Architecture Lighting
Early Architecture Lighting
Early Architecture Lighting start form combine building with natural
light, by day and night, the changing perception of the building and also the
space that contains them.
Mixture with light and shadow, different kinds of
building material to creating sublime or mysterious sensation or simply
highlighting aspect of the space that interests us.
Six visual principles of light
With the development of electricity and the
incandescent light bulb, people start to summarize six visual principles of light; these are illuminance, luminance, color and temperature, Size and
installation, density, and direction and distribution.
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Illuminance - quite simply describe as the total
amount of visible light illuminating a point on a surface from all directions
above the surface. This "surface" can be a physical surface or an
imaginary plane, measured in foodcandles or Lux.
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Luminance - quite simply describe the amount of
visible light leaving a point on a surface in a given direction. This
"surface" can be a physical surface or an imaginary plane, and the
light leaving the surface can be due to reflection, transmission, and/or
emission, measured in candela.
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Color and temperature - is a simplified way to
characterize the spectral properties of a light source. Low
color temperature implies warmer (more yellow/red) light while high color
temperature implies a colder (more blue) light.
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Size and installation – an essential aspect of
light sources are installed, the spatial relationship between a light source,
the grounding plane, the ceiling plane and our bodies determines how we
understand, occupy and explore the limits of our surroundings. Height can be used
to control luminance levels or evoke new concepts and duration of time.
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Density – measured in feet or meters – controls the
movement and rhythm of the space through quantity and spatial composition of
light source. It can be create unexpected counterpoints, syncopations of form
and light that guide a visitor.
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Direction and distribution – which concerns the
aim, shape and beam characteristics of a light source. Direction mainly concern
as lighting on an object or area from up, down or misdirection at either direct
or indirect light. Distribution also concern as light is focused on a narrow
area or diffuses, where lighting is dispersed over a wide area, difference
kinds of direction and distribution provides many possibilities for rendering
an object or space to different effect.
By these six visual principles of light, based on
various Architecture Lighting projects, it can be considered as basic in
information-gathering, also a guild-line for work through the project.
Application system
Form Now, by technologies development, the lighting
industries have a big change, neon light & LED have been developed, lighting
application system involve in Architecture Lighting. By lighting application
system, we can change six visual principles element over individual switching or
program to control any lighting source, group of lighting source or all light sources
to produce difference scenes. Lighting application system it can be design
through different protocol, DMX512 have become popular one to use at lighting
control from stage lighting to Architecture Lighting, through controlling or
programming light source color, on/off, dimmer level, lighting pattern and
timer to archive unlimited effect.
The Future of Architecture Lighting
Architecture Lighting become more complex, it requires expertise
come from various backgrounds includes fine art,
design, electronics, engineering. In Future, Architecture Lighting possible
trend to reduce power consumption and light pollution as such as green building certification programs (e.g. LEED) exits. LED combine with Architecture Lighting will become continue
expand in market for human population increase and become urban, the
relationship between LED Architecture Lighting and landmark building occurs inevitably.
References
H. Descottes
and C.Ramos, Architectural Lighting:
Designing with Light and Space, PRINCETON ARCHITECTURAL PRESS, 2011