Day-Lighting Buildings

Day-Lighting Buildings The primary focus of this course will be the study of lighting in an architectural context. The course will stress the integration of electric and natural light sources during the design process and place an emphasis upon the role light can play in shaping architecture. During the first part of the class we will review historical approaches and current trends in lighting buildings and students will acquire a range of daylighting design techniques ranging from rules of thumb to state-of-the-art, physically-based computer simulations. The main simulation programs used will be Ecotect, Google Sketchup, Radiance, and Daysim. The physical assumptions underlying these programs will be discussed in detail.During the second part of the class, students will work in groups on a lighting concept for a project of their preference. All projects will require the approval of the instructor. Project scopes may range from individual spaces to whole buildings or neighborhoods. There will be an expectation for all projects to go beyond currently established daylight evaluation techniques and explore new ways of how daylight can add to the aesthetic appearance, occupant wellbeing and/or energy balance of a space. A series of guest lectures will help the students to better appreciate these diverse aspects of daylight.