Contemporary Architectural Practice: Balancing Between Light Quality + Energy Consumption

Light[en] UP

Antone Abuyaghi

“Light makes Architecture…you can take a simple box building and magnificently light it up to engage interest and dynamics.“

Olafur Eliasson _ Tate Modern Museum_The Weather Project

More than ever before, architectural lighting design seems to be a second thought as drastic energy codes, sustainability issues, lighting and materials have altered the future buildings we will inhabit.

The current economic crisis in architecture + lighting profession has pressured individuals and businesses to address an unprecedented set of challenges. “Firms and lighting companies have remained busy and it is only now, at the beginning of 2009, that the lighting industry is starting to see the impact of project slowdowns.” (IESNA)

Contemporary practice in architecture + lighting is at its highest point where designers are struggling to balance between lighting quality and energy codes in building spaces. Along with this, there still remains the gap between entry level designers and senior staff as well as the demand of architectural lighting for different building types. With the current practice, architectural lighting designers are finding new ways to keep up with the economy and shifting the field to include lighting design competitions, creativity in art + lighting installations, and advancements in new technologies such as the LED bulb. The following article will reflect how architectural lighting industry is changing, mostly positive…so Light [en] UP!

Effect on Design Firms + Designers

Architectural lighting design firms are starting to shift focus because of todays thriving push for sustainability. As designers for a more sustainable world, creativity is getting displaced because of high energy restrictions in building spaces. When designers are asked to meet a lower amount of light energy use (wattage per sq. ft.) in a space, light quality is lost. Users in spaces suffer from bad lighting design due to high energy codes. As a result, emerging professionals and lighting designers in the field lose interest in lighting. Designers begin to lose fundamentals of lighting, such as visual hierarchy, lighting contrast and accent lighting. The challenge is the evolving field, and not the economy.

The changing field is also widening the gap between lighting designers and senior staff. This is due to the lack of architectural lighting design programs at higher universities. (IESNA) New energy codes are discouraging young designers in architectural lighting because they are restricted in expressing visual interest in the spaces they want to design. The balance now becomes about interest + creativity vs. demanding energy codes.

Focus: iDL _integrated Design Lab

The Integrated Design Lab is part of University of Washington-Department of Architecture, where students, faculty and outside professionals get assistance with their design projects on daylighting and electric lighting. Graduate Research Assistants are able to contribute through computer modeling analysis programs to integrate architecture through natural light, lighting controls, and low energy use.

The service at the iDL is free to architects and designers, but limited to project types that include education, hospital, civic, and retail. In times like this, one would think that the lab would be more engaged since architecture firms are low on work and have a little more time to think about integrated design. In an interview with the staff, the lab has seen a dramatic decrease in projects in the office due to the funding it receives from local and national organizations. So, to keep things moving, research in evaluating spaces, new lighting programs, research in new fixtures, and analysis of the current space keeps work flowing.

The balance between quality lighting and energy use is a major issue at the lab. New design standards in electric lighting are emerging because users shouldn’t have low light levels to encourage low energy, this only hurts ones health and restrains the eye. Newer projects brought in are meeting the demanding codes; however, working with the Living Building Challenge (LBC ) has opened a new set of doors. The LBC is represented by six petals of a flower: site, materials, energy, indoor quality, water, and beauty/inspiration. The last petal, beauty/inspiration, gives the lighting designer flexibility with codes and encourages mood, accent and ambient lighting that can be playful and soothing in a space. By implementing this, the shift of energy can be redefined by lighting concepts.

Living Building Challenge Flower Petal

Advancements in Technology

In 2009, many architectural lighting firms dealing with residential and commercial project types have decreased dramatically. It is civic projects such as libraries and schools that are keeping some firms hopeful. As for lighting designers, this becomes the chance to take on new challenges, such as redesigning residential homes with only LED lighting, designing new fixtures, entering competitions that heavily focus on light + space, as well as lighting art installations. The design profession is adapting with the evolving field, giving designers the time to experiment outside of projects that don’t relate so much with energy codes, but encourage creativity and enjoyment.

LED Solar Street Lights

The LED bulb is the hottest bulb on the market. It is small in size and has very low wattage. The LED is not a new invention; we see it on rear brake lights of cars, stereos, traffic lights and flashlights. The newest hype with LED becomes the struggle to make a fixture that performs well and meets criteria for lighting a visual task. The LED is changing the industry as street lights with LEDs and Christmas lights are transforming.

While the economy is not performing well, replacement bulb manufacturing plants are booming. The United States government is creating a bill that would promote all light bulbs to be replaced by LED. (DOE) The compact fluorescent bulb, containing mercury poses environmental threats. With this new bill, lighting manufacturers are becoming more competitive with designing LED replacement bulbs that are energy efficient, perform well, and cost-effective. As we can see so far, lighting designers still have some setbacks, while lighting manufacturers are just getting started. So, what are lighting designers now doing to keep their design skills and creativity flowing?

Light + Art + Architecture

Lighting is about creativity, mood, and expression…it tells a story. With all this energy use interfering, lighting artist and firms are stepping up to re-create and re-imagine spaces with lighting to tell a story. In London, Olafur Eliasson has recreated a dynamic space in the Tate Modern Museum. [Image on first page] Using high pressure sodium bulbs and refracting mirrors, the artist was able to recreate a sunset indoors. It was so successful that people would lie down in the space and eat picnics in front of it. What’s fascinating is that the bulb, a gross yellow-orange street light, had been reused and transformed. Another designer, James Terrell with his powerful and mind boggling illusions take lighting at an unimaginable level. Light is poetry, an expression of the mind and spirit.

The following images represent current architecture + lighting design firms that transform interior and outdoor public spaces though interaction of light + art.

Dan Corson_Oscillating Field_ Capitol Hill_Seattle, WA

Electroland_Enteractive_ Los Angeles, CA

Electroland_Enteractive Facade_ Los Angeles

Electroland_City National Plaza_ Suspended Wire Mesh, Los Angeles, CA

CounterBalance Park_Seattle, WA

As one can see, lighting can be interactive, playful, invoke emotion, and take bland spaces to a new level. Public spaces lit at night can feel safer and empty parking lots can attract people to gaze at laser light shows. Light brings people together, and this is what changes contemporary practice. This shows that creativity is being pushed to higher level. One shouldn’t get too caught up at meeting energy standards. Designers are pushing light quality and visual interest, and this is where the heart of the profession stands.

Future

Contemporary practice in architecture and lighting is evolving at a rapid pace. The downfall of the economy only opens doors to new challenges, research and interest. Designers must be mindful to not only electric lighting, but the integration of natural daylight with photocells, dimmers for electric lights, and occupancy sensors. Sustainability is not something new, but something that has been pushed away for many years. With demanding energy codes, businesses and designers have to alter design spaces and products due to environmental response. If issues such as the above are turning away young designers from architectural lighting, how can the field shift to compliment a harmony and balance of lighting quality and energy use? This is the biggest concern today.

In the meantime, we know that design in the field only plays a minimal amount when compared to what comes thereafter. Lighting design programs in schools first teach about lighting perception, quality and design. Sustainability comes second. But to encourage creativity, one must step away and create spaces that are mindful of both, yet evoke passion without being interfered.