Sketch Series 2

Gallery:

 

 In the Gatewood Gallery on the 1st floor, there is mainly track lighting on a grid throughout the space, with more around the edges pointed at the wall, while the ones in the center are angled more down to highlight pieces. Natural light is also seen in the space from the lobby. Because the lights are halogen, their color is warm and dim, so there isn't any glare. The track lighting allows for a more dramatic lighting pattern in which there are spots that are very bright, and some that are dim with no light directly on it, making people focus on the art that is highlighted, rather than the parts where a light is not directed.

Restaurant:

At P.F. Chang's at Friendly Center, there is both track lighting and individual pendant lighting. The track lighting is on a grid throughout the space, and mainly pointed at walls and murals, and at high traffic areas. The pendant lights are aligned in a row, depending on where a table is. The track lighting is halogen and the pendant lights are a warm florescent lamp. The pendant light fixtures create a sense of intimacy but both the track lighting and the pendants attract people and focus their attention. The pendants can become too intense because they have an exposed lamp from the bottom, creating a brighter light on the table, but the lamp is shielded from the around, helping to reduce any glare.



Retail:

At Charming Charlie's at Friendly Center, a mixture of recessed MR16 lighting and direct light from chandeliers helps to create a well lit space. The recessed lighting on the lowered ceilings that they have throughout the space is quite moderate, whereas the recessed light from above the lowered ceiling is very intense and glary. The chandelier lighting is many for the sparkle effect and doesn't provide much light. Overall, the space is evenly lit and the light is distributed all over, which doesn't create much contrast. The lighting is drawing people into the displays so that they can look closely at them and feel contained under the lowered ceiling.

Sketch Series 1

Perceptual Clarity:

The Iarc studio is a very clear and focused space because of the overall uniform lighting. The overhead lighting is spaced out so that the light overlaps and doesn't leave high contrast with the lights. Although, because the lamps are exposed, the lights can be sometimes glary and cold. The fact that the lights are on a grid makes it easy to navigate through the space without being distracted by high and low levels of light. Also, because the ceilings are exposed and two stories, the visual clarity is heightened even more, making it a very open clear space.

Spacious:

The lobby of the Gatewood Building is spacious because of the variety of lights that are in the space. The overhead lights, while on a grid, are not uniform throughout the space. In some parts there are pendants and in the others, there are track lighting and this allows for the lobby to be broken into smaller parts. The tall ceilings and natural daylight aid in the feeling of openness in the lobby. Also, the fact that the space doesn't have many objects relays the open concept as well as a spacious feeling.

 Tense:

The 2nd floor student lounge is not relaxing at all. The harsh yellow overhead light makes the space feel very tense and uninviting. The exposed lamps cause eye strain and brightness of the lamps is unbearable. The reflective white surfaces around the room do nothing but just reflect the harsh light back to your eye and causes uncomfortable glare. Although the lamp color is warm, the brightness and intensity of the lamp makes the whole room feel very tense.

Pleasant:

The Iarc Material Library is pleasant because of the comfortable seating and the overhead lighting. The uniform florescent lighting, although cool, is not too overbearing because the light is not intense or glary. The light fixture disperses the light better than if the lights were pendants, like in the rest of the building. The surfaces are also not very reflective, so the light is just lighting the surfaces, instead of bouncing off and hitting your eye and create a glare.