Daylight Changes Over Time

As weeks and months go by the light coming through our windows changes based on the position of the sun in relation to our homes. Because we live in the northern hemisphere the southern windows and parts of our house that are south facing receive the most light. This light changes its angles as it comes through our windows over the seasons. This is a result of the changing angle of the sun in relation to earth. In the winter the sun is lower on the horizon then in the summer so we get more light that pierces into the space. This is in contrast to the summer, when the sun is higher in the sky, we get less direct light penetrating the space. Light angles and how much light penetrates the spaces is also affected by the time of the day. These principles are demonstrated in the sketches below.

January 25 @ 9:00am

January 25 @ 12:00pm

 January 25 @ 3:00pm

February 15 @ 1:00pm

March 25 @ 9:00am

April 15 @ 2:00pm

Color Rendering and Color Temperature

Color Rendering and Color Temperature of Different Light Sources

Color Rendering (CRI)- An expression of the completeness of the spectral output of a light source. Indicates how accurately a light source will reveal colors in the lit environment. Scale of 1-100, the higher the number the more complete the spectral output and the more accurate the color render.

Color Temperature- A manner of describing the apparent color of a light source. Commonly used to express the color or warm color of a source that deviates from neutral. Expressed in units of Kelvin (K).

Computer Lab

                LED tube Lights

The lighting here rendered the fabrics very well and the color was fairly accurate. The CRI is between 80 and 90, resulting in accurate color rendering. The color temperature is between 4,000 and 6,000K, placing it in the cool light source range

Resource Room

                Fluorescent Lights

This lighting made the fabrics look darker. It is a cool colored light source so the color temperature measures between 3,000-5,000 K. The CRI is between 50 and 60 and should be avoided.

Outside Lighting

                Sodium Vapor

This light source changed the color of the fabrics significantly. The light source has a warm color temperature of about 2250K and a CRI between 0 and 10. This gives it the worst color rendering of all the light sources that were observed.

Studio Classroom

                Halogen

This light source effected the fabrics in different ways. The cooler colors had a poor color rendering while the warm colors were not affected much. The colors of this lamp fall between 2,800K and 3,000K, meaning they have a neutral color tone. The CRI

of halogen lights is between 80 and 100.

Light Box Study

1. The presentation and construction of the box was exceptional. It allowed us to perform a variety of experiments and play with various concepts.

2. In the future we would hope to change that light source to one that is stronger and more controlled.

3. Changing the color of the walls might help to explore our concepts further.

4. This project helped us expand our understanding of the effects of colored light on colored surfaces. It also helped us to study the effect of multiple light sources on shadow and texture.

National Gallery of Art

These paintings, by Claude Monet, really interest me. His study of light and how well he was able to portray the changes in light over time is immaculate. His dedication in accurately studying light and its immediate effect on the environment was astounding.  His paintings were intentional. He changed art by focusing on the light instead of following formal rules. He made shadows out of colors and used hasty marks to capture the light. Never before had a painter focused on this one element and Monet was made famous because of it. Monet is credited for the start of the Impressionist movement, a movement that has changed the way we look at and perceive art forever. 

Sketch Series 3

Impact of Light on Human Health and Welfare

Light is fascinating. Its ability to impact us, intimidating. Our dependence upon it, total. Light affects our moods, our physical state, and by extension, our health. Chronobiology is a relatively new science that studies just that; the impact that light has upon our physical and mental health. The purpose of this new field of study is to discover and develop design solutions that fuel health and performance.

            Within the past decade and a half, scientists have discovered a new receptor cell that resides within the human eye, called ganglion cells. These cells track minor light changes and are what trigger our daily circadian rhythms as well as our seasonal reactions to light. These rhythms affect almost all other systems of the human body. Our bodies rely so heavily on these cues to function, that when we are not exposed to the normal levels of light (particularly daylight) that our bodies need, our health can be affected. This is called SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. The results of this condition can be a weakened immune system and diminished endocrine (the system that manages hormone production) functions. It can also lead to larger problems like diabetes, growth problems, weight gain, reproductive problems, and premature aging. Increased cancer rates have also been found to be a result of SAD. The shift in circadian rhythm due to the overexposure of light has even been determined to be a strong contributing factor to breast cancer.

            Everything revolves around light. The earth revolves around the sun, which creates our days, which creates our circadian rhythm (our internal clock), which we now know our health depends on. About ten percent of our genes are regulated by light. Light is important! Lack of light causes our bodies to produce melatonin. Melatonin is a chemical, released by the endocrine system, which allows your body to feel tired and go to sleep. It also works the opposite way. More exposure to light prevents or puts off the production of melatonin. Scientists are now finding that over exposure to light, after the sun has gone down, throws off the production of melatonin, which throws off your circadian rhythm, which throws off your sleep cycle, which, scientists are now finding, can contribute to a variety of diseases.

            Although artificial light has been around for over a century, these problems are just now coming to the surface. This is largely because traditional artificial light produced light on the red side of the spectrum, modern light, LEDs and fluorescents, produce light on the blue side of the visible spectrum. Scientists have discovered that light on the blue side of the spectrum slows the production of melatonin more readily then light that is on the red side of the spectrum. As a result, blue light keeps us more aware and awake than red light but interrupts our body’s natural rhythm more. Exposure to even normal household light, late in the evening, can postpone the release of melatonin for up to an hour and a half after exposure.

            Light is vital. It is how we organize our days, our lives, our society, and our world. Disrupting that with overexposure to artificial light and inadequate exposure to natural light can be detrimental in terms of immediate and long term health. 

Works Cited:

1.     Edelstein, E. (2009). Influence of Architectural Lighting on Health. InformeDesign Newsletter, 7 (2), 1-5.

2.      Beil, L. (2011). In Eyes, a Clock Calibrated by Wavelengths of Light. New York Times. June 4. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/health/05light.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print