|
|
My experience as a teacher of architectural lighting has allowed me the opportunity to teach students about the creative possibilities and real-world constraints of lighting design. Lighting is uniquely difficult to teach because it is ubiquitous in our visual world and intangible as a creative medium.
Most of my students are primarily interested in the compositional techniques of lighting the architectural form. But an increasing number of students want to explore light as a sustainable element in their architectural designs. These two attractors are not necessarily in conflict. But in order to teach these concepts in a balanced way I must set realistic goals about what can be taught versus what must be learned through outside research, life experience and exposure, as well as trial and error.
Balancing the compositional nature of lighting with an understanding of light as an energy system requires a unique mix of skills, which include conceptual thinking, creative problem solving, mathematical calculations and a keen eye for graphical representation, to name just a few. Though I have limited time in one class within a 13-week semester, I attempt to teach the basic components of lighting so that the students may later build upon these basics through various resources, references and industry contacts.
I may not be able to teach my students how to discern between a quality fixture and a piece of junk, but I am able to guide them through the fixture design process by having them design and build a light fixture based upon a specific performance criteria. The assignment is structured to allow for creative interpretation along with a hands-on investigation of lamp sources. This has generated some innovative fixture studies that have enabled students to understand reflector design, diffusion materials and how to energize lamps while concealing the hardware. The students will never look at a light fixture the same way after this.
I may not be able to teach them how to manage a project from concept to final focus, but I can arrange site visits to projects guided by the lighting designer. These visits are extraordinary opportunities for the students to understand the original design concept and how the final outcome reflects or detracts from it. Walking through a project with the designer allows students to ask questions and to look behind the wellcropped images typically shown in design magazines.
We are fortunate to have a magnificent design community in Seattle. Many designers willingly give their valuable time to talk to our students about their projects. Showing students how lighting can be integrated into architecture has done more to promote the value of lighting designers than any marketing campaign could ever accomplish. Before each field trip, I prepare the students with background on the project and encourage them to question the designer’s creative choices as if they were making them, because someday they might be.
My background is in theatrical lighting, where you get to see the immediate impact of your designs while you use light to help tell a story. Having the students play with the lighting in the university’s drama studio allows them to gain a hands-on understanding of basic composition techniques. This has helped them grasp techniques such as three-point positioning, silhouette, transparency and color. Creatively exploring colored light is fundamental to today’s technology where RGB LEDs have exploded the limited palette of cool and warm white to which we had previously resigned ourselves. It is in the black box of theater that students can be inspired by the magic of light and apply that inspiration to their projects before worrying about footcandles and energy codes.
RULES VS. WISDOM
In one of the last classes before their final project, I review the IES Lighting Handbook recommendations, energy codes and some basic requirements for LEED. I challenge students to design their projects with a clear understanding of how the IES has defined the design parameters for that application, be it a gymnasium or a senior center. These guidelines have been developed though years of experience and research, and I tell my students to use this wisdom to guide their designs. But I also let them know that they can only break rules once they have understood their intent. I also stress that good design is responsible design, and that creativity and energy efficiency are not mutually exclusive.
With that, I let them design and defend their projects during the design crits, usually administered by another designer and myself. Many students are up to the challenge, designing well within the energy code while still meeting their design intent. Students seem to enjoy having creative freedom but with clear boundaries—something I wish more designers would embrace.
Finally, I try to let the students know where they are in their understanding of lighting; I let them know the limitations of what they have been taught. One or two classes in lighting are not enough for them to assume that they can take on complex projects successfully. After they have entered professional life, they must continue to build on this knowledge by attending conferences, sitting through product sales demonstrations (with an informed and skeptical eye) and documenting their growth through a design notebook. Keeping a record of your knowledge and ideas as you grow as a design professional can be a humbling yet rewarding exercise. When I look back on my past projects and ideas from my days in graduate school and compare them to my current work and vision, I appreciate what I learned in school and in the field, through my successes and my mistakes.
My experience over the last 18 of years as a lighting designer, and now as an educator, has shown me that there may be limits to what can be taught, but there are no limits to what can be learned. My goal with each class is to provide a foundation for my students upon which they can begin the process of learning lighting design, a process that they will hopefully continue to engage in beyond their time in my class.
|
