inspiration

2009-12-12T06:29:00.001-08:00

light sketch series 3

2009-12-12T06:22:00.001-08:00

Daylight

Incandescent

light sketch series 2

2009-12-12T06:19:00.001-08:00

light sketch series 1

2009-12-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

final lighting project

2009-12-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

Lighting evaluation

2009-09-02T16:35:00.001-07:00

Group Members:
Diana Stanisic
Nacarra Lessane
Michelle Bodon
Katie Reynolds

Our group observed the lobby of the Gatewood Art Studio. The space is an entry way to the interior architecture and art departments, as well as an on sight gallery. When one enters this space a sense of openness and clarity is felt. This space is used for the public to display student work and upcoming events. The space feels large due to the height of the ceilings and various vertical elements. The furniture is very low to the ground which also enhances the vastness of the space. There is minimal electrical lighting. The space is mainly lit by natural light during the day. The color choice is very subdued allowing colorful projects to stand out. This space is a huge blank canvas.

2009-09-01T07:26:00.001-07:00

Impact of Light on Health and Welfare

Light is an amazing thing. Our bodies require light to produce vitamins and chemicals that keep us moving. Our eyes require light for us to be able to see colors, and complete tasks, to see period. I have always appreciated lighting design. The way light can be used to bend, and shape a space, to show off the design can be incredibly enjoyable. But what do I really know about lighting design? Sure I took a residential lighting class at my old college, and we discussed different lamps and the different colors of light, but we never discussed the effect that it would have on the users of the space.

When reading the articles “Influence of Architectural Lighting on Health,” The Claim: Daylight Savings Time Can Affect your Health,” and Lights at Night Are Linked to Breast Cancer,” I was more than a little intrigued. To say that I have been “in the dark” about the effects of light on health would be putting it mildly. While I have always understood the fact that I am prone to go to sleep when it is dark and wake up with the sun, I never knew that was called following a Circadian light pattern. I also knew that melatonin promoted sleep as discussed in “Influence of Architectural Lighting on Health,” but I was unaware that it increases in darkness. The article also discussed the fact that research has shown that disruption to light patterns for long periods of time can lead to SAD (seasonal affective disorder), as well as sleep and behavioral changes. Inadequate exposure to light may lead to “diminished immune and endocrine function and may contribute to problems such as diabetes, reproductive and growth disturbances, and symptoms associated with premature aging.” (Influence of Architectural Lighting; Page 2, Paragraph 2.) The article “Lights at Night are Linked to Breast Cancer,” by the Washington Post continues with this topic, discussing the fact that melatonin is a tumor-suppressing hormone. Studies show that nurses, flight attendants, and other people who work night shifts, and are exposed to light all day and night, have a 60% higher rate of breast cancer. “The Claim: Daylight Savings Time Can Affect your Health” discusses the fact that people who were studied trying to adjust to daylight savings time show an increase in restlessness, and sleep disorders, and in some cases, higher rates of suicide, heart attacks, and accidents.
All of the articles tried to make us aware that we are dependant on light. When we design spaces, we usually look at the way light will help the space. We look at the way the light will assist the space’s user in tasks, the way it will highlight elements of the design, but do we look at the way it will affect the user’s of the space beyond that? “Influence of Architectural Lighting on Health” discusses on page 3 different ways that we, as designers, may be able to help with the effects of light on users of spaces that we design. Individually controlled light sources can be used by individuals who work at night, giving them the option to uses as little light a possible, depending on the level needed to do their work. This article also discussed that brief exposure to bright, white light may promote wakefulness, and can be used to stimulate workers who being to grow tired while working at night. Scientist do argue however that while the production of melatonin drops when exposed to light, it drops even more when the light is a bright, blue light like that of a computer of fluorescent lamps. (Lights at Night Are Linked to Breast Cancer; Paragraph 6) In a time when we are trying to conserve energy, we have turned to using compact fluorescent lamps, something which this article claims may have a disastrous effect in the next 20 years.
The main thing that I learned from these readings is that our bodies need light; we need to follow the natural pattern that our bodies are made to follow. When designing spaces we need to be cognoscente of the way the light will affect the users both mentally and physically, not just the way we can use light to work in a space.

Lighting Inspiration

2009-08-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

These fixtures are eco-friendly, created from bamboo. I am inspired by eco-friendly design in general, and these are some really beautiful fixtures that I love.

LED installations, like these from Rockefeller Center, inspire me to remember that light isn't just functional, but can also be used to create a truly amazing space.
Natural lighting in a space can do amazing things for the architecture of a building. Natural lighting makes a space feel more open and warm, and lets the space change throughout the day with the movement of the sun.