Studies in Light and Materials

Lighting is by far the single largest consumer of electricity in the United States. As a result, the majority of "green" guidelines for building design call for an increase in the use of daylight. The incorporation of daylight into buildings has tended to be problematic - bringing large heat gains and thermal swings at the building envelope and, in many cases, requiring more artificial illumination to offset the high contrasts. If we could begin to respond to and interact with the transient and specific behavior of daylight, rather than asking daylight to act as a direct substitute for electrical lighting, then we may be able to enhance the human visual experience while significantly reducing energy usage. This seminar examines the physics and behavior of daylight. New materials and technologies, such as light pipes, light directing films, fiber optics, and the "smart" chromagenics, are considered; and simulation tools are used for analysis. In addition, advances in discrete electrical lighting technologies, including LED's and many luminescing materials, are examined. Students are asked to build - physically and/or virtually - installations that manipulate the properties and behavior of light and daylight. Limited enrollment.