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My thesis topic is the role of daylight in architecture, and I really need help.
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Khalida,
The use of light and daylight effect is what gives architecture the dimension. The inspirational atmosphere of the space created is perfected by lightning. Great examples would be Le Courbousier's church. And Tadao Ando's work. There are many techniques used to create lightning effects, such as light reflected off water surfaces. Or making light go through small holes creating rays of light. I hope that helps.
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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I came across couple of articles in this regard and copied them to my website for public viewing; one is on the use of solar tubes and the other is about influence of daylight on consumer behavior in commercial building. Please check my site and let me have your comments.
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Adding to previous replies some titles of Tadao Ando's publications:
"The Colours of Light"
"Light and Water"
"Light and Shadow in Architecture"
Starting from historic and symbolic to the artistic/accentuating, and the very functional aspects of daylight, these have numerous translations in buildings and/or other physical settings. An interesting topic to see is "Smart Architecture," and its utilization of daylight.
"Daylight in Architecture" by Benjamin H. Evans may be of great help to you.
PS. See some studies of the Church of Light (image attached)
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Everybody is right, from what point of view do you intend to justify daylight in architecture?
Health/visual appeal/perception/ambience/psychological to occupants/colour/work efficiency, etc.
Our bio-rhythm and seratonin levels in brain is very much related to daylight, we are not nocturnal by nature, hence we need natural light to sustain and survive. Take any building, study openings that let light in and equalize it from above with reference to local climate control, do not go for formulas, if we need to breathe to survive, buildings needs natural light to be habitable....good luck.
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Khalida,
How people view "daylight in architecture" depends on where they live. The evolution of European architecture is split by the difference of either seeing the sun as a friend who gives life with warmth, or an enemy who takes life with heat.
The northern parts of Europe welcome in the sun which warms and is diffused with a longer sun angle (so creating modern Swedish plate glass walls); but the southern parts of Europe hide the sun which heats and is direct with no sun angle (so creating the need for very small windows in thick walls).
Furthermore, the sun is reflected back upwards from any water plane and so raises the level of light available.
"Natural light" is the level of light which is comfortable for humans. So walls of glass are not comfortable in the tropics unless shaded and tinted.
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Hi,
Please give me an idea of how I can deal with this topic in a good way, and at least on the type physical form (building) this study can take.
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Dear Khalida,
First, you need a chart on the movement of the sun in your part of the world (where your site is). This is called a 'sun path diagram', 'sun path chart' or 'solar altitude chart'. There's usually one for every four degrees of latitude (32, 36, 40, etc.), choose the one closest to your site (Karachi, for example, would be 24 North, and here's the link for a 24d. diagram.). This diagram will tell you the exact location of the sun in the sky at any given date of the year.
Next, make your design choices. Do you want to design a building that gets good morning light only or light all through the day? Do you want it to be naturally cool inside? etc. etc.
Now that you have a goal, you can begin to work in plan and section simultaneously to achieve a design that meets your goal. For example, if you want your building to get direct light all through the mornings in all seasons, determine from your chart where the sun would be in the sky on plan (probably somewhere in the east-southeast area) and make long windows that face that direction. Make a cross-section of your room, and determine where the window will need to be on the wall for it to get the sun in at the angle it will be up from the horizon (again, reading from your chart).
Any good book on solar design should show you how to do this with diagrams (as well as information on how to read them). Be creative with your google searches as well; there's tons of materials online.
Hope this helps,
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Khalida,
On the other hand (instead of designing something for your thesis), maybe you wish explore the role of daylight in traditional / vernacular architecture in Pakistan?
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Is daylight important in the design of an architectural studio? Is there a place for the poetics of shadows in an architectural school?
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Khalida,
Basically a studio is by original function an open air shelter used as art form workshop (painting, sculpture, etc); then when flat plane window glass became available, a wall or ceiling, or both, were enclosed in glass to maximise light to work by.
Given the known "greenhouse effect" of the infra-red rays from the sun being trapped after passing through glass; solar (warming) rooms in houses and garden greenhouses for fruit trees faced south, whereas studio glass faced north for light, not warmth.
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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Dear Khalida:
One of the best examples of the use of light I have seen is in Mughal architecture. One example is the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.
Most of the Mughal monumental buildings have an entry portal separate from the building. In case of the Badshahi Mosque, you don't see the main building until you climb the stairs and enter the entrance hall. The entrance is often itself a huge structure; as you enter it you find yourself in a semi-dark, cool place. There are lots of small architectural details on the walls and on the interior of the dome. Your eye pupils enlarge to take in all the details in a semi-dark space.
As you begin to emerge from this entry way, your pupils enlarged, you see the entire mosque a thousand feet away, shining in the bright sunlight across the open courtyard. The entire building is framed by the exiting arch of the entrance way.
The architects of the Mughal era forced you to see their buildings in this particular way, and used light and line of sight as a tool. I hope you find this bit of observation helpful.
Louis Khan once said, "Light is architecture." Good luck.
Syed Ahmed
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Thesis: Daylight in architecture
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khalida,
i m doing a similar thesis(research thesis), studying natural light in architecture.I am interested in studying interactions between light and space, and how to visualize and analyze these.I am also trying to find out research method/s to analyze the quality of natural light in the interiors of buildings. Could you please help me?
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