This intensive educational experience is set against a backdrop of the Italian Veneto, where participants are involved in daylight matter and its design, simulation and integration.

The course introduces the culture of daylight both as an expressive device, and as a technical tool for a sustainable design approach. Artificial light is presented not as an independent topic, but both in its integration with daylight and its increasing capacity as a key component for a positive impact on human well-being. Alongside these studies, the course encompasses a full programme of lectures, seminars and conferences, delivered by a varied body of experts and professionals.

The course also focuses on innovation and experimentation, encouraging interaction with the topics discussed through a series of tutor-led workshops. Participants will be invited to develop their own daylight project, working with new technologies and using scale models as an investigation method.

Set in the town of Vicenza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the course includes guided tours to experience the play of light in architecture, from Renaissance masterpieces by Palladio and Scamozzi, to Carlo Scarpa's works, and provides access to contemporary buildings by Piano, Fuksas, Ando, and to the recent Traverso-Vighy daylight experiments.

Philosophy

The emphasis of the course is on introducing a new idea of daylight, strictly related to a new culture of light as part of the challenges facing us today: in global health, sustainable cities, and human well-being. Above all the natural aspect of light is often the least noticeable by people, despite having a strong impact on the relationship between humans and space.

The course philosophy stresses the necessity of analyzing daylight strategies as part of the basic concepts of an architecture project; using the circadian system in both natural and artificial lighting to positively influence our experience, and sharing a new consciousness of the importance of the influence of darkness on the built environment.

Eligibility

The course is open to both students and professionals, architects and lighting designers worldwide. This mix of participant backgrounds will provide the course with a great diversity, allowing each individual to bring their own unique knowledge and experiences from which we can all learn. The number of participants is kept deliberately low to allow for greater interaction within the group.

UFL Credits

Certificate of completion
The tutoring given on the Daylighting course equates to the same number of hours as a 3 credit course from the University of Florida.

Director

Giovanni Traverso is the sustainability director of PLDA (Professional Lighting Designers’ Association). He is an architect and lighting designer, and is one of the founders of the Traverso-Vighy studio.

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