Light-zone(s): as Concept and Tool

• Main Author: Merete Madsen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Architectural Research Centers Consortium 2007-04-01
• Series: Enquiry: The ARCC Journal of Architectural Research
• Online Access: https://www.arcc-journal.org/arcc-new/index.php/arccjournal/article/view/55

Daylight is essential to the experience of an architectural space. Nevertheless, amongst the handful of predominantly scientific methods available to assess daylight in architecture, there are only a few considering the spatial and form-giving characteristics of daylight. This paper investigates light-zone(s) as concept and tool, which can be taken as a point of departure for a new method to perceive, consider and analyse daylight in architecture. As concept, light-zone(s) are areas, fields or zones of light. It is a way of considering a space’s daylight as (forms of) bubbles or spheres of light, which as light-zones can be compressed, expanded, combined, exploded, etc., all according to the character of 'the meeting' between the light-zone(s) and the space itself (inclusive of the space’scontent). Thus, the daylight in a space can be regarded asa composition of light-zones.As tool, light-zone(s) are (spatial) groupings of the lightingvariables (intensity, direction, distribution and colour), whichare significant to the space and form-giving characteristicsof light. That is to say, the light-zone(s) tool is the point ofdeparture for a method of creating a spatial ‘grasp’ on daylighting variables in a given space. The relation between the light-zone(s) concept and tool respectively can be described as follows: On the one level light-zone(s) can be explored as an architectural idea or notion, thus belonging more to the field of architectural theory. On another more practice-driven level, light-zone(s) can be articulated and specified in relation to lighting technology.