FMP Evaluation

My final outcome directly relates to my project proposal title. However it does differ from what I originally set out to do. At first having researched greatly into the benefits of light and how it can be used within buildings, I expected to use light in many different ways to create many outcomes. For example using solar panels to generate artificial light. However I quickly discovered that natural light had so many beneficial properties and thus wanted to transfer natural light to areas scarce of this. My final piece therefore is a spa with the lower two floors underground being lit by solatubes. The progress I have made is what I have learnt about the beneficial properties of light. As well as this I now no more about the building process as I tried to make my model structurally viable. 

By using blogging, sketchbooks, asking others for feedback, and being self critical on my work I have been able to reflect and develop. The two most important methods of leading to developing my ideas have come via other peoples feedback as well as my own. For example much of my experimentation phase came from my own ideas having been talked through in the weekly critical analysis sessions and then being developed. By listening to other peoples ideas and opinions I have been able to thrive of comments I have found useful. Moreover being self critical has allowed me to refine any ideas which have been a success, and by recording those which haven’t been I have been able to learn from them. For my final piece the idea of having a spa came from when one of the tutors said that my original idea of having it as a house was not demonstrating the purpose of the light tunnels well enough. Therefore this inspired me to find a better use of the space in order to convey my concept. 

Originally I set out to create a space in which I could pass light into. This soul goal as I researched and developed created many more targets. For example in order for my project to have any substance to it I felt that I needed to find out the importance of natural light to humans. This therefore lead to me discovering how essential it is and that a lack of it can lead to major problems. This then created a new target for me. Finding a way to get light below ground by more than one story. This has not yet been done using light tunnels as far as I know. Once I found a solution to this problem I had created I then needed to give my project some purpose. This again new target I created lead to me designing an underground spa as this utilises the beneficial properties of natural light. All of these targets came with progression and thus my original targets where quite vague but became defined.

All of the development process has contributed to my final outcome. This is because despite not all of my experiments being a success they have all been a learning curve. Starting of with a simple experiment to find out which kinds of material amplify light best I discovered that reflective foil did this job. Moreover I also discovered that if a tube is coloured one colour, the same colour will be transferred into a room. My second experiment lead me discovering a way in which I could pass light into an already existing building. This therefore lead to my building becoming more realistic. My third experiment allowed me also to discover how to transfer light multiple stories underground. However from this I learnt that in order for this to be done most efficiently a house could not be in a block formation. This lead to the development of my final piece and thus the ‘staggering’ idea. 

The most useful of all advice I was given was during either one to one tutorials with someone, or when I would actively seek help. Often fellow students would give good advice. For example the idea of of testing weather I should try out if internal walls could simply be cladded with reflective material was given to me by a student. After testing this idea I discovered that it worked. This may have become useful had I decided to have a location where the building would have been a block rather than staggered. Another useful piece of advice I was given was when told to try and change my final piece from a house into something which resembled my concept better. This then lead to me to redesigning the floor plan and making my final piece into a spa.

Next year I am going to do an architecture degree here at Ravensbourne. This course has helped me develop skills on the adobe suite which I never knew anything about before. For obvious reasons this is a very useful skill to have. Moreover I am now able to reflect better upon my work and be more self critical. One of the most key skills I have learnt though is how to interact well within a group regarding my chosen field of work. I used to be uneasy when having to be critical of other peoples work in a group. However now I can see that this process is of great use and that many minds can come to a much better conclusion than one mind. I will carry on building on both of these things will always seek an outside opinion on how my work is developing. Most importantly seeking to find problems and solve them early on with the help of others will always be key to creating a well thought out and developed outcome.

FMP Week 7

As the last week of our final major project approached I tried to simply finalise my ideas and refine any discoveries I had made through out the previous six weeks. I began the week by looking into to Peter Zumthor as suggested to me. His work is extremely inspirational and has given some great guidance for envisioning how much model would look if it was created in reality. The way in which he uses such open spaces and everything is made to look effortless is what is so attractive about his design. For example the stair cases he designed look far longer than they need be. However this creates a very effortless feel about the building. Moreover each room seem to flow between one another simply by design and use of material. Therefore it was important to me that I carefully chose the materials I wanted to use in order to create the exact minimal effortless feel. 

By have floor to ceiling cladded with the same material allows for Zumthors design to have a relaxed feel about it. This is because the spaces are not detracted from by confusion and over complication of material. However the raw design is the main focal point and the material simply comes second. However by using only one material in each room yet varying the style in which it is used he is still able to create mood with this material. For example he changes the direction of the cladding. Sometimes it is used horizontally and sometimes vertically.  

Zumthor (2009, http://www.archdaily.com/)

By having discreet lighting in the space shown in the image above Zumthor is able to bring out certain focal points. Therefore with my design I would like to try and focus much of the building around the lighting which will occur naturally from the way in which the light tunnels have been placed. However because I have directed the light toward the ceiling hopefully much of the room will be lit evenly. However the massive windows below ground will of course be very bright and thus cleverly designing walls so that in certain areas I can dim the lighting and others enhance it would all add to the finished feel of my design.

Zumthor (2009, http://www.archdaily.com/)

In this image you can clearly see the reflection of the harsh blue lights. This is something which I would aim to avoid. As the spa is meant to be a relaxed place I do not feel that having sudden harsh colours in contrast with the very raw colour scheme is in keeping. However having said this I would think it to be suitable to have colour. Although the colours I would want would be more earthy. For example some treated dark wood could look really intriguing in places. Moreover metals in places could also look good as long as everything is blended together nicely. I would want to keep the contrast and amount of materials as low as possible per space.  

Zumthor (2009, http://www.archdaily.com/)

What I like about much of this design is the way in which each room seems to have popped up from no where. To create this internally an almost maze design would cut of areas from each other even if they where next to each other. Not only would this allow me to segregate spaces, but also if someone was in the building it may actually allow it to feel larger than it is in reality. By also having the very bottom floor at different levels I will be able to separate the water from covering the whole lowest floor. Not only this but then I can also segregate where I want the pools to be and thus create this underground maze.

Final outcome photoshop 1 (authors own, 2014)

The image above was my first experimental photoshop design. I created this by filling in each area with a block colour, and then drawing on top of each space with the illustrator file designs. Although I did not have time to complete this, this technique would be a great way to display the interior of a building. If I where to do this I could easily simulate how the building would look within the interior. Moreover it would allow me to show how it would look for someone to be within the building. This is therefore a skill I need to develop further.  

Final outcome photoshop 2 (authors own, 2014)

Here is the very crude photoshop showing exactly how the building would sit on the earth. As can be seen from the model people the lowest floor actually has a slightly higher ceiling than the floor above. This is because down here I wanted the pool area to sit. Therefore some parts of the building here would have to be raised to contain certain areas of water. Therefore in places the rooms would be the same height as the floor above. However in many places it would seem to be a much higher space. This would be really great in the mazed areas as it would allow for them to not be made to feel claustrophobic. 

Floor plan (authors own, 2014)

The design of the ground floor is very simple. With toilets at the front of the building, and a place to get and reception desk at the back half of the building it is very open planned and simple. Here it could easily not be a Spa but something else. This however was deliberate. I wanted there to be a clear divide between the floors above ground and those below ground. This is because of the fact that all through out this project I have tried my best to disguise everything on ground level. This helps add to the illusion of what lies beneath. Moreover if this building where to be created I like the fact that it could so easily blend in with its natural surroundings. By this I mean that the ground floor does not necessarily have to look how I designed it but say for example it sat on a small cul de sac it could be designed to look the same as any other house. This would mean that it could be glanced at and no one would know what lies beneath. 

Floor plan (authors own, 2014)

The first floor underground I decided to make the floor where anyone would be more likely to lie or sit down and relax. Here therefore there is plenty of space to do yoga, massage, or simply sit in a sauna or sofa area. By having the sauna in the centre of the room only one light would project into it from the light tunnels. This would mean that it was kept quite dark. However I would still want to keep artificial lighting to a minimum here so the doors could simply be shutters which would not need to reach the ground or ceiling. This would allow plenty of the natural light in as there are not many dividing walls anyway. The reason I put walls in to divide the stair cases from the room is to keep to illusion of simplicity here. By keeping majority of the floor to look as though it is at one level makes everything seem more simplistic. 

Floor plan (authors own, 2014)

Finally the lowest floor of the building is my favourite of all the floor plans. This is because it is the most exciting and if it where to be created in reality it would portray best what I am trying to show. This floor allows for the real essence of what the building is about to be caught within its walls. It captures exactly why I have developed over the past seven weeks and portrays why I have developed this building. The way in which each room flows into one another means that a relaxed and rejuvenating feel is kept within the lowest floor. Moreover I have placed the rooms exactly so that the light tunnels entering from the ground level highlight exact points of the building. By using simple materials such as granite this could look very modern and minimalist in reality.

From the final week of final major project I have been able to reflect upon the last seven weeks worth of work. I have been able to use all the useful ideas which I have gained from the seven weeks and condense them down into my final model. Therefore this model really is a reflection of all of the discoveries I have made over the course of the project. By combining what I now know about the properties of light and its usefulness to humans I have been able to give my project purpose. By looking back at what I have created I am extremely pleased with the engineering I have incorporated. Moreover I have tried to make sure that my idea could work practically. This therefore means that my project has had purpose and not been a waste of time. I have extremely enjoyed the freedom to write and answer my own project title and will endeavour to take the whole development process away as a learning curve.

FMP Week 6

Commencing week six I began to make my final model. This meant a trip to the 4D model shop where I purchased various amounts of material. The main material which makes up the structural parts of my model is called hard board. Its quite a nice material to use as it is much stronger than cardboard and much easier to cut than wood. After having designed my laser cutting templates on illustrator, against my tutors word I decided to engrave certain features onto the model. The reason I did this however was not to make it took fancy but simply to demonstrate that the top floor is the only floor above ground. Therefore I also designed a fence which boxes in the light tubes showing that the back area is a garden space. Within the garden space I also decided to have light tubes going down to the floors below. However this does not take up any space in the garden area as the tubes do not rise above ground level. In reality then this aspect of the design would need to be regularly maintained for these tubes to still allow light to pass down them. 

Reflecting upon last weeks crit and looking further into a purpose for my building I have decided to make my model a place for revitalisation. This is because of the properties that natural light has upon us as humans and the ability it can have to make someone either better if they're unwell or often just more relaxed. As many of us go on holiday to a sunny place when we want a break this is a much shorter retreat underground. Having the building as a Spa means that I am able to show the true purpose of getting natural light to places scarce of it, to cause revitalisation. Therefore this design is versatile and could also work well as a house. The floor plans I designed show this.  

Cameron (2013, http://www.katcameronillustration.com/)

I have decided that I want there to be a large difference between each floor of the house so that the versatilely can be shown. I aim to try and do this one by differentiating between materials I use. Secondly I will also give each floor a soul focus. For example I am likely to have the lowest floor as a swimming pool. This is not only for structural purposes but also means that the bottom floor can be entirely dedicated to this. For example I may want to include things such as changing rooms with showers. As well as something like a jacuzzi. 

lovisadegeer (2014, http://bloggar.aftonbladet.se/)

The reason I put this image in is because of the lighting they use. As can be seen the left hand side wall is well lit much like where the light source would be coming from in my design. Moreover to ceiling is well lit and this is the part of the building I would aim to direct the light toward. This is because of the ambiance it creates within the room. Moreover as the lowest floor of my building has quite high ceilings. About four meters high in reality it would create a focal point upon these vaulted ceilings. Moreover having high ceilings also creates a sense of relaxation. This is done by there being an abundance of space. This is also reflected within the open planned floor plan.

Final outcome (authors own, 2014)

Here the two floors below ground are being utilised. Having built the model I do in ways regret not utilising the space where the tubes pass into the back room. This is because I think something interesting could have been made of this space. For example a swimming pool. However for most of this project I have focused all the models I have made on creating an illusion. The illusion being that there seems to be no light tunnels on display within the spaces I have created or on display outside either. Therefore my decision to not utilise that space was one which I felt was in keeping at the time however I possibly should have included that space sculpturally.

Final outcome (authors own, 2014)

From above it can clearly be seen the way in which light would enter the building. Furthermore by having the entire roof made out of glass on the ground floor would allow vast amounts of light in here at all time. This was not originally what I had planned to do. However due to having an excessive amount of this clear acetate material I experimented with where I could use it. Not only would it allow lots of light into what I intend to be the reception area (where all first impressions are made). But also it created gorgeous over hanging areas which create covered porch areas for if anyone would want to stand outside if it where raining without getting wet.

Final outcome (authors own, 2014)

By learning how to use illustrator to engrave into certain materials I was able to etch on doors and windows. Using colours other than red mean that you can effectively draw on this surface. However something I found from experimenting is to change the settings on the illustrator template. By raising the thickness of the line from 0.001 millimetres to 1 millimetre a much clearer line can be seen. However I did raise the thickness past this at points and if it is raised to much it can detract from the look and make it look less well made. Therefore I think in future I will just have to take into account the material I am using and the scale of my model and what i'm trying to convey. 

Final outcome (authors own, 2014)

The view of my model being shown here would not be visible from the fencing downward in reality. However I really like this angle of the building. In reality the area below the fencing where the light tube are would have to be boxed in. This is because I would need to stop any debris getting into the light tubes, or onto the angled mirrors. Moreover a problem I could see with this though is that the maintenance of the mirrors could be difficult as they are outside the inside of the building. However after talking to a friend I quickly came up with a solution that windscreen wiper like devices could be fitted on an elapsed timer to go of regularly. This would stop them from getting dirty and mean that no physical maintenance by humans was needed.   

Final outcome (authors own, 2014)

By using fairy lights to show how in reality this design may work I was able to pass light down each one of the light tubes. This gives a much more realistic demonstration of how the inside of the building may look by using light tunnels. With the brightness of each light quite low I think it simulates quite well how to sun would act upon each light tube. Of course within my building I may need to use artificial lights where necessary. However as it is a Spa many areas could be quite relaxing if the light was not blinding but just allowed enough light through. It could also help create an ambiance in certain areas of the building.

Final outcome (authors own, 2014)

By using translucent acetate I was able to create how well the visibility of the light tubes are hidden within the building. The only give away are the circle light projections onto the actual window itself. However although this was unintended I actually really quite like it. This is because it very discreetly shows how the light is entering the lower parts of this building whilst also creating quite a visually pleasing pattern. 

Final outcome (authors own, 2014)

The small tubes which I left space for from above create these tiny little spot light effects. With the floor plan I will create I intend to use these spotlights as a feature. What I must also remember is that throughout the day the spotlights will mover around and thus will light individual areas of the building at specific times. This could easily be made into a key feature of the building if I design it correctly.

From this week's crit I have not been given many new ideas. However as I already knew it is now time for me to finalise my outcome. This will mean refining the design by creating floor plans. Moreover I will need to try and exploit my not so great yet developing photoshop skills. In order to put my building into perspective I intend to show in a very crude way how the lower two floors would be underground. I may even not do this in photoshop and just do this using coloured pencils. After having talked to one of the tutors it has been brought to my attention that it may be beneficial for me to look into an architect named Peter Zumthor. He has designed an underground spa in the swiss alps and apparently may have been designed with a similar set of materials. If what I find is that the building he has designed does have the minimalist and open planned feel I want within mine I may use some of his imagery to show how I would like my finalised design to look. 

FMP Week 5

This week entailed me creating my final model prototype. Having refined my ideas and learnt from what I already have found out I came up with a solution which ticks the boxes I wanted to complete. The model I have designed hopefully should be extremely efficient at transferring light. Moreover it could work in reality. By creating this prototype I have been able to experiment with it and fill in any missing gaps which I have not covered. For example I realised that the part of the building below ground would be slightly wider than that above ground. This is because part of the space above ground would be occupied by where the light tubes would go. As far as efficiency goes this is the part of my design which fails. This is because there is a loss of space due to the tubes existing there. However I could have eradicated this by simply not having the tunnels raise so far above ground and simply sit at ground level. However I believe this could compromise the efficiency of light transfer. This may be due to the tunnels becoming covered over or blocked by the natural landscape. Also by being higher up they have the advantage of escaping any shadows which may block them on the ground. Obviously this could still be a problem but having them raised would still be beneficial I believe.

(Harr. 2013, http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/)

The image above shows how light tunnels could sit at ground level. However I do not believe any real effort to disguise these tubes has gone on here. In fact I also think they make the area look quite ugly. My way of solving this would be by not having any light tunnels exposed simply by keeping them passed down and around the edges of the building. This way they could either be made a sculpture of as they would all line up. Or they could simply be disguised by fencing.

(Products insider. 2012, http://productsinsider.com/)

If I where to pass tubes like this directly into rooms with my building I would not have them be as obvious as this. Personally I find that these tubes look ugly and would be much nicer visually if either they where disguised or simply sat at ceiling level. If they looked as though they where just round circles of light in the ceiling this could look extremely modern. This is something I could consider if I do decide to pass light directly into a room.

Final model prototype (authors own, 2014)

As shown above this floor would be the lowest floor of the building. It would therefore be two stories underground. The reason why there are light tubes only going to half of the space is because the floor that would be above would sit on top of the other half of the box. I have done this deliberately realising that no or little natural light will get here. I would not intend to therefore flood this space with artificial lighting but however use this space for something where not vast amount of light is needed. For example if this was going to be a house the back room could be used as a cinema or swimming pool. 

Final model prototype (authors own, 2014)

These two floors make up all space habitable below ground. The light tunnels should provide plenty of light to both spaces. However on the floor which is only just below ground it would only be lit via the two outside walls, whereas the lowest floor would be lit by the two outside walls as well as the back wall. However I do not think this would be a problem so long as this part of the building is open planned or the interior space designed accordingly.

Final model prototype (authors own, 2014)

The top floor and cardboard splaying the distance of the model demonstrates ground level and the floor above. The view here therefore is side on with the top building block being the front of the building and the lowest one being the back of the garden area. The slight overlapping areas between floors where no light tubes pass down would be the area I would use to put the staircase in. This would mean that no essential lighting was lost in that space. 

Final model prototype (authors own, 2014)

As can be seen in this image there would still be enough space for a garden. Moreover the actual loss would not have to be that great in reality and could be much less than I have demonstrated here. Proportionally the light tubes could be much thinner and there could be many more of them. This would mean an even smaller loss of space, and therefore greater efficiency. Also having this would not detract from the efficiency of the ability of the light tunnels to work as it would simply mean there would be more of them just in a more concentrated space, rather than being spread over a larger area.

Final model prototype (authors own, 2014)

In my final model I would like to try and utilise the space I have created as well as possible. Having each room designed so that it captures the natural light best is a key feature of getting across the point I am trying to convey of energy efficiency.

This week the group crit raised some interesting factors about the use of the space I have created. I had intended to make this a house which may be liveable in for a family. However it has been brought to my attention that this does not convey the real reasoning behind why I am doing this. Therefore I now need to try and think of what I could use this space for to show that I want waste to be kept to a minimum. Moreover I am now going to return to my original research so that I can try and come up with a space which also utilises the benefits of having natural light over artificial light. This may lead to me drastically changing what I had planned for the interior. For example it could become a place for people with vitamin E deficiencies to come as natural light replenishes this. Although I am changing the design a lot more than I expected to at this stage of the project, I do not think it will have a negative impact upon what work I have already done. Hopefully it will help to convey my projects aims in a better way, and give the building a better purpose.  

FMP Week 4

This week I stared by developing the model I made in the previous week. I made some more light tunnels and cladded them with reflective foil just to check that this method still worked with this model. My findings where positive and I realised that if I angled reflective surfaces inwards into a room it could light it very well. This also worked best when I angled it so that the foil would bounce light up onto the ceiling. This is because the light would the reflect downwards onto the rest of the room. 

In my third experiment I changed the colour of the internal walls from the brown of the card to white. It was suggested to me that I try changing the colour to something different and it really helped with my discoveries. By using white paper to imitate white walls I was able to see that the colour of the room matters greatly. Therefore it is to be assumed from now on that all of my experiments will be using brightly coloured rooms as well as reflective tubing. Even if this is not always shown in reality I would be running with these beneficial findings.

Experiment 2 (authors own, 2014)

As can be seen simply be using angled foil and shinning a light down the tubes it clearly lights the space well. The next problem I need to think about is that if this was a space within a house there may be partitioning walls and therefore how could I divide up the rooms so that light was still available everywhere. However this situation is helped by the fact that tubes can be passed down all surrounding walls.

Experiment 2 (authors own, 2014)

By using a torch and shinning light down I was able to see the positive results. However with my next experiment I will need to try and either get multiple lights or a much stronger one which I can use from a further distance. This is because if I want to simulate that this light is coming from the sun I will need to make it look more realistic.

Kuglerhaus (2010, http://oregonpassivehouse.blogspot.co.uk/, 49th post)

Having looked slightly more into the reality of this project working I decided to investigate into what goes between internal and external walls. With there being mainly cabling and insulation I believe that this could work in reality. This is because having the tubes would not mean compromising the structural integrity as this gap is existent anyway. Moreover the insulation could fit around the tubes as could the wiring. The only set back I could realise may be that in order for the building to be well enough insulated a slightly more expensive yet thinner insulation would be needed. This would mean that the same results would be given in terms of insulation yet less of the stuff would be needed.  

Experiment 3 (authors own, 2014)

With my third experiment I decided to take the advice given to me and simply clad the walls with reflective materials. Here you can see that I have cladded the internal wall with foil.

Experiment 3 (authors own, 2014)

Here you can see that I have cladded the external wall with foil. 

Experiment 3 (authors own, 2014)

Although I gained positive discoveries from doing this experiment they were still not as efficient as if I used light tunnels. The light did not seem to be intensified as greatly and possibly because the light was not directly aimed into the space the results were not as great. Moreover the set back of this is that in reality this could not work. With there needing to be insulation in this space as well as cabling this would completely block out any light entering the building in this way and thus would not have any effect at all. So not only were the results found here not as good as if I were to use tubes. But also this would not be a feasible idea whereas the other one would.

Experiment 3 (authors own, 2014)

After gaining the results I did previously I decided to still use this model but this time I decided to pass the tubes directly below the highest level. In doing this I divided up the space evenly and therefore divided up the amount of tubing which would travel to each floor below. This therefore meant that some of the space was being wasted where one tube would either be blocking light entering, or could not be passed further down.

Experiment 3 (authors own, 2014)

This method therefore is not as efficient as it could be. However what I did discover is that the results found are still the most positive I have found so far and therefore this method does work but there is still room for improvement. A possible way in which I could solve this is by simply having gaps in the tubbing so that light can leak into each room on its way down. However I do not know if this would work and would have to test this out first. 

 Experiment 3 (authors own, 2014)

By reflecting on what I have found so far I think this is the best solution I am going to find for lighting a building block in using this method. This is because this still works extremely well and although I have not tried it I do not believe that having gaps in the pipes would be beneficial, and may in fact be counteractive. It could quite easily divide up the light unevenly and would therefore mean the results would not be as useful as the ones I have gained for the experiment above.

Having talked over my work in the weekly crit session I have decided that it is time to begin refining my ideas and learning from what I have found. As I believe that splitting light by having gaps in tubes is not going to give the results I am looking for. Also as I want to try and make my building as efficient as possible, (meaning having continuous tubing without spaces going to the floor below), I am going to rethink using a block as by building basis. I am therefore now going to experiment with using a staggered building where one floor would be above ground and two floors below ground. This method could be put into practise in a location such as the suburbs of america. For example in a place where all the houses are bungalows and the plot of land is long and not that wide. This would mean that the staggered building go occupy the garden area below ground. 

FMP Week 3

This week I have began making models. So far my discoveries have been unexpected in places and all extremely relevant. I started out with a simple experiment where I used tubes coated with different materials internally to see what results where given when I shone a light through them. I used five different materials ranging from; brown card, white paper, black paper, red card, and reflective foil. All of the results I got where different and from this I am now able to develop on to the next step of creating a design for my building. 

Having done my original experiment I decided to now run with the idea of trying to disguise light tubes between internal and external walls. Not only will this serve the purpose of hiding any tubes I do not want to be seen. But it will also mean that I can pass light below the highest level of a building. Which as far as I know has not been done using this method. 

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

As can be seen from the images above using brown card gave results but not the results I was hoping for. It seems that the light is passed down below ground however creates a spotlight effect and does not seem to be intensified. This part of the experiment however has acted as a base line and now I can compare any other results I find.

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

White paper had a similar effect to brown card however does seem to spread the light out more so than previously. This would therefore be more useful to have in a building as it would not create a spotlight and would mean that more of the space would become lit from natural light.

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

Black card gave the worst results of all for what I am looking for. The light created was simply a spot light and thus would not serve the purpose of lighting a whole space but would simply light a small section of it. The only way in which this finding would come in useful would be if I decided to drastically change the purpose of the building I intend to create. For example if I decided to make a theatre or something where a spot light would be useful.

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

The results here were not at all what I expected to find. Simply by cladding the tube in a red colour it allows for the colour to splay into the room below. The red colour was not reflective but simply I used card. This finding could come in useful later on in the project when I know exactly what I want to design. For example if there was a space where I wanted to create a specific ambiance I could use this exact method to do so.

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

Experiment 1 (authors own, 2014)

Reflective foil gave the results I was looking for. Despite there still being a slight spotlight effect the reflective foil did spread the light much more evenly. Moreover it seems to have intensified the light by quite a lot if I compare it to my previous experiments. Although I may not clad all the models light tubes with the tin foil in the same way I would of course use this discovery in my final outcome. 

Experiment 2 (authors own, 2014)

By creating a space where the internal and external walls are shown and left open to viewing it is possible to see how this could work in reality. By putting light tubes between walls I am able to hide the tubes and still direct light into the room. Furthermore by leaving large gaps in the walls I can direct light inward. This could be done by simply angling the tubes themselves or even by using some angled reflective material.

Experiment 2 (authors own, 2014)

In reality I would of course want to use some sort of translucent material where the large gaps in the walls are so that the tubes would not be visible. This would add to the illusion of hiding these tunnels and would thus make the idea seem more realistic and professional. 

Experiment 2 (authors own, 2014)

A problem I can immediately see with this model though is that I can only really pass light to one floor below using this technique. Either this or I would have to divide up the tubes going bellow the top floor. This however may be inefficient and would lead to a loss of possible light. Efficiency of transferring light between spaces is what I am trying to achieve therefore I will have to consider this even if in the next model I make I still get positive results.  

This weeks crit has entailed me realising that making models is key for my project to be a success. It has been suggested that I possibly try another way of passing light between spaces. I am going to try simply cladding the walls where the tubes go with reflective material and see what results are given. So far this is the only other method I can think of without obstructing spaces internally. My aim next week therefore is to try and discover an equally effective yet different way of transporting light. 

FMP week 2

As this week commenced I began by photographing the place at which I work. The spaces here extremely dark as the house is surrounded by other buildings and thus depriving it of light. It has been useful for me to take these pictures because as the building has not been finished I have been able to see ways in which I would try to get light in to the building. Much of the space is still bare and majority of the internal walls are either non existent or have not been cladded so I can see through them. This allows me to get a sense of the space and see which areas need light more than others. Although passing light directly through the ceiling is efficient, it only allows for the top floor of the building to be lit and thus is not a solution to the problem I have posed myself. I would like to try and get the light underground without ruining spaces above.

A possible solution to my problem may be to have a very open planned building where even there are large gaps allowing light between each floor of the build. This however will mean that there would be a large loss of space which could be used. Therefore if I would want this idea to work within a city for example, it may not be feasible due to such a high demand for space. 

St James park (authors own, 2014)

Here is the lowest floor of the building at which I work. This photograph was captured using flash as where all of the other ones and thus it is easy to see how dark these rooms are. As far as I can see to light these rooms majority of the lighting which will be provided will be artificial. A possible solution could be to increase the amount of external windows. However this would only be a solution in a building where there is enough space for lots of windows. 

St James park (authors own, 2014)

If much of the floor above was made of some sort of transparent materials this would allow for the rooms below to become lit naturally. However the immediate problem posed here is that this would cause a serious lack of privacy in many places. This could be ok if the building was a house for a family. However if it was for example a block of flats this would again not be a viable solution. 

St James park (authors own, 2014)

The top floor of the building is slightly lighter. A solatube has been installed and actually provides a significant amount of light. The only problem is that it only goes as far as transporting light to the top floor. However from looking at this building as well as others I think it is important that I try to get as much light as possible to higher floors as it can only help with lighting lower floors. I could always use translucent tubes in the floor which only go between levels. For example from the ground floor floor, to the lower floors ceiling. This would mean that light could pass down however these areas may easily get covered up by things such as furniture.

Sensing spaces, kere (authors own, 2014)

This week I visited the sensing spaces gallery. Although the actual instillations themselves I did not find directly useful towards finding a solution to my project certain aspects can be accredited. The image above could be seen as three enormous light tunnels passing light from the ceiling to an imaginary floor below. Although this wastes a lot of space if I where to just use one of these huge cylindrical shapes I could easily use this as a feature. For example I could put a spiral staircase around the outside of it and then light could be passed one or more floors below ground. I would just need to experiment with how I could divide light up within this if I wanted it to travel multiple floors below ground.

Sensing spaces, kere (authors own, 2014)

Here what I can see is the distance between an internal wall and external wall and the space between it. Although this is not actually what this image shows it could be used as this. If I where to try and send light between this space it could be discreetly hidden and also work effectively. I will need to look further into this to see if this is a viable solution.

Sensing spaces, kere (authors own, 2014)

The image above to me represents how I could use light from floors above to light floors below. The hanging dividers could act as internal supporting walls and the spaces between could be where light would pass through. By leaving empty spaces in certain parts of the floor plan it would allow for light to travel to the floor below without having to have huge tubes passing through a room. The space could even be utilised by putting something like a transparent staircase in. Or it could be used simply as something like an atrium.

Sensing spaces, kere (authors own, 2014)

The way in which light passes down here creates a beautiful ambiance below. Between the colour of the surrounding walls being very urban and the rays of light spreading outwards the room is flooded with light. This is done very sculpturally and allows for the room to be transformed from what it would be. Not only is this a good practical example of how I could pass light between floors. It also has allowed me to think about trying to make the space as appealing as possible.

From this weeks crit session I have been able to take away that now I really need to start to build models. Moreover I will need to start running with ideas which have been useful so far. Therefore I will want to create a model using light tunnels to pass light between spaces. Then I may want to start thinking about how I can do this in a sculptural way. Although I want to make my idea work in reality I do not want to compromise the finished look of the building. Therefore I may later need to consider some eco-friendly ways of artificially lighting a space. However first I should concentrate on experimenting.