Course Description
Study of lighting equipment and design in architectural and themed design applications. Topics include: light sources, luminaries, design considerations, lighting codes, and recommended standards of architectural and landscape lighting. Practical exercises related to lighting a selection of architectural environments (interior and exterior) as well as design documentation and specification practices.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
a. Level of expertise/degree of sophistication and expectations
of projects will be varied based on whether a student is
enrolled at the graduate or undergraduate level; b. graduate
students will be expected not only to participate in the
associated activities (undergraduates) but also to produce a
fully documented set of draftings, designer paperwork, and show
documentation for each project; and c. graduate students will
take on a part of a broader architectural lighting design
project. Functioning as part of a design team, they will be
responsible for specific parts of a larger project while at the
same time bringing their design into compliance with a larger
design concept that is used throughout the entire project,
e.g., the entire team might design the lighting for an
elementary school while individual student projects might
include designing the library, cafeteria, computer classrooms
or traditional classrooms, etc.
Athena Title
Architectural and Themed Light
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
To introduce students to the hardware, logic, and design- related skills and specification codes that are used to light architectural structures and landscaping. Once students have gained a basic understanding of architectural lighting, these techniques will be modified and altered to apply to themed design – forming a blend of theatrical and architectural applications. Specific objectives include: 1. Become familiar with the specialized vocabulary of architectural lighting. 2. Become familiar with the manner in which light is described and measured by illumination engineers and architectural lighting designers. 3. Understand the fundamental types and differences between architectural and landscape luminaries. 4. Gain a basic understanding of architectural photometrics and lighting calculations. 5. Understand the specification process along with producing the design documentation required of these lighting applications. 6. Develop a fundamental understanding of architectural visualization software and how to use it in the design process. 7. Understand and achieve several fundamental skills in the design process that relates to designing the lighting for themed environments.
Topical Outline
1. Lighting Metrics 2. Perception and Seeing 3. Light Sources, Ballasts, and Luminaires 4. Lighting Calculations (Lumen and Point Method Calculations) 5. Lighting Specifications, Layouts, and Design Documentation 6. Lighting Economics, Power Densities, and Daylighting 7. Lighting For Specific Environments (Residential, Commercial, Display (Retail and Museum/Gallery) Lighting 8. Exterior and Landscape Lighting 9. Lighting Visualizations and Computer Analysis in Lighting Design 10. Hospitality and Themed Lighting Design