Landscapes of Light: An Investigation of Light-driven Forms in Northern Climates and Cultures

Abstract

This is a study of light: an investigation into the ability of light to not only illuminate, but also to awaken a deeper sense of the existence of the natural world. Universally, light is an essential aspect of life: it provides illumination, a core quality of human existence. Without illumination, we cannot visualize spatial qualities of our physical surroundings. It plays a particularly poignant role in high latitude locations where sunlight is often scarce, the sky grey and dark, and the climate cold and wet. And yet light also plays another role in our world, and perhaps one that is equally as important as those aforementioned: that of the intangible. It holds meaning about abstract notions such as beauty, spirituality, and otherness. The questions asked in this thesis came about during travels to Japan and Scandinavia to study architecture. In cities like Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Kyoto, light has a powerful effect within the built environment: when natural light is so scarce, it must be harnessed effectively in order illuminate man-made environments. Through the study of Nordic and Japanese case studies, physical models, and charcoal drawings, this thesis investigates how building form can manipulate light in various ways to create varying spatial experiences. From these investigations, this thesis defines 4 Qualities of Light in northern climates and cultures and explores them through the design of a cultural event center on Seattle’s central waterfront.