Sound Sketch Series

Sound related experiences

Sound is an element of architectural design, which does not receive the same attention as other architectural elements. Sound plays an important role in our daily lives; and within architecture, every built space containing different shapes, sizes and materials modify the path sounds travels. As described in the text “Hearing Architecture,” people are not normally aware of how much they rely on their sense of hearing to interpret the world around them. Our experience of sound comes from different places we have visited in conjunction with different feelings and experiences.

I used to take piano lessons when I was a teenager.  My classes were held in the basement of my teacher’s home.  The ceilings in the basement were very high. The teacher was a real artist as exemplified with the decorations of the room. She added acoustical coverings to the ceilings and walls by covering them with egg cartons. The room had a noise-controlled design which was so very good that a person standing on the opposite side of the door could not hear any noise from within the room. I enjoyed being in this space when I played the piano, as the music reverberated about the space. Iran does not have clubs or private places for having parties, so it was a pleasant environment for friends to gather, to enjoy music and dance. We were confident sound would not travel outside the space to disturb others, and we were kept safe from government intervention.

Another good example related to sound and spaces are museums. Sound and music are key elements in the promotion of a museum. As a starting point, it is a method of attracting people since cultural aspects of museums content may be introduced in this manner. One example is the Louvre museum in France which I have visited four years ago. It has a lot of different large exhibitions with different designs and furnishings very close to one another, each with excellent acoustical protection to the adjacent exhibits.  The right kind of music is performed in each space without combination of distant sounds distracting the attention in the immediate space. In every exhibition sound continues to reverberate within the massive walls providing a pleasant cultural experience to view the arts.

Another personal experience with very good acoustical design for the space is Saint Vitus's Cathedral church in Prague, Czech. Sound reverberates well within the surroundings of the space to enhance speech and music. The church has a thoughtful building layout to keep noise sources outside the church away from the worship area.  Sound is controlled well within the space permitting the music to communicate ideas and concepts while it simultaneously enhances the worship experience through emotional involvement. The acoustics of the worship space have a profound impact on all of these functions. This was one of the most beautiful churches that I have ever seen and the spiritual music made me feel I was closer to God.

 

Light Sketch Series 4

 

    Semi-Direct Downlight Indirect Uplight Lighting Conditions

 

Wall Grazing

 

    

   Cove lighting, wall washing and task lighting

 

 

Slot and accent Lighting

 

Daylight Shading Model

Light Sketch Series 3

Illuminance reflectance transmittance

Light Model

  Poster

Model

Light Sketch Series 2

  Weatherspoon Gallery

The lobby of the Weatherspoon gallery at UNCG is a unique space with multi-layer qualities of light. The vaulted ceiling contains both daylight and halogen in a starry night pattern.  The first floor of the lobby area also contains halogen, but in a more subtle composition washing the walls with alternating patterns of light and shadow.  The daylight dominates the space with strong luminance supported by moderate luminance of the starry night pattern.  The lighting combination enhances the museum experience as it highlights the artwork on display. 

 

Solas Restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina

Solas restaurant is an example of moderate luminance appropriate for the activity of the space. The types of lamps are incandescent pendent providing ambient lighting throughout the space, supported with additional subtle incandescent pendant lights at the individual tables.  The use of pendent lighting in the space works well with the atmosphere.  My only recommendation might be to have the source of light located further above the table to avoid distraction by its patrons.
 

Harris Teeter at the Friendly Center

Harris teeter is an example of two layers of strong and moderate luminance in a commercial retail store.  Both lamps are fluorescents bulbs is different style pendent light fixtures for the varying heights.  One provides evenly distributed ambient lighting mounted from the ceiling, and the second is task lighting mounted from a suspended railing and located closer to the check out area.  The lighting conditions are both warm and welcoming and used successfully for the space.

Light Sketch Series 1

Lobby of the Gatewood Studio Arts Building Light Study

Date: 9/7/2012  Time: 4:45pm

 

Date:9/10/2012  Time:4:45pm

 

Date:9/15/2012  Time:11:15am

 



Date:9/15/2012  Time:4:40pm

 



Date:9/15/2012  Time:5:45pm

 

Date:9/24/2012  Time:5:45pm

 

Date:10/3/2012  Time:5:45pm

Lighting Scavenger Hunt

 

The space function is the studio place at fourth floor in the department of interior architecture. The purpose of using fluorescent type of lamp in this area is to focus on tasks. The feeling I have when I am in this space is being comfortable and relaxed. It is a pleasant space for me to focus on my studies. This task lighting is located overhead and the light is bright enough to study. I think there is adequate amount of uniform lighting in this space.



The space is on the second floor lounge at the Gatewood studio arts building. The light is hazy, and dull, making me feel cramped, and uninspired. I feel tense when I am in this space.  I walk through the space periodically for access to the vending machines, and the experience is not a pleasant one. I think the main problem with the space is the uneven lighting quality, emphasized by the translucent yellow shade on the compact fluorescent bulb.  The color of the light is too warm creating an uncomfortable feeling of heat. The light fixtures are too bright to look at directly into the space.  The lighting is not appropriate for the activities used for the space, leaving the room too dimly lit for its purpose.

 



As I enter the lobby of the  Mossman  building on the UNCG campus, the architecture volume of the space has a predominant presence.  The multi-layer quality of lighting techniques adequately suits the proportions of the space with a combination of various fluorescent lighting.  The 2-story open atrium style architecture contains strong-bright luminance from the coffered ceilings above with supportive moderate luminance from the 2^nd open hallways and the 1^st story alcoves of office area.  Another layer of lighting is provided by the clear glass doorways to the outside space at opposite ends of the lobby area.  The  Mossman  lobby is comfortably free with an abundance of uniform lighting for all activities within the space.



Impact of light on human health

For 50 years now many surveys have been studied about light and its influence on the human body and also on animal behavior. It has been proved by scientists that our body has physical responses to light and dark patterns and we have a special hormone, which is produced by our body in the evening and during the night, this hormone is called melatonin which causes sleep. Also it is a circadian that we have, it means that during the night our bodies want to go to sleep and during the day they want to be awake this happen every day.

Some research have expressed the lack of normal light patterns in a significant amount of time could have negative effects on our health. These affects could be both physically and mentally. SAD or seasonal affective disorder is one of the effects of inadequate levels of daylight which probably many of us have this experience, in fall or winter when it is cloudy and the light is not shining as the summer is, some people have the experience of depression in these two season; fall and winter.

It has been expressed by scientists that inadequate light levels contribute to many health problems such as diabetes and could continue to other problems such as cancer. We also know that different colors have different affects on our body. Red is one of the colors that might makes one feel sleepy or blue could makes one awake. Different people have different experiences with light and its effects on the colors.

It is very important as a designer to provide adequate amount of light for spaces and pay attention to lighting affects related to health issues in our design.

Light related experiences

All of us have many different experiences with light. We started to know about light during our childhood with forms of different toys or different places. Some of the light experiences are personal. It depends on our experience of the world or our attitude toward life. Some are the same for people who have the same culture or grow up in a same society and some experiences with light are universal; everyone has the experience of moonlight, sunlight, etc.

We all know light is not just a reliable source which gives us the ability to read and write or make objects visible, but also it relates to place, time, climatic zones and thermal comforts.

Every place has its own experience of light and depending upon where the location is, if it is in South Africa or the north of Canada, the experience would be different. It was in winter when I was in the Canary Islands. It was full of light everywhere until late at night, while the next week, when I was in Sweden, it became dark at 3pm; this is because they are located in different climatic zones of the earth.

Light and nature are also related to each other. The waterfall of Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the best residential design examples that were mentioned in the article. If I want to make an example of what reminds me of the relation between light and nature, it would be the photography of Gergely Nagy, which makes me deeply think about nature when I look at the images he captures.

Discussing light and climate reminds me about my country Iran. While some people living in dry areas and want to prevent the sun light from going into their interior spaces, others who live in cold areas welcome the light to use the heat of the sun within their spaces. This is how light becomes connected to thermal comfort.

Light also is related to the time of the day and the season of the year. We could see different colors and different patterns of light and could have different light experiences in different times and different spaces, even in different times of one day.

One of my related experiences was in Berlin, Germany. I was listening to violin played by a man near an old church. I was there for some hours capturing pictures and listening to his music. When I saw the pictures after my journey, I realized how significant a place or building could be in one day, but at different times. The church had different colors in my pictures from different times of that day.

Light also has connection with tasks and what activities are going to be done in interior spaces. For example, within a museum it is better not to have too much light in the space and it is better to have some wall wash or wall grazing light to emphasize objects. Another example related to light and task could be at school where students need to read and write. They need adequate amount of light in their classrooms. Light is related to many aspects of our lives and in my opinion, light is life itself.