DAYLIGHT AS A VISUAL EXPERIENCE

Transcription

1 DAYLIGHT AS A VISUAL EXPERIENCE Anahita Anandam The project described is the Simmons Hall designed by the well-known architect Steven Holl. The Simmons Hall is an undergraduate dormitory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The building is an ideal project in terms of day-lighting as Steven Holl consciously designed the various spaces for different uses considering day-lighting. The space chosen for study as a path of 7 different scenes are the Main Corridor at Simmons Hall and its adjoining spaces (i.e. Entry Lounge, Small auditorium, Meditation Room, Television Lounge, bathrooms and finally the Cafeteria). The Main corridor has secondary accesses to different spaces attached to it. These attached spaces have different functions and different lighting conditions that venerate the spaces. The introduction to the subject begins at the entry into Simmons as seen in the photograph below. The entry has windows facing East and is bright and well lit. Reading spaces and waiting areas are adjacent to the brightly lit windows that span from floor to ceiling. The percentage of open window space on the wall is probably around 60 %. Color is used to enhance reflections. However, concrete as a construction material is used extensively in the project. The reflection coefficient of concrete being very low absorbs a lot of the light that is incident on the surface and hence makes the scenes appear darker. The corridor takes on different shapes throughout the length of the building. As it forms the connecting path between the various spaces, the corridor is bright at times, and very dark ( with no daylighting and only artificial lights) at times. The concealed lighting within the ceiling is randomly provided and emphasizes certain areas while de-emphasizing different parts of the corridor. The height of the ceiling at the corridor is irregular; hence the light conditions within the space varies depending on the amount of light received from the luminaries. This mix of light and dark spaces forms the transition between one event to another and is very successful in the Simmons Hall. CONTEXT: SIMMONS HALL, MIT SCENE 1: ENTRY INTO SIMMONS HALLS SCENE 1 CONTINUED SCENE 2: ENTRY LOUNGE DESIGNER: STEVEN HOLL SCENE 2: Scene 2 shows the entrance lounge with the typical small window openings throughout the entire façade. This system has both positive and negative attributes to it. On one hand, the high windows allows for light to enter deeper into the space while on the other, it provides only smaller window openings that do not let in a large amount of light. The luminaries are concealed within the ceiling and the number of luminaires is less as the space is adjacent to the windows. Colors used for furniture is blue which is a more absorptive color than some other colors that could have been chosen. Even though the ambiance of the space is a very nice one, the amount of daylighting in the space could be seen as slightly inadequate.

2 SCENE 3: SMALL AUDITORIUM The auditorium is a space that is attached to the corridor. The auditorium just like every other space in the building has the same type of windows on its façade. The auditorium space faces EAST too. The windows go against the fact that auditoriums typically should be designed for acoustical insulation. However, this seems to be a nice feature at the Simmons Hall, even though the blinds seem to be down at all times. The artificial lighting within the auditorium is very successful- creating a cave like atmosphere at the stage level. The surface used for the walls is Maple wood which has a very good reflection coefficient. However the surface of the maple wood has grooves within it which increases the number of reflections for the light hitting the surface thus diminishing its effect. This space is the best lit space in the Simmons Hall.

3 SCENE 4: MEDITATION ROOM SCENE 5: TELEVISION LOUNGE SCENE 6: WELL LIT RESTROOMS SCENE 4: MEDITATION ROOM The meditation room has been designed very cleverly while enhancing the mood and feel of a meditation room because of the mix of daylighting and luminaires on the wall. The feel that has been created is one that takes you back to a church in the 19 th century. The wall luminaires as seen on the photo also tend to compliment that feeling. A blue film has been added to the glazing to let in only very limited amount of light into the space. The use of the color blue again diminishes the amount of light that is perceived by the human eye. The wall surfaces are made out of concrete and the space has a very dark, pensive and meditative mood. SCENE 5: TELEVISION LOUNGE The television lounge faces the West and has glare that will hit the television screen. In the case of the television room, the amount of light received could be lower but in this case, Steven Holl has used gypsum board partitions painted in white that will make the room appear brighter. However, the television room had a lot of students in the space and seemed to be a very popular space.

4 SCENE 6: WELL-LIT RESTROOMS: The restrooms have diffused natural light in every stall which creates a very nice effect. This restroom is very atypical due to this feature within it. The glazing is sand-blasted for privacy and the amount of day-light received is very minimal even though the surface area of the windows is large. Perhaps a better position would have been a clerestory to let in the light from above? Luminaires were provided to add to the lighting within the space. SCENE 7: END OF PATH- CAFETERIA CONTINUED

5 SCENE 7 FINAL SCENE CAFETERIA The last scene forms the pinnacle of success in this promenade primarily because Steven Holl moves away from the small square windows that he has designed throughout the façade and uses single glazed curtain wall façade ( with no intermediate mullion system only a butt jointed glazing system). The cafeteria is a very brightly lit double space with little or no artificial lighting. The materials used are mainly maple which allow for a high coefficient of reflection for the sunlight hitting its surface. The ceiling is also made of maple. Some of the walls still have exposed concrete which of course reduces the amount of light available in the space. The design of the glazing system works well with the use of the space which is a cafeteria. CONCLUSION: The Simmons Hall is a perfect example for a building that has a promenade like feeling along its corridor. The light effects and the manipulation of natural light versus artificial light is of exemplary performance in this building. The mood for performance for different functions has been very clearly articulated in the design of the building. The sequences of movement from a brightly lit-space to a medium lit space and back to a brightly lit space are very effective along the corridor. However, the drawback in the design of the Simmons Hall is that all the facades are designed with the same type of window system. The West side does not have any kind of protections against the sun and the size of the windows is very small for views towards the outside. The quantity of natural light received within the space, and especially on an overcast day is minimal. Steven Holl could have considered this factor while designing the building to bring forth a better, more enhanced and well lit building.