The architecture of light: architectural lighting design concepts and techniques. A textbook of procedures and practices for the architect, interior designer and lighting designer pdfdrive com

Chapter 2 The Power and Purpose of Light

Because our journey is one of enriching and enhancing our designs with light, we will first take some time to establish why light is such a useful tool in creating emotion and altering our perception of the world around us. There is an indoctrination required so that we move forward with an unfailing faith in the power of light to affect design.
WHY WE STUDY LIGHT
In the built environment, it is reasonable to say that the majority of our experiences are visual. Sound, smell, and touch certainly play various roles, but most people rely on vision to deliver a very large quantity of information.
Vision, by its very nature, is a product of light. It is the result of the
creation of light, the reflection of light, and, ultimately, the absorption and translation of light by our visual system. Logic dictates then that if we want to have maximum control of the designed environment, we must become intimate with light and learn to make it our ally in translating design.
Light can quickly and powerfully alter the appearance and emotional
effect of our designed spaces. A designer can spend any amount of time refining the layout of a space, the scale of a space, the materials and finishes of a space. However with a few simple strokes, lighting can be applied to truly enhance or utterly destroy the desired effect. A designer may envision a meditation lodge fashioned from bamboo sheathing with a natural river rock floor. The lodge may have heavy dark wood furniture and oiled, bronze hardware and accents. Despite the effort and attention to detail, we can change the emotional effect in a heartbeat by installing red strobe lights and a disco ball. An extreme example, to be sure, but the point is valid: If one wants to change the mood of a space, change the lighting. If one wants to change the scale of a space, change the lighting. If one wants to change the color of a space, change the lighting. Once you recognize how many aspects there are to light, you start to understand that it serves as an efficient, effective, and powerful way to accomplish a design goal.
With just a basic understanding of the colors, intensities, and textures of light, a designer gains an understanding of which types of light will support, and which will detract from a project’s design goals.