Urban Glowscapes
A thesis project conceptualised and designed while studying MSc in Architectural lighting design.
A conclusion from several studies confirms that illumination of trees and plants at dark hours disrupts their circadian rhythm and increasing light levels in urban landscapes contribute significantly to light pollution. Such practises have led to us losing the experience of darkness and of viewing a sky full of stars. This thesis explores the conceptualisation and visualisation of an alternative typology in illumination of trees in urban parks. A new concept is proposed after observing and understanding of existing lighting practises on trees and its effect on their growth cycle. The proposed illumination strategy uses different spectrums from daylight that are beneficial for leaves to conduct the process of photosynthesis which can lead to improvement in their growth.
The use of red light (500-600 nm), Blue light (400-500 nm) and UV light (100-400 nm) in specific quantities can help in improvement in growth of trees. This light recipe is used artistically to create an experiential landscape with the intention to encourage urban inhabitants to interact with their natural surroundings at dark hours and to provide a lighting strategy that is beneficial to trees and minimizes light pollution.
The design is validated with a user experience test, that allows us to understand the acceptability and adaptability of urban inhabitants to a volumetric lighting strategy in urban public parks. Most of the users support the proposed design, encouraging the vision of luminous volumes as a source of illumination in urban landscapes.
“Lighting designer’s work is not limited to the realm of aesthetics, but also responds to functional, technical, spatial, and experiential necessities of a project. Lighting design necessitates a deep, meditative exchange of knowledge, and therefore it must be understood not as an interdisciplinary field but as a transdisciplinary one that traverses the boundaries of conventional thought.”
- Herve Descotte, 2011
Illumination of trees and plants have increasingly become an essential component of urban landscapes. It is one of the elements that contribute to keeping the cities alive at dark hours. Scandinavian countries like Denmark experience more dark hours through the year, creating the need for urban lighting to simulate the daytime activities. This design discussion is specifically going to introduce and suggest concepts and ideas to illuminate trees in urban public parks. A park in one’s neighbourhood is one of the closest interactions with nature urban inhabitants have in their daily lives.
As the research above has discussed elaborately on scientific theories supporting and developing the three Criteria's. There is a need to change our strategy from functional lighting to illumination in harmony with biodiversity, that not only protects the flora and fauna but also caters to the functional needs of daily human activity. The proposal is based on the belief that we are headed towards a future where the implementation of this strategy can influence illumination strategies of urban cities as a whole. However, this proposal is entirely based on a conceptualised theory that can possibly be achieved with future technological advances.
Renders self produced on Unreal Engine 4