IMPORTANCE OF LIGHTING IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
My name is Karl Seddon, principal of Howard and Seddon architects, Manchester.
Since Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879, lighting rapidly became an everyday occurrence in our lives. It has enabled us to control our environment and therefore how we live and react in our daily events, in all spheres and activities.
Lighting affects our lives in a functional way. For example:
- In the Workplace environment, where set levels of illumination are required to prevent eye strain.
- In operating theatres, where high levels of illumination are required.
- For the external lighting of our streets and for our transport systems; for temporary road works and the like.
For the architect, lighting has many purposes: utilitarian; functional; aesthetic; ergo dynamic; advisory; and with many other practical purposes.
Whether utilitarian or purely aesthetic, lighting plays a fundamental part in our thinking and in our design processes. From mood lighting within and around the home to security lighting and night vision, providing us with a feeling for greater safety and control.
The choice and siting of lighting is of paramount importance and is a fourth dimension within the design process. Spectacular design effects can be created with the siting of light fittings to create reflections, images, and stunning design effects through the use of LED’s, lasers, neon, halogen, spot lights, compact florescent, dimmable florescent and so on. For the architect, lighting therefore has huge design potential. It covers the full psyche of human demography including physiological; safety; social; esteem; and self actualisation – the needs of man. Lighting can therefore be used to meet all our physiological needs and therefore the trick of the designer is to satisfy relevant needs in clever and skill full design proposals which maximises quality and effect within budget targets. Design choices are huge from utilitarian; to funky; to contemporary; to classic; to vintage. Styles can be mixed to create a “contemporary twist” to a traditional environment or to make the contemporary exceptional.
As stated by Giro Vidal Fortezelle, the consideration of spatiality is the possibility to define the physical room: volume, distance, proportions and orientation. Depending on the light in a space we can perceive its volume as huge, as small, open and crowded. The perceived extension can also change a lot from an airy to a cramped space. Even the orientation is influenced by lighting; because how you find your way in the space can be well determined by the light present there.
The atmosphere consists the general character, related to the psychological mood that light creates. Many times people experience the space as boring, private, public, cheerful etc. only because of lighting influences.
And last, the visibility is connected only to work demands, to the possibility to see things during the task: form, surface/texture, colour and light.
That is what Asco lights are about. Providing a full range of lights and fittings in various styles to suit mood; palate; personal taste; and of course having regard to maximum effect at optimum price.
Whilst lighting is common place in our lives the art of the designer and the architect is to create the extraordinary out of the ordinary; quality out of normality; and exceptionality out of economic adversity; safety for an emergency; ambiance when socialising; communication through location; and art forms through style, type and location.
To calm us when relaxing; to satisfy our work place needs; to add control and security to our external environment. That is what Edison perhaps unwittingly started with the creation of his light bulb; and which we continue to develop to create quietly sophisticated environments which contribute to all of our well being.
That is the importance of lighting in architectural design for architects.
HOWARD AND SEDDON PARTNERSHIP
64 WASHWAY ROAD
SALE
CHESHIRE
M33 7RE
Tel: 0161 973 8296
Fax: 0161 962 3485
E-mail: admin@howardandseddon.co.uk
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