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LED illumination

small skylights create a pattern of natural light

this as is really for the sink, but i like the back lit mirrors more.

sparkle!

more sparkle...wow--now that's a bath!

I'm a New York Times reader. Following are some links to articles that I found interesting:


"A Building as a Beacon for a City's Plans" --Nicolai Ouroussoff

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/08/arts/design/08calt.html?pagewanted=1&oref=login


"How Long Did You Say That Bulb Would Last?" --Eric A. Taub

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/how-long-did-you-say-that-bulb-will-last/?scp=1&sq=how%20long%20did%20you%20say%20that%20bulb&st=cse


"'Smart' Streetlights Hit the Streets" --Eric A. Taub

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/smart-streetlights-hit-the-streets/?scp=1&sq=smart%20streetlights%20hit&st=Search

light series 4 | lamps

incandescent | luxury bath
a place for daily hygiene & relaxation. all of the lighting is incandescent, which creates a soft, comfortable glow. the recessed lighting over the tub in the vaulted ceiling is angled such that it provides adequate ambient light throughout the bath. the sconce luminaires on each side of the mirror offers nice task lighting for the face. the softness of the lighting--task and ambient--is such that it doesn't have any harsh reflections from the stone surfaces. i would redirect or remove the spotlights that are causing"hotspots" on the back wall and shower areas.



cold cathode | french connection | retail space
the blue cold cathode is purely for sparkle/play of brilliants and is used to attract shoppers. the down lighting within the showcases provide focal glow for the clothing on th mannequins. they appear to be track lights--hard to see. the focal down lights seem to create some discomfort glare, but the cold cathode works beautifully to attract customers. the down lights are so direct that the light falls directly on the shoulders of the mannequins. some are not illuminated at all. i believe the glare would be resolved by lesser wattage bulbs, and would be more effective for displaying merchandise if they were angled spot lights.





fluorescent | kitchen | task lighting
purpose-cooking, washing; preparation of food, entertaining.
the lighting over the cooktop and under the cabinetry is for tasks. the lights inside the cabinetry combine duties as task & sparkle. the task lighting under the cabinets creates a nice, rhythmic pattern while highlighting the textured backsplash. the reflections of the light on the stainless countertops accentuates the shine and makes the kitchen look more formal. all of the lighting in the kitchen is 'white', or has a cooler temperature. the lamps over the cooktop are r16's, or pendant lamps; inside the cabinetry, fluorescent luminaires act as downlights and use CFLs; under cabinetry--fluorescent tube luminaires. the illumination appears too bright under the counters, creating a discomfort glare. i suggest reducing the wattage of the lamps.



metal halide | factory
purpose--production
this is a very typical lighting design for a production environment--a metal halide lamp inside a clear, parabola-shaped reflector which provides great ambient light. the lighting is bright, but not overly glaring, a 'whiter', clearer light for good visibility, monotonous. the light creates a very good overall ambient illumination level, and is bright enough to perform tasks. the color of the light and its reflections on the surfaces make the space appear very cool. i would add some warmer task lighting at work surface level such that the workers could have more personal lighting control.


high pressure sodium | tunnel
purpose | driving
the ambient lighting within the tunnel seems too "murky" and unclear for the good visibility required for driving. the white lines on the road are hardly visible. it has an amber hue, which would seem distracting, maybe even dangerous for 'older' eyes that do not adjust as quickly. the amber hue is also very 'warm', which further closes the already-closed space. beware claustrophobics!! the single lamps and luminaires create a ring-like effect through the tunnel--distracting. the illumination level within the tunnel seems too low for good driving visibility. LED luminaires would be more suitable for such a space.


electrodeless | tunnel
purpose | driving
the ambient lighting that the LED luminaires provide within the tunnel seems very clear and provide the good visibility required for driving. the light is white, which provides better clarity and helps enlarge this very closed space. the luminaires are elongated, and installed in groups of 4 which alleviates the 'ring' effect in the high pressure sodium example.

daylight model

this was a group project that required us to build a daylight model using inspirations of a renowned designer/architect. other physical requirements were:

• 3/4"=1' scale
• 20'w x 35'l x 15'h
• matte white material; excellent craft
  
• should include a place for large groups of people, sharing information, socializing, quiet contemplation, spiritual stimulation, intimacy, and escape.
  

we achieved multilateral daylighting through the use of 4 types of openings in this model, which in total create a space for both gathering and quiet contemplation. the impact of this combination of lighting is diverse within the space but is unified through the structures that create this day lit atmosphere.

our group chose 3 designers: le corbusier--ronchamp; Jorn Utson--bagsvaerd church; and santiago calatrava--tgv station, lyon.

the ribbed, sculptural elements, inspired by calatrava's work, serve as structural support, and create solids and voids.the arched light shelf spanning through the model was inspired by jorn utzon.

the smaller arches within the larger arches create a more intimate space for smaller gatherings or quiet contemplation.

the beveled window on the west facade which diffuses light was inspired by le corbusier. a perfect place to escape.

light series 3 | effects on color & texture

in this series, four fabrics were selected--warm and cool colors with interesting textures--and place in each of four places: a harris teeter grocery store, the gift shop @ nc museum of art, the greensboro library, and my bedroom. for each space, the type of light source is recorded, along with the effects that the type of lighting had on the fabrics.

• harris teeter - metal halide (industrial)
• museum store - spot lights (halogen), fluorescent, LED string lighting
• greensboro library - fluorescent tubes (lens)
• bedroom - pink incandescent

after studying the fabrics under each light source, i determined that the metal halides were almost true to natural light, except that it contained a little bit of yellow that really changed the reds. the museum store had very warm lighting, an amber tone, that changed the fabrics more than the other light sources. the cool blue fabric became a warm grey in the museum store; the green fabric became gold. the lighting closest to natural lighting was that at the greensboro library. the pink lighting of the bedroom makes the blue fabric a very cool grey.

i like this fabric the most under harris teeter lighting--it's just slightly warmer than in the greensboro library.

amazing how light changes the color and texture of a fabric. the greensboro library lighting, again, is most like natural light, and textures are more apparent. under the pink bedroom lighting, this one becomes a 'racy' red.

this green certainly concocted some surprises--in the museum store and bedroom, it reflected 2 shades of gold. of course, it is easier to figure that the pink light in the bedroom mixed with the off-green creates an off-brown/gold. this is where i realized that the museum store lighting contained some red, perhaps reflections from the abundance of wood furniture.

amazing color changes with this red silk. under harris teeter lighting, it has a "sunset" appearance, reflecting bright gold to deep red. the texture show well under the HT light as well.

light series 2 | public spaces

in this series, i studied the lighting in 3 public spaces: gift shop @nc museum of art (retail store), the nc museum of art, and sushi republic (a restaurant). i've identified the lamps and luminaires used in each space, and examined their effects on the spaces.

light series 2 | sushi republic

i experienced the lighting in sushi republic at night, and found the lighting to be quite uneventful/dull. the recessed lighting in the lounge and dining areas is sufficient quality for seeing your food/drink, but nothing special--no interesting patterns or shadows. the sconces over the few dining tables in the front dining area immediately attract one's eye so they end up looking at the people dining there. (those poor people!) i recommend a little sparkle overhead--some interesting pendant lighting that enhances the lighting provided by the recessed as well as provide more of a pattern to the lighting; and remove the sconces.

recessed lights in the bar area

discomfort glare--aren't these awful! those poor people...

this image does not communicate the harshness of the bright fluorescent lighting behind the decorative glass panel. it creates a distracting, discomfort glare that is facing you when you walk in the restaurant.

light series 2 | north carolina museum of art

i'm still scratching my head trying to figure how i could make the lighting better. the lighting throughout the galleris in the museum is soft spot lighting that casts a gentle "focal glow" on the art pieces.

beautiful! i love this place!! the shadows created are just as interesting as the art pieces.

light is used as a wayfinding device to the facilities--bright white/blue down lights flood the walls in the facility corridor creating a wonderful pattern of light, which offers a stark contrast to the softer, warmer gallery lighting.

this was s fun use of light--a very blue light that is in contrast to the warm rich lighting of the gallery. a wonderful example of 'play of brilliants'.

the displays below received focal light from spot lights high above and across the space--an "intersection" of light

a little bit of glare from some of the spots, depending on where one was standing. it almost seems inevitable in a museum that there will be glare from certain positions simply due to the number of directional/focal lights in use.

light series 2 | museum store

the gift shop @ nc museum of art contained all layers of lighting:

• ambient from the CFL bulbs/luminaires installed inside select waffles of the concrete ceiling
• focal glow to highlight & attract attention to all the beautiful merchandise
• sparkle to showcase & highlight displays on shelving
  

sparkle around displays

spotlights showcase art

spotlights make finding a book easier; and
windows allow for abundant natural lighting, but never harsh or direct because its protected by the overhead/covered entrance

CFLs were placed strategically throughout the ceiling's waffles to create a nice ambient lighting

where are my sunglasses? these spotlights glared at you while standing at the register, creating a discomfort glare. the direction needs to be adjusted down just a little.