An Intangible Material _ Light Light as Material Jean-Mari Steyn 217085966
Light “the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible�. Light allows us to define our environment, by day and night. It is an ever-changing constant that allows us to experience, observe and live. Light, or even the absence of light, allows a space to change every moment of its existence. Light is able to infuse a physical object with a metaphysical spirit. This portfolio is divided into 3 parts: Book 01_ Explorations Book 02_ Experimentations Book 03_ Interpretations This portfolio is the culmination of this three part process in the understanding and creating with light. It is a collection of explorations, experiments and interpretations of light.
Book 01 | Explorations The first design prompts were seen as explorations, explorations into making, materials and personal interests. These objects and the making thereof re-introduced an interest into light. Book 02 | Experimentation Light is dealt with in a scientific manner. Experiments were done to understand how light moves and the properties of light. Book 03 | Interpretation Making the intangible tangible. This is the culmination of the exploration and experimentation of light into an experienced form where light take the preference.
Book 01 | Explorations
“ I sense lights as the giver of all presences, and materials as spent light. What is made by light casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to the light. “ - Louis Kahn
The first design prompts were seen as explorations, explorations into making, materials and personal interests. These objects and the making thereof also established a material language. Their relationship to the final research might be obscure, but they played an important part into the discovery of an interest into light. They are merely treated as objects in the process of finding an interest.
House of cards
Exploration of form to create structure
Q-tip Polyhedron
Exploration of structure to create form
Space-a-Frame
Bio-mimic
Exploration of nature to control ligth
Made for Shade
Exploration into light by manipulation
Cast in situ
Exploration of manipulating form to manipulate light
The purpose of the mapping was to reverse the roles of the sighted and unsighted. Looking into the box a sighted person in exposed to experience what some unsighted people see. The idea was to experience the movement of sunlight on the sight and how light is experienced by somebody who doesn’t perceive light as sight.
PLAY SOUNDCLIP
The sun breaks the darkness and cold as it rises in the East. Darkness disappears as the light reveals itself. The darkness crawls back into the materials as the day starts to gain heat and life. As the day reaches its peak, and the sun starts moving into the West, darkness starts to crawl out of the materials as darkness and cold regains its power of the site as night rolls in from the East. It is a constant power struggle of light and darkness as the one couldn’t exist without the other.
Book 02 | Experimentation
Light is the natural agent that stimulates sight and make it possible for us to experience the world. Light is a complex material that acts as both a particle and a wave. This book touches on the science and psychology of light and simplifies it to better understand this project.
Natural Light Natural light is produced by natural processes. Sun Moon Bioluminescence Fire
Artificial Light Artificial light is produced by electrical processes. Incandescent bulbs Halogen lamps LEDs Florescent light
Casting Light
This is a casting experiment. Casting of light and concrete to observe the influence of form on light. The casting relied on the manipulation of a simple form, a square, and a standard geometric layout on the square. This geometric layout was altered through cutting and folding, translating into direct and reflected light. Each experiment showed its influence on light and in return the influence it could have on space.
01 Voids were created by cutting the geometric layout. Light travels through the voids and translates into hard light.
02 The square is folded along the geometric layout with no cutting or incisions. Light reflects from the object and move through the small voids left by folding the object.
03
This is a combination of the previous experiments, cutting and folding. Voids were created by cutting the geometric layout and folding away. Light travels through the voids and reflect from the solid.
Typologies of Light Research shows that there are 3 main Light Typologies architects use. These experiments set out to determine how different material constructs, solid, translucent and transparent, react to the construct of the solid. These experiments also set out to determine the influence of materials on how light is perceived.
High Contrast Light Direct sunlight and defenite patterns, resulting into intense shadows and constantly moving patterns.
Medium Contrast Light Direct and indirect sunlight, resulting in light patterns and diffused light.
Low Contrast Light Indirect sunlight, resulting in soft diffused light.
Psycology of Light Research was done into the Psychology of Light. The following images describe the 3 main theoretical approaches to the psychology of light and space by John Flynn, Kaplan & Kaplan and James Russel.
Lighting modes & Subjective impressions As you change the lighting stimulus along one the above shown dimensions you will produce changes in the human response in terms of the impressions that are reinforced - the responses will happen if planned for or not. John Flynn
Simple Environments Environments that are too familiar and uninteresting provides no visual ques to stimulate involvement with the environment. This leads to uninteresting, even boring environments. Kaplan & Kaplan
Complex Environments Environments that have too many visual ques make it difficult for the viewer to interpret and place themselves in a space. This leads to environments that are complex and difficult to understand and place one self. Kaplan & Kaplan
Stimulating Environments Environments that have the right amount of familiar and unfamiliar elements makes it easy for the viewer to place themselves. This leads to environments that are stimulating and exciting. Kaplan & Kaplan
Emotional Response to Environment Our primary emotional responses to stimuli drive our assesment of all environments. This assesment happens along the dimensions of pleasantness and arousal. James Russell
Science of Light Light is a very complex material. The following images describes the different ways in which light reacts with its environment.
Thomas Young Double Slit Experiment The double slit experiment proofs that light is both a particle and a wave. A single wave of light is split into two separate waves that later combine to form a single wave, creating an interference pattern.
Diffraction of Light Diffraction is the slight bending of light as it passes around the edge of an object. The amount of bending depends on the size of the wavelength of light and the size of the opening. If the opening is larger than the wavelength of the light the bending will almost be unnoticeable.
Refraction of Light Refraction happens when light moves from one medium to the next where the second medium is slower. Light will bend to towards the normal.
Reflection of Light Reflection is when light bounces off an object. Light reflect at the same angle as when it hit the surface. Specular reflection Diffuce reflection
Dispersion of Light Dispersion of light happens when white light moves through a prism and is separated into its component colours - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and voilet.
Play video 01
Play video 02
Play video 03
Book 03 | Interpretation
Light allows us to define our environment, by day and night. It is an everchanging constant that allows us to experience, observe and live.
Act 02 - The Wait
12:40 PM Light or even the absence of light, allows a space to change every moment 24 November of its existence. Light is able to infuse a physical object with a metaphysical Clear skies spirit. Whilst one is delayed the transformation of light can be observed as light travels through the first skin and is transformed with the help of the second This project was undertaken in three parts: skin whilst waiting. 1. Exploration 2. Experimentation Act 03 - The Exchange 3. Interpretation 15:15 PM 19 September 1. An exploration into the materiality of light. City Haze 2. Experimentation into the movement of light. As the light entering is filtered and adjusted to create white light an 3. A culmination of the exploration and experimentation into an exchange takes place once one steps into the white light and the shadows experienced form where light takes preference. are broken into different colors. Utilizing the idea of a bus stop and the temporal nature of light, this Act 04 - The Departure project consists out of 4 light stations or light chambers. This project builds 20:10 PM with light on 4 different sites, on 4 different days at 4 different times. Each 7 August light station takes the form of an action that plays out at a bus stop. Clear skies A deviation from natural light happens as the focus shifts from natural light Act 01 - The Arrival to artificial light and tangible materials. 06:45 AM 2 February Each light station explores the idea of building with light, both natural and Partly cloudy artificial, in a specific set of conditions. The appearance of a new phenomenon as light moves through the thin slits in the wall, abstracting the surrounding environment into strips of Each light station presents a distinctive concept of light with the intention color. of evoking emotions or to create a space using light, color and shadow.
06: 45 Act 01 | The Arrival “The emergence or appearance of a new development, phenomenon or product” 2 February Partly cloudy 26° 10’ 32.754’’ S 28° 3’ 57.384’’ E
Angle of Incidence: 13’
Angle of Incidence: 13,2’
Camera Obscura A natural optical phenomenon that occurs when an image of a scene is projected through a small hole in a screen as a reversed and inverted image on a surface opposite to the opening. This station uses the idea of a camera obscura. Thin slits in the skin creates a ‘pinhole’ and the light that comes through abstracts the scene outside to coloured strips of light in the station.
Exposure time: 10 min
Exposure time: 30 min
Exposure time: 60 min
12:40 Act 02 | The Wait “Stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens” 24 November Clear skies 26° 8’ 51.0072’’ S 28° 5’ 12.1956’’ E
Angle of Incidence: 25’
Angle of Incidence: 47’
Light Dispersion Light can be broken up into different colours; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. This light station uses dispersion. Light moves through the first skin, containing different prisms and slits. Light is either broken up or focused through the slits. As light hits the second skin, light is either dispersed through another prism or moves through a slit to break up or focus the light.
Exposure time: 10 min
Exposure time: 30 min
Exposure time: 60 min
15:15 Act 03 | The Exchange “Act of giving one thing and receiving another” 19 September Dusty city haze 26° 7’ 35.4036’’ S 28° 5’ 6.9828’’ E
Angle of Incidence: 23’
Angle of Incidence: 38’
Blue + Red = Magenta
Green + Blue = Cyan
Red + Green = Yellow
Green + Red + Blue = White
Additive Light Unlike when mixing pigments, light doesn’t create black when mixed together, but rather white.. This light station uses the additive quality of light. Through light channels, the light that comes in is filtered through different filters of red, green and blue. These create white light when coming together on the surface. When moving through the light, the shadows cast are different colours.
Exposure time: 10 min
Exposure time: 30 min
Exposure time: 60 min
20:10 Act 04 | The Departure “Deviation from accepted, prescribed or traditional course of action or thought” 7 August Clear skies 26° 7’ 10.1971’’ S 28° 5’ 3.723’’ E
Exposure time: 30 min