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Understanding the relationship of light and architecture

Technical Report · December 2021

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Nipun Mishra Bandana Jha

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 SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE,
NEW DELHI

10 DECEMBER 2021

DAYLIGHT AND ARCHITECTURE

AUTHOR –

NIPUN MISHRA

A/3305/2019

B. ARCH | YEAR 3 | SECTION C

GUIDE –

Prof. (Dr.) Jha, Bandana

ABSTRACT
The scope of this research is to conduct a preliminary analysis of the interrelation of natural
light and architecture. It deals with the perception of spatial quality with respect to both the
mediums. This data would help in understanding how the space can be conceived. It will
also help in gauging the user experience, thus generated, through emotions and play of light
and shadows. This analysis will be useful for the progression of design development in
various architectural projects.

The focus of this study is to gain a basic understanding of how daylight and architecture has
evolved, using windows and other open spaces which form the basis of the design. The path
of sunlight due to natural movement of the earth and the openings in the walls of the
buildings will enable us to understand the relation of spatial space and the intensity of light.
These factors in turn would serve for relating the light requirement to build forms and help in
design of spaces as such with respect to their function. Space is thus a common factor that
gives hint to the interlinkage between light and architecture.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 5
LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 6
OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................................................ 7
CASE STUDY ....................................................................................................................................... 8
QUESTIONAIRE ................................................................................................................................ 13
CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY...................................................................................................... 18
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 19
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Computer simulation of a possible artificial Lighting solution ................................... 8

Figure 2 Poole house from northern approach at twilight ...................................................... 9
Figure 3 Bathing pavilion ..................................................................................................... 10
Figure 4 View up the main stair ........................................................................................... 11
Figure 5 Wandering lines of light ......................................................................................... 11
Figure 6 The Void ............................................................................................................... 12
Figure 7 Natural Lighting ..................................................................................................... 13
Figure 8 Artificial Lighting .................................................................................................... 14
Figure 9 Naturally lit room ................................................................................................... 14
Figure 10 Artificially lit room ................................................................................................ 15
Figure 11 Church of light ..................................................................................................... 15
Figure 12 A project from Prado Design studios ................................................................... 16
Figure 13 The Cologne Cathedral, Köln .............................................................................. 16
INTRODUCTION
The history of architecture is highly interrelated to the history of the daylight and open
spaces. This not only allows for the beautiful warmth of the sun, but also the natural air
circulation, all essential for our life. The windows and open spaces have developed over the
centuries, with the sole purpose of naturally lighting spaces and allowing ventilation.

Light, as we know of it, both natural and artificial is one of the biggest foundations of
architectural buildings which can be creatively incorporated alongside with architecture to
bring in a brilliant play of light and shadows, spark emotions, change the perception of a
shape, textures, provide aesthetic features to a space and one of the most important –
provide comfort.

Glass had been discovered as early as 3000 BC in Egypt and was used for decorative
objects. In the Roman period they were fitted into the bronze frames. Such small instances
were recorded as the development of openings for the very daylight to fill in the spatial
space. Buildings, since the medieval periods have been shaped by its beautiful windows,
and later in the renaissance period, the location and form were given much more importance
as a factor to daylight. In today’s world, it is the appearance of buildings, shaped by its
windows which form the prime consideration to the built form.

Nevertheless, in the middle of the 19th century, substantially in the marketable structure
sector, natural light was seen as a problematic factor as people believed electric (artificial)
lighting and air exertion systems were supercilious as compared to the natural light.
However, in the last 15-20 years engineers all over the world have realized that natural light
had 2 main significances. First being the natural views that have an emotional perspective
attached to the mortal mind and alternate being the impact of global warming, which has
made the use of natural light a better volition to artificial light.
LITERATURE REVIEW
For this review, a collection of 5 research papers were read to understand the depth and
branches of the selected topic i.e., daylight and architecture and to understand the
connection and relation between the two. The five selected research papers were

• Daylighting – Natural Light in Architecture by Derek Philips (1997)

• The Architecture of light by Ann Stene (2011)
• The case for daylighting in architecture by Richard Barret (2009)
• The Chapel at Ronchamp by Daniele Pauly (1997)
• The Cosmos of light: The Sacred Architecture of Le Corbusier by Henry Plumer.
(2014)

In the research paper, Daylighting – Natural Light in Architecture, Derek Philips [1] talks
about the understanding of the evolution of windows, aspects of environments which affect
the interior appearance of the buildings and energy use.

In the paper, he speaks about the most important aspect of daylight – it’s capability for
change, which leads to the infinite variation in appearance of daylight interior. The model of
the shape, derived irrespective of its physical form, is paired to the specific way in which light
plays with it on its surface and unambiguous manner, in which it is perceived by the eye.
Then he discusses about the orientation which must be considered for the building to ensure
the maximum availability of useful natural light and sunlight to the interior.

He also talks about the colour of daylight which varies from morning to evening, along with
changes in sky and weather pattern. This tended to ignore the environmental advantages of
daylight and natural colour, and this has again been recognized in multitudinous new large
buildings such as -

• Shopping areas
• Offices
• Schools
• Churches

The research paper by Ann Stene [2], the architecture of light, talks about the evolutionary
use and transition from natural light to artificial and vice versa, The paper discusses the
works of Le Corbusier and of some other architects which influenced daylighting in
architecture.

She discusses the importance of natural light for all kinds of spaces while emphasising that
the moods which are created by “the time of day and seasons of the year” are continuously
influencing the space. Further she discusses the ease and effectiveness of a vast terrain and
how its use can either downgrade, completely iron out or enhance the scrupulous perfection
of a structure. She talks about how artificial light is only apparently royal and cannot be
equated to the subtleties of moods created by natural light. She also questions the impacts
of electric lighting on architectural design while underlining the scars that largely concern
sustainability and internal health (Sick Structure Pattern).
Richard Barret [3] discusses the case for daylighting through its evolutionary roots, the
health, well-being, and the performance of the space with respect to the inhabitants and
some statutory requirements and bylaws to follow.

In his paper, he briefs on the accessibility of daylight and its impact on the health and
comfort of the people inhabiting or using the building. In 1999, Gallagher cited winter
statistics for the north of the United States, for highlighting Barret’s point. He linked the
cause of behavioral illness, known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) to the lack of light.
Six percent of New York residents suffered severe depression during downtime, and almost
50% of the residents suffered mild symptoms, including low energy, and disturbed eating
and sleeping pattern.

Ruck also emphasized on the physiological and biological effect of light on the health and
wellbeing of the building occupants. He believed that non-visual effects of light impacted
brain stimulation, body orientation and balance, so a luminous environment required careful
planning of the environmental and task lighting design, while considering the spectral
composition effects of the light on individuals. He noted that the architects and designers of
the Parthenon, the craftsmen of the Gothic cathedrals, and certain twentieth-century
architects, understood the impact of natural light and its importance for putting human beings
in touch with their environment.

Daniele Pauly [4] and Henry Plumber [5] discussed some case study of the famous works of
Le Corbusier in how he utilized day light as one of the major aspects of his design evolution.

OBJECTIVES
• Understanding the historical significance, the relationship and evolution of windows
and open spaces to access daylight.
• To perceive the development of such spaces through real life examples.
• To bring forth the importance of light and architecture in today’s world.
CASE STUDY
EXAMPLE 1

This is a preliminary study of the Leeds college of Art and Design at Blenheim Walk
Campus, at its early design stage. The study focuses on the provision of new studio space
over four floors, and the new structure thus formed was called as ‘New Design and
Communication Building’.

The structure layout is arranged around a central block atrium area with one open- plan
studio each located on the lower ground and ground areas, on northern side of the atrium,
respectively. The area was supplied with daylight via a large roof light that spanned the
length of the atrium. Daylight was allowed to invade down through the atrium to illuminate
lower circulation areas, by means of voids located in the bottom crossbeams over, at specific
locales.

Walls gave precious leg-up space in the open- plan workrooms, and as such a concession
was needed between furnishing sufficient areas of glazing for acceptable daylighting, whilst
maintaining a respectable quantum of wall space for cascading-up.

Through the study, 3 questions came to mind –

• Was the level of daylight to the open plan studios adequate?

• Could the level of daylight improve by increasing the amount of glazed area
provided within the walls of the studio abutting the atrium area?
• Does the level of daylight achieved within these areas meet with current
guidelines and/or legislation?

Figure 1 Computer simulation of a possible artificial Lighting solution

Concerning this study, the model was placed under artificial sun simulation at the same
school. The artificial sky consisted of a hemispherical array of compact fluorescent
luminaires, which could be inclusively programmed and controlled to give a luminance
distribution which matched that of the CIE heavy sky. Measures of illuminance at specified
locales could be handed by individual sensors or cells deposited within the model, compared
with a reference cell located externally to the model allowing daylight factors (DF) to be
calculated.

The scale model was placed in the artificial sky and measures of illuminance were taken at
applicable locales in each of the spaces under consideration. The values when compared to
the reference cell, allowed the daylight factor at each grid point to be calculated. From these
measures an average daylight factor for each group of measures was calculated as the
calculation mean of the individual daylight factor readings for each test session.

CONCLUSION –

1. The open workspace had 5% average daylight factor, and good uniformity across the
space

2. The average daylight factors prognosticated for the workrooms located on the ground and
first bottom were significantly lower, with average daylight factors lower than applicable
guidelines.

3. The difference between average daylight factors achieved for apartments located on
different bottoms was larger than desirable.

4. The junking of the solid wall conterminous to the patio increased the average daylight
factors within each of the applicable workrooms and bettered uniformity of daylight across
the spaces. The increase in average daylight factors performing from this enhancement was
not sufficient to meliorate the scarcities indicated above. [1]

EXAMPLE 2

In this case, we looked at a structure designed by Poole, that represented the inversion of
the unrestricted, heavyweight European models that have prevailed in utmost Australian
domestic development since the appearance of the first British pioneers in the eighteenth
century.

In the twentieth century the grim expansion of purlieus continued swift as another affluence
of European and American emigrants arrived, bringing with them their own ideas, and
erecting traditions. In response to this demographic pressure identical academic casing had
begun to balloon in every Australian megacity.

Figure 2 Poole house from northern approach at twilight

 Figure 3 Bathing pavilion

In 1996 Poole progressed to develop an interplay of ideas about lightness and openness.
The atypical formal / spatial strategies it adopted, reflected Poole’s imperishable concern to
marry lighting and ventilation strategies while challenging hypotheticals about dwelling and
its relationship to the land. Despite their obviously featherlight construction, this made the
belvederes feel sturdy, yet room was left for light and the northern littoral breaths to pass
through, carrying the smell and color of the backcountry, and relief from early morning
darkness.

The central kiosk contained the restroom, the final kiosk the bedroom, further outside-
outside spaces where the commerce of quadrangle and light draw the geography into play.
In this house Poole and his woman weren't sure they wanted an internal bathing pool, and
so then it's made external via its relationship to door openings. From within the plunge pool
bath, the views northwards though these doors were of trees or champaign. This meant that
when one sat in the pool, it felt as if the geography was running straight inside the room. In
the final kiosk the close propinquity of the trees meat that from noon onwards mottled light
was cast onto its oil roof. Lying in bed below, this made it possible to see the breaths moving
the trees, and therefore to feel more explosively how they're keeping the house comfortable.

EXAMPLE 3

Moving on to a well-known public structure, Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin, a fantastic

structure with no right angles, no vertical walls, no windows, a very deconstructive shape,
and no spatial hierarchy.
 Figure 4 View up the main stair

Its attempt to elicit for callers commodity of the scarcely imaginable trauma of the Holocaust,
enabling, indeed encouraging them to feel what had happened through the crucial rudiments
of the design are its zigzag form, the Void, a kind of cut in which there's nothing, a passage
to a dead end, the route to the main stair leading to the upper bottoms which ends suddenly
at a wall, the Holocaust Tower, whose only light comes from a tear in the roof slightly visible
from below and which is so dark people cannot indeed see their bases, a theatre where the
foliage is out of reach, oddly listed, making callers feel disoriented, indeed ocean-sick, the
fact that the structure has no frontal door, being entered rather by way of a stair that
descends into its basement from the entrance foyer of the Berlin Museum.

Figure 5 Wandering lines of light

 Figure 6 The Void

The light which comes by and out of the Museum doesn’t come through normal windows, as
there are no conventional windows in the structure. There are places where you can see the
sky, where you can see the road, and where you can look across, but they've no way been
conceived as traditional windows, as holes in the walls, which are there to look out of. They
were generated by a fully different sense of openness.
QUESTIONAIRE
A questionnaire containing some examples of various buildings, spanning across
Educational, Residential, Arcade and Public was taken up and public’s opinion on the related
was asked.

I received 27 responses from the questionnaire and thus included a few answers to the
questions given by the public in the survey.

Q1 When it comes to windows in your home, what are the general criteria that come in your
mind regarding Natural lighting?

A1 Not enough natural light enters the home due to other buildings restricting it.
A2 I like natural lighting in houses, my house has big windows and I’ve noticed that it
has a positive effect on my mood.
A3 A glazed round window with a window seat facing the outdoors which saves space
as well for sitting or even taking a nap in the seat with a calm effect of natural lighting
beside you.

Q2 What is your opinion on the image below regarding windows and natural lighting?

Figure 7 Natural Lighting

A1 My opinion on the image below regarding windows and lightning is that it is very
exotic and beautiful, but it is too much lightning for an everyday use.
A2 Security or rather lack of it. How will I clean the one on ceiling? It will get very hot
A3 Not good in a tropical country. Could lead to trapped heat due to the high sun
Q3 What is your opinion on the image provided in the below regarding artificial lighting as a
substitute to natural lighting?

Figure 8 Artificial Lighting

A1 Unnatural and a bit oppressive

A2 Too closed and alienated from the external world
A3 I don’t really like the lighting bars fixed on the ceiling and the grey ceiling and even
with the type and color of the walls altogether gives me a dull feeling of the room
when compared to a room with natural lighting and outdoor exposure. But maybe if
the style of artificial lighting and the type of windows and all were changed into
another one (in the same artificially lit kind of room but in a different style, different
colors, etc.), then I would like it.

Q4 Based on the images provided below, do you think the design and placement of window
provide an emotional aspect in your day-to-day life?

Figure 9 Naturally lit room

 Figure 10 Artificially lit room

A1 Yes, because it creates or removes visual connections with the outside as well as
other people which sets the mood of places
A2 It does subconsciously. I don't actively notice it, but I know it has an effect. It goes
with the "vibe" a room has.
A3 The first one would be an ideal living area. it is a place that makes us feel relaxed
and content. the fact is further enhanced by the furniture, color scheme and high
ceiling. The second one has a more retro and exciting feel to it. But we will feel tired if
we stay more than 2-3 hours here due to the lighting and aesthetic overloading our
senses

Q5 Based on the images below, do you think more public spaces like museums,
exhibitions etc. should have window systems that provide emotional experience to the
space?

Figure 11 Church of light

Figure 12 A project from Prado Design studios

Figure 13 The Cologne Cathedral, Köln

A1 Yes, I and by a correct mixture of both the two we can even create a feeling of
being in the environment in the viewers mind enhancing the experience
A2 No. It is (purpose + environment) and not public/ private that define need of
natural light. In harsh environment (middle east, Nordic countries) Closed large
spaces provide a sense of security. Also, Sun (uv light) is the last thing any
painting/ artefact needs
A3 Yes, I totally agree that more public spaces should have window systems that
provide emotional experience to the space since that will boost up the mood of a
person who enters a well-lit beautiful room in at least some way or the other,
subconsciously, or consciously, it will definitely make an effect. However, when a
person enters an ordinary space with not much windows and not much good
placements of it either, even if the person likes the room or feels normal and is
unaffected by the space, the person is in fact missing out on the comfort, effect,
and benefit of well-lit ethereal-looking spaces.
CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY

In this research article I have presented the information gathered from 5 significant research
papers on the importance of daylight and architecture. This data was supplemented by some
case studies related to the topic. The study has helped me to gain deep understanding of
the topic and based on the above text my conclusions are as follows –

1. Environmental aspects and efficient use of daylight must be given due consideration
while designing the interior appearance of the buildings
2. Ensuring maximum availability of useful natural light has played an important role in
the evolution of architectural aspects like windows.
3. The vibes which are created by the diurnal and seasonal changes in light have a
continuous influence on the space.
4. The accessibility of daylight in a building impacts the health and comfort of its
inhabitants.
5. It is important for architects and designers to understand the impact of natural light
and develop an interplay between light and open spaces. They must strive to create
a dynamic balance between natural and artificial light to generate positive effects of
the light on individuals.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Phillips, D. (1997). Lighting historic buildings. McGraw-Hill.

https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=1EpiCXO2AnAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=light+
in+architecture&ots=khbmZ6NCrw&sig=IK5qeU8sPEwJsYwVn9l62eIWBFU&redir_esc=y#v=o
nepage&q&f=false

[2] Ann Steane, M. (2011). The Architecture of Light.

https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4MXfCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=natu
ral+light+in+architecture&ots=zSM8VwdoWH&sig=aX9-
VDdrFV0sYX5Bh3wSsSeXJVA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=natural%20light%20in%20architec
ture&f=false

[3] Barrett, R. (2009). THE CASE FOR DAYLIGHTING IN ARCHITECTURE.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26643926_The_Case_for_Daylighting_in_Archite
cture

[4] Pauly, D. (1997). The Chapel at Ronchamp.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1500967.Le_Corbusier

[5] Plumer Henry. (2013). Cosmos of Light: The Sacred Architecture of Le Corbusier.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15926251-cosmos-of-light

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