t h i s l i t t l e l i g h t o f m i n e: February 2008

retail: palm avenue

palm avenue had a variety of track lighting, recessed lighting, cove lighting, and interior floodlighting. floodlighting was used as an overall ambient lighting. recessed lighting were evenly spaced throughout the store as ambient lighting, as well as focal lighting on t-stands in the middle of the sales floor. track lighting lined the perimeter of the store light shelving. cove lighting, which i felt was most effective in this boutique, was used inside of the shelving, as pictured in the tote bag image above. the dressing room was lit by two sconces on either side of the full length mirror.

the dressing room did not seem bright enough to me. the clothing sold there is lots of bright colors, so maybe the dressing room was lit dimly as to make one look tanner and not so washed out in bright colors? i'm not really sure for the reasoning, but there definitely could have been some form of low lit overhead lighting.

some of the track lighting was not correctly adjusted and caused glare on awnings and architectural elements rather than the clothing. the cove lighting was the most effective lighting to draw attention towards the merchandise on the wall. the color rendering as well as glow created a clean and high end look. this effect could have been used more throughout the store and replaced some of the duller track lighting.

much of the merchandise located on upper shelves, if not cove lit, really receded and fell into the shadows of the track lighting. wall washing or more cove lighting may fix this. also cove lighting in more than just the top shelves, would cause less shadows on the rest of the merchandise on the lower shelving.

the variety of lighting was nice and the designer was on the right track, but could be further pursued.

restaurant: qdoba's

the lighting in qdoba's was interesting. there were a variety of lighting techniques used including artificial and electrical. track lighting spaced throughout the ceiling on beams to provided overall lighting. low pendant lighting designated different spaces of the restaurant: seating, waiting in line, and the food bar. lots of natural light came into the space, particularly at the bar seating. pendant lighting hung here as well, but was not necessary at this time of day (late afternoon). the windows next to the booth seating had operable shades so the customers could control the natural lighting to their comfort.

there was definitely a huge about of brightness and glare in the space, making it hard to not look into the sun in some points. qdoba's is definitely on the right track with having operable shades by the booth seating-this helped a lot. the area in front of the bar, which faced outward had a lot of light coming in. noone was sitting there, i assume they did not want to stare into the sun. awnings are on the outside of the windows to block some sun, but it still not some to be enough. shades on these windows may be also be helpful.

i felt the pendant lighting was very effective in the space and helped to create distinct spaces in the restaurant. one thing i felt could be improved on is the ambient lighting source. a large number of track lights does not seem like a very economical or wise choice. having multiple smaller lights did create more of a serene mood, which i'm sure is what they were going for. but, at night, i feel it may become to dark and the track lighting may not do the job. maybe they have a dimmer switch? overall the lighting in the space was interesting.

weatherspoon art museum

the weatherspoon art museum has a variety of spaces: lobby, classrooms, exhibit areas, etc. i decided to focus on the main gallery space located on the second level. i felt the lighting was very appropriate to the space. seeing as this was an art museum, and lighting is a form of art as well as a large impact on how the art is perceived, i felt much effort was put into this aspect of the space. art rotates in and out, so the space basically consists of a blank canvas of white walls and adjustable track lighting. this form of lighting serves as a partner to the space. it neither stands out, nor hides itself, it is works cohesively with the art and form of the gallery.

i felt the brightness and glare were controlled well. this is something that a museum must know how to handle. too much light may damage the art. too much glare may cause the art to be perceived in an unintended away, or avoided all together. brightness was actually what led me through the space. i knew where the end of the museum was because bright natural light beams were shining through. the last room of the space consisted of a rotunda open to natural light all around. this created a great since of hierarchy, which i am sure was intended.

patterns, shade, and shadow were definitely created in this space. it provided great visual interest and contrast. for me though, as someone who is so interested in space and architectural design, i became more focused on the environment rather than the art. i feel that is a hard balance to achieve, and i am not sure how i would be able to change that.

patterns of light in the museum led the eye through the space. for instance, focal lighting above different pieces of art hanging on the wall created a cone shape wash on the wall leading to the art. other than this, the walls seemed quite flat. i am not sure if one would want lots of patterns in an art museum though. the light should be used as an accent rather than a focal point of the space. i feel this space is quite successful.

stone lobby

the overall illumination of the space in the stone lobby is quite weak. i was in cathy's studio last semester in which i proposed a new design for the lobby space in front of dean sim's office. lighting was definitely something addressed in the environment. a lobby in front of a dean's office should be welcoming and friendly.

i feel there is much darkness portraying an overall mood of gloominess and distance, making one not want to stay in the space, when a lobby should function as a gathering space. the lobby is primarily lit by two chandeliers, which provide a weak source of ambient lighting because the light fixtures reflect the majority of their light to the ceiling, rather than below the fixture. there is not much direct/focal lighting in the space. i believe that a greater dispertion of light, such as logically spaced recessed lighting around the perimeter, may be one solution.

as far as glare, the dark floor does absorbs quite a bit of light, but also does reflect some as it has a shiny and smooth finish. the space is so cold that the glare contributes to that, and provides little visual interest.

patterns of light, shade, and shadow are not very apparent in the space. sunlight does produce some shadow as it enters in through the main door, providing a bit of contrast in the space. other than that, patterns are not seen as successful in the space. allowing more natural light in the space, as well as more textures, may lead to a more interesting and effective space.