Light As An Architectural Element

Submitted By-Radhika VermaRoll no- 19

Contents•Introduction•What is light•Relationship between light space and human•Relationship between light and architecture•Natural light and architecture•Lighting•Natural lighting•Daylight•Types of daylighting•Artificial Lighting•Types of Artificial Lighting•Conclusion•Bibliography

•The perception of space is directly connected to the way light integrates with it. •What we see, what we experience and how we interpret the elements is affected by how light interacts with us and with the environment. •Regarding architecture, in whatever dimension it can be analyzed, either as space, as material or as color, it is essentially dependant on the lighting situation that involves both the object and the observer.

Introduction

•The dynamic daylight and artificial lighting are able to instigate and provoke different visual experiences and moods. •Due to the light, it is possible to perceive different atmospheres in the same physical environment.• Light constitutes an element of fundamental relevance and therefore it plays a significant role in the in architecture.

Grand Central Terminal. Lightwell

•Light is the soul of architecture design. •Light allows us to see, to know where we are and what around us. •Beyond exposing things to view and feel, light models those objects to enhance visual and to help us define the physical world. •Nothing would be visible without light, light also makes it possible to express and show to the mind's eye things that eludes the physical one.• To redefine the relationships of people with the environment and with themselves. •It is divided into natural light and artificial light•Natural light is a gift of nature. •Civilized man learns to use artificial light sources which free him from total dependence on daylight.•Artificial light is seeing both during the day as well as after dark.

What Is Light?

Natural light through brick jaalis

•Light is fundamental for space and essential for human well-being and it is the success of any building. •Light quality affects human behaviour, health, comfort and mood."Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep" -Le Corbusier, August27, 1965•Light, space and human they effect and work with each other. •Space needs light to illuminate; light needs space to receive it, light within the space change human experience.

Relationship Between Light, Space and Human

•Most of the architectures like to amplify use of natural light. •Natural light makes architectural more harmony between exterior ,interior, nature and human. •Light work with some element like colours, can make space more dynamic and beautifier and it is a major natural element in architecture design.• Vision is most important sense through which we experience architecture, and light is the medium that reveals space, form, texture and color to our eyes. •More than that, light can be employed through design to evoke an emotional response to increased sensibilities. •Architecture and light have close relation.

Relationship Between Light And Architecture

IIM , Ahmedabad

Church of light

•Natural light keeps changing through times. •However, architects cannot control natural light, which from morning to night, day after day changes.• Its existence gives life to space, modeling the spatial sensibility. •Natural light for the space, like the air for life, these two have symbiotic relationship. •Natural light into interior design have many positive effects, including the considerable financial savings in energy.•Natural light is considered a beneficial design for many reasons: human health, comfort and satisfaction, energy conservation, view.

Natural Light And Architecture

IIM Library , Ahmedabad

Light Influence Mood•The psychological factors should not be overlooked. •People need to change perspective in order to relax the eyes and mood.•Lack of natural light makes people feel depressed and tensed

Light Create Atmosphere•Light creates atmosphere. •Many factors affect the building atmosphere. •Natural light is one of the most important factors. •Architect needs to use light to create a different order and rhythm change the spatial effect gives different atmosphere.

Light in bars

Light in conference hall

•Lighting within the indoor environment can be considered to have three basic purposes:•To enable the occupants to work and move about in safety.•To enable tasks to be performed.•To make the interior look pleasant.

There are two principle ways in which a building can be lit.•Naturally - by daylight received from the sky.•Artificially - by electric lamps or other artificial light sources.

Lighting

Artificial light on dance stage Natural light through window

Light Highlighting The Wall Pattern

•Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve a practical or aesthetic effect. •Lighting includes the use of both artificial light as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight.•Daylight as two distinct sources of light:•Sunlight – That part of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface as parallel rays after selective attenuation by the atmosphere.•Skylight – That part of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface as a result of scattering in the atmosphere.•Sunlight and skylight may therefore be considered as the direct and diffuse components of daylight.•Day lighting is sometimes used as the main source of light during daytime in buildings

Natural Lighting-

Lighting At Residence

Lighting At City Centre

•Daylight, or the light of day, is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. •This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation and (often) both of these reflected from the Earth and terrestrial objects.•Daylight (both sunlight and skylight) is usually admitted into a building by the means of windows and skylights. •The quantity of Daylight obtained within a room will be dependent upon:•The quantity of daylight obtained within a room will be dependent upon the orientation, geometry and space planning of the spaces to be lit.•The location and surface properties of any internal partitions which may reflect and distribute the daylight.•The location, form and dimensions of any shading devices which will provide protection from too much light and glare.

Daylight

Daylight in residence

Daylight in residence

•In architecture a light well or air shaft is an unroofed external space provided within the volume of a large building to allow light and air to reach what would otherwise be a dark or unventilated area.•Lightwells may be lined with glazed bricks to increase the reflection of sunlight within the space•Lightwells serve to reduce the necessity for electric lighting, add a central space within the building, and provide an internal open space for windows to give an illusion of having a view outside.•Use of the light well was known in ancient civilizations, including Egypt and at the Palace of Knossos on Minoan Crete.•There are also instances of light well use by the Romans

Lightwell

Lightwell in living room

Lightwell in lobby

Clerestory Windows•Another important element in creating daylighting is the use of clerestory windows. •These are high, vertically placed windows. •They can be used to increase direct solar gain when oriented towards the equator. •When facing toward the sun, clerestories and other windows may admit unacceptable glare. •Alternatively, clerestories can be used to admit diffuse daylight (from the north in the northern hemisphere) that evenly illuminates a space such as a classroom or office.•It also shine onto interior wall surfaces painted white or another light color. •These walls are placed so as to reflect indirect light to interior areas where it is needed. •This method has the advantage of reducing the directionality of light to make it softer and more diffuse, reducing shadows.

Clerestory window in offices

Clerestory window in college

Skylights•Skylights are light transmitting fenestration (products filling openings in a building envelope which also includes windows, doors, etc.) forming all, or a portion of, the roof of a building space. •Skylights are widely used in daylighting design in residential and commercial buildings, mainly because they are the most effective source of daylight on a unit area basis.•An alternative to a skylight is a roof lantern. •A roof lantern is a daylighting cupola that sits above a roof, as opposed to a skylight which is fitted into a roof's construction.•Roof lanterns serve as both an architectural feature and a method of introducing natural light into a space, and are typically wooden or metal structures with a number of glazed glass panels.

Cupola

Skylight in Bedroom

Atrium•Atrium is a large open space located within buildings. •It is often used to light a central circulation or public area by daylight admitted through a glass roof or wall.• Atrium provides some daylight to adjacent working areas, but the amount is often small and does not penetrate very far.• The main function of an atrium is to provide a visual experience and a degree of contact with the outside for people in the working areas.•The daylighting of successive storeys of rooms adjoining an atrium is interdependent and requires a balanced approach.•Light from the sky can easily penetrate the upper storeys but not the lower, which rely primarily on light reflected from internal surfaces of the atrium such as floor-reflected light.

Atrium in Resturant

Atrium in Shopping Mall

Artificial Lighting•It is made by human. It is very useful when lack of natural light.•Types of Artificial lighting-•General or Ambient lighting•Accent or Directional lighting•Traditional or Decorative lighting•Task lighting

Traditional Or Decorative LightingAmbient Lighting

Accent Lighting

Task Lighting

Traditional or Decorative lighting

Source of Artificial Light

Incandescent lamps High intensity discharge

Fluorescent lampsInduction lamps

•The natural light that enters a room from the sky consists of two basic parts. They are •Direct sunlight (insolation) •Diffuse skylight.

Source of Natural Light

•Incandescent bulbs•Halogen bulbs•Fluorescent bulbs•Led

Natural Light Through Window

Ambient Lighting:• Ambient Lighting also known as general lighting. is the most common type of artificial lighting•Ambient lighting provides an area with overall illumination.•  It provides a room with a general glow, without creating any shadows.• Typical examples of ambient light fixtures are chandeliers and wall sconces.• It radiates a comfortable level of brightness without glare and allows you to see and walk about safely.

Ambient Lighting In Car

Ambient Lighting In Residence

Ambient Lighting In Retail Shop

Accent Lighting:• Accent lighting is directional light that highlights a specific object, an architectural detail, or other feature.•Accent lighting adds drama to a room by creating visual interest.• This may be a spotlight of any sort or a lamp with an opaque shade so that the light goes in a particular direction.• It can also be used to highlight the texture of a brick or stone wall, window treatments or outdoor landscaping.• Examples of accent lighting are recessed wall washers and stairwell lights.

Light Highlighting The Furniture Design

Light Highlighting The Paintings

Light Highlighting The Wall Finish

Task Lighting•It is exactly what it says it is - lighting that's used to help you perform daily activities .•Task lighting helps you perform specific tasks, such as reading, grooming, preparing and cooking food•Task lighting should be free of distracting glare and shadows and should be bright enough to prevent eye strain.• Typical examples of task lighting are under counter slight strips, offices.

Task Lighting in Kitchen

Task Lighting in Office

Task Lighting in Office

•In general, adds the decorative luminaries called for by the architecture/interior design style, period, motif.•Is usually expected to contribute to the ambient illumination. •In many designs, the decorative lighting will be the ambient lighting.•Usually reduces contrast (drama).

Traditional Lighting

Traditional Lighting In Living Room

Traditional Lighting In Entrance Foyer

Traditional Lighting In Bedroom

Natural Light Better Than Artificial Light•Using as much natural light in interior spaces as much as possible has many advantage over using artificial light. •Artificial light is unable to replace some effect of natural light.•Natural produces positive effects, both physiological and psychological. •Making good use of natural light cuts the need of artificial lighting and helps provide a feeling of well being to our everyday life.

Artificial light vs Natural light

Bibliography:•Ciro Fontenelle -Lighting_in_architecture•The Relationship Between Light And Architecture Philosophy Essay•https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Nariwa_Museum•The Role of Light in Architecture.•Psychology of light•https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylighting