// COMMERCIAL // INDUSTRIAL
REGULARS : ROOFING MATTERS
Sculpting your environment with natural light
The concept of light architecture , refers directly to the focus on the element of natural light , as a priority in the design process of a building .
By Dayne Scrowther , Danpal architectural consultant , South Africa | Photos by Danpal
This focus is then translated in real terms , during the construction phase of a project , by using materials and systems which create an interior space that benefits directly from natural daylight .
Key benefits of designing and building with natural daylight in mind include savings on heating , ventilation and air conditioning ( HVAC ) systems and artificial lighting , a greener building and the creation of a high-quality environment interior space .
Daylighting and architectural movements in the past
The German art school , Bauhaus , was responsible for a paradigm shift in the design of buildings and continues to influence designers today . One of the most influential Bauhaus themes is the role of light in shaping interior spaces and manifesting concepts . In Bauhaus thinking , light and transparency signify openness , freedom , democracy , coherence and health . This translates into designs that use a lot of glass , allowing natural light to flow into buildings and connecting the interior to the world outside .
Bauhaus luminaries with a particular interest in light include Australian-German artist , Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack who demonstrated the way coloured light mixed to form white light ; and American-German artist , Josef Albers , who used shadow and light to ‘ sculpt ’ space .
Hungarian painter and photographer and professor in the Bauhaus school , László Moholy-Nagy , believed that art only acquired meaning when it reflected light .
Sports Hall in China , fitted with light architecture .
His ideas inspired generations of architects , artists and designers far beyond Bauhaus and his own lifetime . For example , French- Swiss architect , Charles-Édouard Jeanneret , known as Le Corbusier , believed in the importance of windows as a means of channelling natural light into interior spaces . His fenêtre en longeur – or long horizontal window – has become an architectural archetype .
Some daylighting design benefits today
• Greater client awareness of sustainability and the health-related benefits of naturally lit environments .
• Natural light is perceived to be as important as internal useable square footage , leading to more exciting spaces with interconnecting vertical connections .
• Technological advances in thermally efficient thin-framed glazing , allow architects to explore a greater variety of envelopes and apertures .
• The intrusion of solid framing elements has been reduced , allowing for purer sculptural forms .
The most effective strategies for engaging natural light
• Carefully consider how light enters , illuminates and animates a building and the physiological effect it can have on the occupants of each space .
• Take inspiration from natural light in nature and art , and keep returning to natural light in sacred architecture .
• Start by exploring the different ways to get natural light into a building and balance these with functional and spatial requirements .
• Consider the materials of each element and how the light will play across them and how they add to the visual understanding of the building .
26 RESIDENTIAL
APRIL 2018