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To Build with Light:
‘An Exploration Into the Relationship Between
Light, Space, and Built Form
bby Michael Thomas Heffron
Bachelor of Ans in Architecture
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
1986
Submitted to the Department of Architecture in partial fulfillment of the
requirements ofthe degree of Master of Architecture at the Massechusets Insitute
of Technology
June 1989
‘Signature of Auhot — $66 Tromas Heifon
Department of Architectare
OT te AMID
Genifiedby 4, ,
1 “Thomas R. Chastain
Lecturer
‘Thesis Supervisor
1
‘Aseepied by —
Bill Hubbard Jr.
Chairman |
Departmental Committee for Graduate Students
© Michael Thomas Heffron, 1989. All rights reserved.
“The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute copies
ofthis thesis document in whole or in pat.
Rotch
sussignrs were
JUN 02 1989 To Build with Light:
‘An Exploration Into the Relationship Between
Light, Space, and Built Form
by Michael Thomas Heffron
‘Submitted to the Department of Architectare on May 12, 1989 in partial
{alfllment ofthe requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture,
ABSTRACT
“The purpose of this thesis is to look at how light works with form to generate
space, The thesis atempts to deal withthe physical realty that light, space and
{orm exist in a symbiotic relationship. The thesis deals wi this relationship by
exploring the architectural phenomenon that are generated from ths relationship,
Ii therefore does ot try to deal with light in a technical manner, nor does it
attempt to delve into the metaphysical and emotive qualities that canbe attributed
tolight
“The thesis uses a cyclical process of observation, anlysis and testing. A.
“wide range of references are presented both in the form of images and actual built
lighting models. These are organized into five categris of ight phenomenon
‘and analyzed for underiying principles of the light form relationship. ‘The
Principles abstracted from this research are then tested ina design,
“Thesis Advisor: Thomas R. Chastain
Tite: Lecturer ua
Acknowledgements
Firs, ' like to thank Tom Chastain for his guidance, for pushing me, and
for making it clear.
Ti also like to thank the ther professors at MITT who helped me develop a
design philosophy.
Many thanks to my fellow students, Fibs, Wolly, etl for sharing with me
your great wealth of experiences and viewpoint,
A special thank you tothe Spring 89 Thesis Crew . The comradery has
been invaluable
“Thanks to the Hefirons and the Cottinghams for the constant support.
‘And most importantly to Mami for everything. This thesis is dedicated to
her, Table of Contents
Title Page
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
(Chapter 1 - Introduction wo the exploration
Standard approaches to understanding light
‘The Technical Approach
“The Literary Approach
‘The New Method
Method of Exploration
‘Chapter 2- The Bunker Hill Primary School
Chaprer3-
“Moe! Reference: Additions to Don Bosco High School
Light As a Continuity
Chapter 4
‘Model Reference: Van Eyck Church
Light As Structure
(Chapter 5-
“Moe! Reference: Montessori School
Light As a Connection
58
a
a
ee
tint Chapter 6
Model Reference: Exeter Library
‘The Relation Between Light and Screens
Chapter 7-
Model Reference: Aalto Church
Light As a Containment
Appendix -
Design Program
Miscellaneous Data
Endnotes
List of Blusrations
Bibliography
n
n
16
2
2
95
107
108
10 * We put thirty spokes together and call ita wheel;
‘But itis onthe space where there is nothing that the
tly of the wheel depends,
We turn clay 10 make a vessel:
‘But it ison the space where there is nothing
‘that the uty of the vessel depends,
We pierce doors and windows to make a house:
‘and ison these spaces where there is nothing that
the uilty of the house depends.
‘Therefore, just as we tke advantage of what is,
we should recognize the wily of what i no.”
- Lao Tse “The study of light. is something more than a mere investigation of
illumination. Light and things belong together, and every place has its light.
Light, things and places can only be understood in their mutual relationship,
‘The phenomenology of things and places is also the phenomenology of
light, In general, they belong tothe phenomenology of earth and sky. The
sky isthe origin of light, and the earth its manifestation. Therefore light is
the unifying ground of the world.
Always the same and aways different, light reveals what is."*
~ Christian Norberg Schultz
Lights crucial to our existence, Besides the physiological benefits, there
are a numberof psychological and emotional benefits that are directly linked
ms.
{As far as we can discom, tho sole pupose of human
Pree pre dped arte ling to exposure to natural light. The constantly changing nature of daylight
being.” automatically and naturally accommodates the mind's need fora change of|
+ 6.6.00, stimuli, The movement of the sun through the daly cycle is a natural
Cd reference to both time and north-south orientation, Natural light produces a
‘gradation of light on surfaces and objects that appears "natura" to humans
‘because the color and intensity of natural light is constantly changing ~
‘without these changes in simul, spaces and materials it only by artificial
sources can feel "unnatural", Finally, we obtain most information about
‘our environment through our eyes, and light makes this possible. This is
the most ofthe important aspect of light because it enables us to orient
‘ourselves relative to spaces and forms -- the wo components that make up
any habitable built environment “Vision is primarily a device of orientation; a means to measure and
organize spatial events. The mastery of nature is itimaiely connected with
the mastery of space; this is visual orientation.”
"Vision isnot only orientation in physical spheres but also orientation in
‘human spheres."
= Gyorgy Kepes
‘Why, given the importance of ight, ists relationship to space and form
‘often ignored in the design of architecture?
‘A basic assumption of this thesis is that Architecture the manipulation of
forms, spaces, and the symbiotic relationship that exists between the two,
not style or technique, Tn his book The Architecture of Humanism,
Geoffrey Scot writes,
“The function ofthe ars, at many points, overlap; architectre has much
that it holds in common with sculpture, and more that it shares with music.
‘But it has also its peculiar province and a pleasure which is ypically its
‘own. Ithas the monopoly of space. Architecture alone ofthe Ars can give
space its fll value, It can surround us witha void of tree dimensions; and
whatever delight may be derived from that is the gift of architecture alone."°
‘Others have also discussed the importance of space in Architecture. Bruno
Zevi's book Architecture of Space is dedicated to recording the history of “architecture willbe brought ois ules ealisaion only
when the deepest Krowodge of human ite as total
‘Bhenomenon in te biological wholes avaliable. One of
fis mostimportant components isthe ordering of man in
‘space, making space comprehensible, an taking
atchtecure a8 arangoment of universal space.
‘The root of areitecture Hes Inthe mastery of th prblom
‘of space, te practical development es inthe problem of
tonetrucion”
- Lazo Moholy-Nagy
“The architect has final dlscovered the medium of his art
SPACE"
RMSehingor
‘Modern Achtecure: A Program
Architectural space through the various ages from ancient times to the
present. He writes,
“That space shouldbe the protagonist of architecture is afterall natural
Architectre isnot art alone itis not merely a reflection of conceptions of
life ofa portrait of systems of living. Architecture is environment; the stage
‘on which our lives unfold"* And, “..ts in space that life and culture,
spiritual intrest and social responsibly meet. For space is not merely a
cavity, or void, or ‘negation of solidity’ itis alive and positive. It isnot
‘merely a visual fact; itis in every sense, and especially ina human and
integrated sense, a reality in which we live °S
‘What sets Architecture apart from the other An is that Architecture isa
three-dimensional experience ~ we can inhabit it
Standard Approaches to Understanding Light
How can light be used to strengthen this spatial experience? There are two
standard approaches to studying the behavior of light inthe built
environment; the technical approach and the literary approach. The frst
pprotch does not addres the light form relationship because it tends to
treat light as a material that can be manipulated wo solve problems of
technical performance. The literary approach is reactionary. Itrecords
personal experiences bf space and ight. Neither approach explores the
underlying relationship between light, space and form, ‘The Technical Approach
‘There exist large body of information on the use of natural light to
augment the need for antficial lighting in buildings. Most of the information
{is in the form of manuals that focus onthe technical issues of lighting @
building: the physics of ight, their reflectivity quotinis of various
‘materials, how to deal with glare problems and achieve “proper”
ilumination levels, etc, The goal ofthese manuals is to encourage the use
of daylight instead of artificial light to meet varios lighting needs, and to
save energy. The lighting needs ofa building are often dictated by codes.
‘These codes set standards for light levels based on predicted activities that
will occur in various building spaces (for example, 10 foot candles for a
hallway oF 40 to 50 footeandles for offive space).
But because of the natural adaptability ofthe eye our perception of light
(quantity is relative, and therefore precise measurable levels of illumination
are somewhat suspect as to how well they correspond tothe way we
associate with light. As S.E. Rasmussen points out,
"=. variations in the quantity of light can be ignored, for though they can be
‘measured with the help of instruments, we ourselves are hardly aware of
them. Bright sunlight may be 250,000 times more intense than moonlight
and yet we can see the same forms inthe light ofthe moon as we can in
broad daylight"6 ‘The above istration isa detail for a museum ighing
situation. Although this may solve the problem of
binging in daylight without tne dangers of direct sun
exposure, tis an idiosyncratic olution fo geting same
indrect ight into an into spaco. And because ihe
‘same sections used a he inerie wals ae an elaborate
‘ovo ight with an ariclal source theres no formal
Gesture to ackrewioge the afore inthe wo pas of
igh
‘What typically happens inthe technical approach to working with ight is
that a lighting nee is recognized based ona programmatic requiement.
Forexample, a gllery space needs wo be free of dret sunlight to protect
paintings fom ultraviolet radiation. The lighting needs are then met witha
technically appropriate form foal exterior openings so that only indirect
"daylight is allowed into the space. Often, the forms ofthese lighting
levies have litle odo with generating any kind of associations withthe
natural light coming from outside, and will often function asa type of
installed or applied light iture rather than apart ofthe larger building
form,
‘An example of this type of lighting approach can be seen inthe recent
‘design for an art miseum in Houston, Texas by Renzo Piano. In an article
featuring this building, appropriately titled "The Responsive Box’, CAD
mages and functional diagrams of the special precast concrete "fin" are
shown. The fin was designed specifically for this project to achieve
‘uniform light throughout the building's exhibition spaces. ‘The article also
‘contains photos of various locations within and around the building where
the use ofthese concrete fins becomes apparent. The fn elements simply
repeated ad infinitum across the ceiling ofthe building much like the use of
‘he neural column grid in many speculative office buildings. These fins
‘cover both exhibit spaces and circulation spaces as well as exterior porches
at the front and sides ofthe building, always inthe same form and size
‘Thisis similar to the luminous ceiling idea of the early 1970's where the
entre hung ceiling of an openoffice space was filed with arificial light
fixtures with the goal of giving even light levels tothe entire space. py
ial teal
age fi AAA AARMAT —YARAA,
post suuaaannadanT™—— yeti
oe peat He HT | Seton sbowing one ofthe lads
at
(Compare this approich to daylighting a museum with the approach used in
Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas by Louis Kahn. Kahn faced a
similar problem of bringing indirect light to gallery space. Kahn also
developed and used a technically appropriate device, but he uilized the form
ofthe gallery ceiling asa crucial part of the lighting olution. The light
comes through the skylights inthe center ofthe vaults and is reflected into
the curve ofthe vaults. This diffuses the light and spreads it around the
vault, filling the space with light. Hence the lights integrated directly with
the form and generates the gallery space.
Inan ancl about using technical means to solve Architectural “problems'
Alvar Aalto wrote,
"To make architecture more human means beter architecture, and it means a
functionalism much arger than the technical one. This goal can only be
‘accomplished by architectural methods bythe creation and combination of
diferent technical things in such away that they will provide for the human
being the most harmonious life."7
‘Using natural light in buildings to satisfy certain performance requirements
{is important both from an ecological as well as an economical standpoint.
‘But the need to control natural light through technical means should never
hinder the opportunity for working with light wo generate spaces that
enhance the associative qualities of a building. Literary Approach
‘There has also been mach prose dedicated to describing the quality of Hight
in the environment. This i an impressionistic approsch to light that reacts
to the space as it is experienced and attaches emotive or metaphysical
qualities to those experiences rater than analyzing the places’ physical
properties for what might have elicited these experiences. Henry
‘Plummer’s recent book The Poetics of Light is an exploration ofthis type.
Inthe opening chapter he writes.
+ light is not merely an agent of clarity, serving to illuminate shapes and
convey data. There are occasions when a swelling light actually penetrates
into the very structure of things, brightening them so from within tha they
‘seem to shine translucently. We sense at these times a profound change in
the state of matter, and inthe relations berween light and form, for instead
ofthe material and immaterial opposing each other or one dominating the
“other, the two partners enter ino a mutually enlivening exchange."®
He then proceeds to describe the light qualities of various noteworthy
‘building and places through narratives and photos. The following is @
‘passage describing the light in the church Santa Maria Di Assunta in Riola,
Italy by Alvar Aalio.
"A stream of gentle north light enters from above through enormous
scalloped monitors, which is then further decolorized and mufed by reflections inside the roofop chambers, and evenally released as a serene
white mist imo every hollow ofthe church. Secluded recesses tha might
otherwise be left dark are somewhat penetrated by this airlike glow, so that
the whole vessel is a cloud of whiteness. Cas shadows lose all heir
articulation and body, becoming rarefied into thin sprays and painted
‘imperceptibly into a drawn our sfumato. Balmy imprints of light spread
int ghostly and dematerialized veils, seeming to inerpenerate and slide
‘rough each other’?
“This is a description of the metaphysical qualities of the space, and Mr.
‘Plummer has chosen not to include plans, sections or any other drawings as
part of his descriptions; hence heightening the mystification of the building,
‘There is no opportunity to try and understand how the physical form of the
building is working with light welicit such qualities.
‘The literary approach presents two problems tothe designer. One i that it
ives litle objective or principle information about the space tha could then
‘be used in the making of other spaces where a similar ight condition might
be desirable, Paul Klee understood this deficiency when he wrote of his
‘own frustrations in tying to convey notions of space in writing,
“For in language there is no way of seeing many dimensions as once.
Unfortunately, what the so-called spatial ants have long sueceeded in
accomplishing... thi simultaneous view of many dimensions which is the
foundation of the great climaxes of drama, is unknown in the realm of
verbal explanation."10 ‘The other problems that these observations are quite subjective because
they are o intensely personal, and although some images might be shared,
each person will have a different interpretation ofthe same space. Different
imerprtations are desirable, and I believe that te richness ofa place isthe
ability ofthat space to elicit a multiplicity of experiences. But, itis difficult
to abstract more general principles from such subjective observations,
‘Therefor, itis the direct sensory experience and perceptions ofthe
“underlying form that are most useful to observe.
‘These are two perspectives in which light is discussed relative to its
relationship wth architecture the technical approach and the literary
approach. The performance approach brings the designer valuable
‘information on the physical behavior of light in regards to materials and
forms. But this approach is limited by performance guidelines and is still
largely based on quantities of illumination for specific uses, and often
results in ight "fixtures" rather than associative building forms. The
technical approach does not address the fact that there can exist spaces
having identical light levels tha also have completely different forms and
hence drastically different light qualities. The “literary” approach to
understanding light in the environment can offer strong emotive images of a
space asit is experienced. What these descriptive studies of light seldom
explore is how these experiences are triggered by the physical form.
‘Therefore, the descriptions do not contribute information on how these
experiences are relly tied to and generated from the physical interaction
between light and form,
“whatever a painting is could be described with words.
there wouldnt be a pairing, oF a need Tor panting”
‘Susanne Langer
‘Feeling and Fom As one lealsystom nds isa next to another...tney
‘Bul the space mbatween: ence, pit eran,
r@ was no space ight between -the leat woud
(Ge Wat about bugs
The New Method
“Our human nature is profoundly photorropic. Men obey their deepest
instincts when they hold facto ight in comprehensive at of perception
‘and understanding though which they learn abou the word, orient
themselves within it, experience joy in ving, and achieve a metaphoric,
somblotic grasp of life."
Light is continuous ~ we are always associating with light, but because
light itself is immaterial, we only perceive it when itis transformed by
physical form. Therefore light "moves" through space and when itis
‘topped by physical form, the perception of space is generated. Can these
‘forms be structured so that they build associations with light that help us to
‘experience space and orient ourselves in the environment? Thelieve tha not
‘nly can these opportunities fr association with light be generated, but that
anytime form is manipulated these associations are inevitable.
“Every Architectural form, every building or group of buildings, regardless
(of the practical purpose or the expressive need that formed it. isa visible
{form built from differences of light qualities. Without our perception of
these patterns of light, ou distance sense, our appreciation of the qualities
of our wider space; would completely disappear."12
“For light possesses tremendous psychological power since i is so deeply
Jimmersed in the furthermost recesses of our unconsciousness and is so intimately fused with ou space experience a to be almost identical with it
For visible space is lighted space, and with light therefore, we can evoke
space experience. For light is one element; material object another, and the
‘relationship of one to another makes up our visual world."!3
- Nathan Lerner
Light, through its relative brightness and colo, its relation othe different
hues, textures, opacities and transparencies of materials and their
‘dimensional distribution, i directly linked to our understanding of physical
{orm and it spatial component, territory, To make our environment more
habitable through the generation of form that works with light itis
necessary to understand more clearly the intricacies of the relationship
‘between light, space and form. ‘Therefore this exploration isan attempt to
find an alternative approach o studying and describing the role light plays in
generating this relationship.
“seven a space intended to be dark should have just enough ligh from
some mysterious opening to tellus how dark i really is..°14
Louis 1. Kahn Method of Exploration
“The study of light in Architecture has two dilemmas. First, ight is by
nature dichotomous, we can experience light coming from a source such as
a windows, skylights, screens, diffusers, wall textures or the sun. But we
‘can also experience light asa volume that surrounds us where light begins
to have a phenomenological qualities. This dichotomous dilemma has also
‘been recognized in physics.
“For physicists, oo, the actual nature of light is dificult to describe and
‘measure. They can choose to describe tts a particle or as awave, but not
‘both at the same time. In other words, how we perceive the world i largely
determined by how we choose to approach it."15
have chosen five ways of looking at light, o rather five light phenomenon:
© ight as a continuity
light as structure
© ight as a connection
(0 relation of light and sereens
© ight as containment
“These categories were decided upon after looking ata wide range of,
references in photos and drawings. ‘They certainly are not the only
‘eategories that could have been derived from the initial references, but they
‘were ones that developed asthe references started to become organized, ‘They willbe presented in five sections comesponding tothe five light
phenomenon I chose to study.
‘The second dilemma in studying light, which has already been implied, is
‘that light, like space, isa three-dimensional phenomenon. The use of only
‘two-dimensional images would not allow a complete understanding ofthe
spatial qualities ofthe five light phenomena mentioned above. Therefore
five references were physically modelled ata large scale to allow qualitative
‘observations and analysis to be made of light acting temporally and in three
dimensions. The selection of references to be modelled was based on their
‘exhibiting all or some of the light phenomena being studied, and dve to time
constraints, on availabilty of documentation and ease of construction. One
‘model reference is presented atthe beginning of each section.
‘The design of a primary school became a vehicle for testing the principles
that were observed and abstracted from the references. ‘The design was
developed through models as wel as drawings to allow for three
«dimensional spatial qualities to become more readily apparent. The design
progressed in parallel wth the reference research thus completing a cyclical
process of observation, analysis, and testing.
a if Childhood is a jouney let us see to it. that the
child does not travel by night.”
+ Aldo van Eyck ‘The Bunker Hill Primary School
“This chapter presents the design section ofthis
thesis, The program forthe design is primary
‘school containing four classrooms, kindergarten
through the thitd grade, and a daycare/preschool, Tt
includes some administrative offices, a library, and a
‘multipurpose room as well as the necessary
restrooms and storage spaces (see Appendix for
program sizes). Itis located on the top of Breeds
Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, on the southeast
comer of Mead Street and Bunker Hill Steet, The
site has a southwest to northeast orientation
perpendicular tothe slope ofthe hill wth due-south
running diagonally across the site. The hill itself
