Essay

Featured Image Takeaway Design Strategy:

Adding to your design’s effects can happen throughout the day, transiently. Just as sunlight changes throughout the day, other elements impacting your design also change. Shadows created by the light rhythms and axial alignments are one aspect that can change your designs perception minute by minute. Additionally, issues like reflection have the power to create perceptual illusions and enhancements that will help your design relate to its occupants and to the contextual environment which surrounds it. Thus, as you engage in design development phases and you are refining your design using building models and 3-D visualization programs, it is wise to take a moment in your development to think about the materials, light, axial alignments, and reflections that will no doubt impact how your architectural work will function and be perceived.

To Apply This Strategy, Ask Yourself:

HOW CAN MY BUILDINGS’ MATERIALS AND THEIR ARRANGEMENTS BE OPTIMIZED WITH EVERY DAY TRANSIENT FACTORS LIKE LIGHT, SHADOW, REFLECTIONS AND OTHER CHANGING ALIGNMENTS TO CREATE AN ARCHITECTURE WHICH HAS DEEPER PERCEPTUAL DIMENSION? AND HOW WILL SUCH MOMENT BY MOMENT TRANSIENT CHANGES, WHICH IMPACT MY DESIGN, MAKE IT AN ENVIRONMENT OF VALUE FOR OCCUPANTS THROUGHOUT NOT ONLY DAILY SHIFTS, BUT ALSO SEASONAL SHIFTS AS WELL?

Image Credit: © Ray (rayphua) | Flickr