Shaping Daylight Through Simulation & Virtual Reality
Light is one of the critical aspects of valued architectural spaces, influencing ambiance, the overall atmosphere and occupant perception, whether positively or negatively. This course explores the quantities and qualities of light.
Illustration of participant perception in an immersive VR headset (Azadeh Sawyer research).
Light is one of the critical aspects of valued architectural spaces, influencing ambiance, the overall atmosphere and occupant perception, whether positively or negatively. In this course, we explore the quantities and qualities of light. We study how we can design with and for light while understanding the paradox of lighting design — that it is both science and art. Digital design and simulation tools are augmented with virtual reality (VR) to extend quantitative measurements of lighting to include qualitative aspects of light such as its influence on occupants’ subjective impressions of a space, well-being and comfort.