The intensive two-week course encompasses an interesting and varied programme, including lectures from professionals, and the opportunity to experiment with different technologies and techniques. The program offers guided tours to experience the play of light in architecture from Renaissance Masterpieces to contemporary buildings by Piano, Fuksas, Ando, and to the recent Traverso – Vighy daylight experiments.
All the speakers and tutors are highly experienced and qualified on their specific topics. The focus is on daylight, and how new SSL lighting systems can integrate with and emulate its natural pattern. Participants will be invited to develop their own daylight project, using scale models as an investigation method and innovative technologies to investigates processes, techniques and knowledge related to light integration.
Workshops
20 hours
Participants will be challenged with two design workshops, which will introduce specific learning objectives.
W1. Daylighting Model Workshop
An interactive design experience using scale models as an effective tool for investigation and light analysis: for designing and evaluating shading devices, building form and design strategies. As daylight is independent of scale, an architectural model is a very quick and interesting tool for exploring quantitative and qualitative daylighting issues. Using the model, it is possible to test if the lighting effect meets the design intent: a design can be tested, modified, and re-tested early enough in the design process to allow modification of the building’s details, envelope and form to best respond to solar conditions. The workshop also demonstrates how to measure the distribution of daylight using micro photocells and to discuss the relative illumination levels at different areas and the luminance values for good visual comfort.
Giovanni Traverso & Paola Vighy, traverso-vighy
W2. SSL Lighting Design Workshop
This workshop will give the opportunity to work with solid state lighting technologies and control systems as new tools to integrate with and emulate daylight.
The workshop aims towards developing a new cultural attitude of light: it is necessary to acknowledge that light is a fundamental component of architectural design and to recognize lighting’s potential contribution to the sustainability of buildings.The workshop strives to achieve a strong awareness of the potential of new technologies in artificial light; good lighting design can positively influence peoples’ experience and provide a healthy environment in which to live. The fortnight will culminate in the display of a participant-designed lighting installation, a visual demonstration of the attainments of the course.
Giovanni Traverso & Paola Vighy, traverso-vighy
Seminars
6 hours
The course offers a dynamic learning environment: four seminars are focused on investigating in new forms of practice and design related to daylighting.
S1. Computer Simulations: daylight in virtual spaces
A discussion on Gobetti’s direct experience as a lighting and visual effects designer in the computer graphics entertainment industry. From Avatar’s vfx developed by Weta Digital, New Zealand to his most recent experiences, the seminar will give an idea of the rendering approaches: applying colour and lighting concepts to image creation to achieve the desired visual result.
Alessandro Gobetti, Framestore, London-NY
S2. Daylight Control Systems: materials and technologies
The seminar introduces the challenges involved in designing windows and facades with systems to control and diffuse natural illumination. The aim is to compensate the different lighting requirements in winter and summer to improve the daylighting experience and simultaneously protect the building against overheating and UV-radiation. Understanding of the interplay of daylighting and energy concepts, facade planning and building physics forms the core of this seminar, which is followed by a second focused on built examples.
Helmut Köster, Köster Lichtplanung, Frankfurt
S3. Solid State Lighting Technology and Control Systems
Dramatic changes are unfolding in lighting technology: the human visual experience would be enhanced through digital and independent control over the colour, intensity, and spatial distribution of lights. By considering daylight as an essential light source, we can radically reorganize lighting design considerations. New solutions, using new technologies, which interact positively with users and the environment can arise from an inspiration in natural light, most of all from mutability, the quality which best exemplifies it.
Giovanni Traverso, traverso-vighy, Vicenza
Lectures
13 hours
Architecture Talks
A1. Daylighting in Architectural History
Natural light has been a natural element of architecture throughout history. In the past, daylight and architecture were connected and varied with climate and culture.
Vitale Zanchettin, IUAV, Venice
A2. Daylight and Architecture: The Professional Photographer’s Viewpoint
In twenty years of professional experience, ORCH works have ranged from historical architecture to contemporary buildings with a special sensibility for natural lighting
Fulvio Orsenigo, ORCH, Venice
Lighting Lectures
L1. Light properties: Concepts and Definitions
Light activate human perception: technical information concerning the measurement and analysis of light from definitions to the basics of photometrics.
Henrik Clausen, Fagerhult Lighting Academy, Copenhagen
L2. Light and Human Well-Being
Reflection on research regarding light interaction on the health of body and mind: the measurable and the un-measurable of daylight design.
Henrik Clausen, Fagerhult Lighting Academy, Copenhagen
L3. Designing with Natural Light: Fundamentals of Daylighting
Daylight benefits, issues and metrics. Recommendations for visual confort and design with experimental methods.
Giovanni Traverso, traverso-vighy, Vicenza
L4. Scale Models for Daylight and Sunlight Prediction
Scale models are a perfect tool for building performance visualization and also have a predictive power: discussion regarding qualitative issues in daylighting and data acquisition techniques, model photography and database analysis.
Giovanni Traverso, traverso-vighy, Vicenza
L5. Light and Colour: Colour perception with a Full-Spectrum Light
Light, color and vision: considerations on color perception and consideration of daylight effect on materials
Marina Vio, IUAV, Venice
L6. Lighting for Exhibitions and Galleries
The appearance of an object in a gallery: conservation issues and use of daylight control systems.
Paola Vighy, traverso-vighy, Vicenza
L7. Daylight Integration with Artificial Light
The focus is on considering artificial lighting in its integration with daylight.
Giovanni Traverso, traverso-vighy, Vicenza
L8. New Technologies for Daylight Emulation
An investigation on the positive effects which new technologies such as LED and control systems can have through energy efficiency and the emulation of natural lighting conditions.
Giovanni Traverso, traverso-vighy, Vicenza
Conferences
4 hours
C1. Carlo Scarpa: Poet of Daylight
The interaction between light and material in the work of Carlo Scarpa (Venice 1906-Sendai 1978) and his central role in the panorama of contemporary architecture.
Ilaria Abbondandolo, CISA, Vicenza
C2. Daylight Technologies for High Performance Facade Systems
Dr. ing Köster will explain the role of high performance building facade systems through examples of built projects to achieve high standards in terms of lightness and transparency, stability and precision, economic efficiency and ecology.
Helmut Köster, Köster Lichtplanung, Frankfurt
C3. Architecture Spaces made of Light and Climate
An analysis of the implications of climatic conditions for the definition of architectural spaces. A new type of sustainable architecture, far removed from the clichés associated with energy efficiency.
Philippe Rahm, Philippe Rahm Architectes, Paris
Tours and Visits
26 hours
T1. Venice and the Architecture of Exhibition
The Venice Biennale, an extraordinary and unique display of architecture for exhibition, featuring among others projects by Aalto, Fehn, Scarpa and Stirling.
Visit to the Centre of Contemporary art at Punta della Dogana, entirely renovated by Tadao Ando.
T2. Veneto Region
A Tour through the rich architectural history of the Venice region, from Scamozzi’s Rocca Pisana towards the more contemporary examples of Renzo Piano and Traverso-Vighy.
T3. Light in Contemporary Architecture
Experiencing lighting qualities in different contemporary architectures, contrasting the work of Carlo Scarpa, Massimiliano Fuksas and Tadao Ando.
V1. A Walk Around Vicenza
Exploring the city architecture with a consideration of daylighting, visiting masterpieces of A. Palladio, the baroque church of G. Guarini, and the flat for the family Gallo by C. Scarpa.
V2. Enjoying the Darkness
Sky observations from the Astronomical Observatory in Asiago, branch of the INAF- Astronomical Observatory of Padua.
