Selected Bibliography Architecture - Form Space and Order | Page 192

LIGHT

The location of an opening affects the manner in
which natural light enters a room and illuminates its
forms and surfaces. When located entirely within a wall
plane, an opening can appear as a bright spot of light on
a darker surface. This condition can induce glare if an
excessive degree of contrast exists between the brightness of the opening and the darker surface surrounding
it. The uncomfortable or debilitating glare caused by
excessive brightness ratios between adjacent surfaces
or areas in a room can be ameliorated by allowing daylight to enter the space from at least two directions.

When an opening is located along the edge of a wall or
at the corner of a room, the daylight entering through
it will wash the surface of the wall adjacent and perpendicular to the plane of the opening. This illuminated
surface itself becomes a source of light and enhances
the light level within the space.

Additional factors influence the quality of light within
a room. The shape and articulation of an opening is
reflected in the shadow pattern cast by sunlight on the
forms and surfaces of the room. The color and texture of
these forms and surfaces, in turn, affect their reflectivity and the ambient light level within the space.

FORM & SPACE / 1 7 7