learn2light
Students' Corner
A Graphical Investigation of Light, Space, and Time in Lighting
Abstract:
In this paper, we propose to rethink the drawing of light in Architectural Lighting Design: the design discipline dedicated to lighting the human environment. Representation and presentation graphics serve to visually organize and communicate design information through drawing: making ideas clear, demonstrating conceptual value, and providing technical information.
Lighting design is an associative discipline. Its documentation is typically formatted to fit within the normative classification conventions of an architectural project's documentation. Graphic standards consist of using icons and symbols that situate the equipment used in plain view, with tables and schedules providing supplementary technical descriptions. (This practice applies throughout the schematic design, design development, and construction documentation phases of a project.) We argue that this convention is reductive-we propose a new graphical syntax that would allow the visual communication of a lighting design project to implicitly and explicitly convey qualitative and quantitative information about light, space, and time. A new graphical syntax is appropriate since properties of a given light source are absolute, but variations in materiality and reflectance make lighting effects relative. Moreover, control systems modulate the light output of any source or group of luminaires, and these temporal variations (referred to as lighting scenes) are orchestrated within nested scales of time (e.g., circadian or seasonal conditions).
Lighting Design raises unique visualization questions, and new representation strategies must be explored for improving the visual organization and communication of design information about light, space and time. A cross-disciplinary exploration of current work on visual design thinking in cognitive science in conjunction with expanded drawing strategies will help provide answers. We argue that a renewed graphical language will lead to more performative drawings of light in Lighting Design.
Download: Drawing Light: a Graphical Investigation of Light, Space and Time in Lighting Design PDF (13pgs, 4.4Mb)
Student:
Antonia Peón-Veiga, MFA
Advisor:
Nathalie Rozot, BTS
School:
Parsons The New School for Design
Course:
Masters in lighting design
Year:
2010