DES 136A: Lighting Technology and Design
Students interested in interior design will build a lighting vocabulary and a fundamental understanding of lighting technologies. Students will take a hands-on approach in the course which includes lectures, demonstrations, and site visits.
Topics will include:
- Lighting & vision fundamentals
- Color & vision
- Lighting sources & the production of light
- Fixture technologies for creating & controlling light
- Special projects & fixture design
- Prototyping of fixture design
DES 136B: Designing with Light—Industrial Design
This course introduces students to LEDs, next-generation lighting sources, and fixture design. The class includes an annual competition where students design, develop, and create prototypes of fully working LED-based luminaires. A panel including Professor Suk, design professionals, and representatives of the competition's sponsors will evaluate the designs and select the top three.
The course involves a laboratory exploration with the goal of developing a fully working LED-based fixture design prototype. Students are given a LED source and are required to design a fixture for it. Students explore multiple solutions and are evaluated based on objective indicators, aesthetic considerations, manufacturability, and cost. The hands-on project allows students to work with a technology poised to change how homes and businesses will be lighted in the near future.
Students are directed to explore and develop distribution and fixture ideas based on the LED's unique attributes of small size, color and luminance distribution.
Topics will include:
- Two early phases of conceptual development of different lighting ideas
- Model making and photometric testing
- Material exploration
- Applications testing
- Refined prototype construction
- Design reviews with industry and design professionals
- Photographic documentation for student portfolio
DES 137B: Daylighting Design—Architectural Lighting
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of daylighting design through hands-on physical modeling and advanced simulation tools. Students are investigating the effects of natural light on interior architecture by photographing scale models in outdoor conditions and testing them using the heliodon at CLTC.
Students are developing effective strategies that balance visual comfort, spatial aesthetics, and energy efficiency through a series of design assignments and a quarter-long project,. Working individually or in cohorts, students are assessing real-world spaces, conduct climate and daylighting analyses using tools such as Climate Consultant, Photosphere, and hdrscope, and translate this research into innovative daylighting solutions.
The course emphasizes the integration of occupant well-being and sustainable design goals, including decarbonization. Students are evaluated on their ability to combine traditional metrics with new methodologies involving dynamic daylight simulations.
Topics will include:
- Climate and daylight analysis using weather data
- Daylighting metrics and LEED credit strategies
- Rules of thumb and sun path diagramming
- HDR photography and glare mapping
- Massing model fabrication and heliodon testing
- Daylighting simulations using physical and digital tools
- Guest lectures from industry professionals
- Final prototype presentations and photographic documentation