a Plexiglas column that could be lit from above. The light coming from the Plexiglas would light the PVC. We started by using a piece of clear Plexiglas, but discovered all the light was passing through. We decided to sandblast the columns and it worked out well. I also continued to render the model in the computer for design ideas and lighting schemes. (see renderings) Another thought about the columns was to try and light the Plexiglas separate from the PVC. This was a great idea but we would have needed two different lamps in one location and further examination showed that the viewer would not see the second source as anything. Therefore this was not included into the design. We also discovered how well the sandblasted columns kept light and supported colors. The walls were painted 5PB 8.5/5 (white with a hint of blue) as to be different from the ceiling and for the colors ability to reflect changes in color. The arches in the ceiling were a combined effort. The cove in the ceiling sets the point where the arch starts. The arch is painted white and lit at the end by fiber optic ends. The arches also support the ceiling. The walls and columns in the conference room were made the same as the hallway, only smaller PVC and Plexiglas. (see construction photos) The end result is an amazing looking model. I have shown people pictures of the space and they do not believe it is a model. There are a few things I wish we could have done better. I wish we had started building the model earlier in the semester. We did a great job but there are things we had talked about that we simply did not have time for. In addition, I wish the logo could have had a little more flexible. There was only one dimmer for a few different lamps on different angles. We had flexibility everywhere but there. Lastly, the differences in lamps, new and old, were very noticeable and I had hoped to resolve that. This project was associated with a course at the University of Kansas, Space and Light Theory, and a book by Lou Michel, Light: The Shape of Space. The course is designed to introduce architectural engineers to the effects of light, color theory, and lighting design. In this model we tried to incorporate as many ideas as possible presented in the book and in class. Some of the simplest ideas represented in this design are the theories of Gestalt; similarity, closer and good continuation. The theory states “good Gestalt…is an organization of parts that is characterized by perceptual simplicity, neatness, and order, and has the smallest number of structural features required to form a larger pattern or shape” (Michel 19). In our model the Plexiglas columns are in good continuation where they follow each other and come to a stop. In addition, there is good continuation and proximity to the ceiling pieces and the cove to the side. The visual frame between the hallway and the conference room is an example of closure where the space beyond is there and visible, but not as visual as if you were in the space. Framing the visual objective is another concept we discussed in class, which is to place boarders that block the main objective so the viewer is drawn toward the object. In our model, the frame at the end of the hallway accomplishes this. It makes the view of the conference room slightly blocked so the viewer cannot see the ceiling of the conference room or the columns next to the logo unless you walk toward the conference room. In class discussions and reading we constantly talked about lighting fixtures and their placement. One project objective was to make the architecture into the fixtures. For example, in the Plexiglas columns, the light source is not visible but the column itself is illuminating the room. There are no fixtures visible in the design. This project is extremely realistic. All the lighting systems are legitimate and capable of being placed in real life. In an actual design, I would include fixtures below the columns as well as above so the columns are one color from top to bottom and the light does not get lost half way down. The coves would be lit with fluorescents. To accomplish the colors in the fixtures, color changers would be placed on the fixtures and the colors would change with the dimming. I would envision all the fixtures on computerized dimmers, most likely ETC Unison system where a control station would have the ability for programming. In the conference room and the hallway, control panels would have settings such as “displays” for viewing the displays and “meeting” for a meeting in the conference room. The project consisted of designing six different scenarios that had a specific task in mind. They were: 1. Viewing the displays. 2. Party scene. 3. Viewing the logo. 4. Drawing people to the conference room. 5. Meeting in the conference room. 6. Viewing the video display. Works Cited Michel, Lou. Light: The Shape of Space. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996. |
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Lightswitch - Chicago Avraham Mendall Mor (Avi) 115 South Drive Tower Lakes, IL 60010 847.487.4273
amor@lightswitch.net |
