Course
ASD 20.302: Advanced Topics in Performative Design: Daylight and Electric Lighting
Instructor
Daniel J. Whittaker, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
Students Involved
Tay Boon Kiat + Simon Rocknathan
About The Project
The desert rose. A finely flowering compound planar gypsum crystal. The point of natural inspiration for this luminaire. Fractured planar sheets of polychromatic acrylic slice through a faceted sleeve, exposing both ends towards the open environment. Invisible bits of light, supplied by multiple light emitting diodes cleverly hidden within a multi-wall shell supply a bright glow to the acrylic panels. The function of this luminaire- more than decorative, it is an investigation into the juxtaposition of contrasting materials: one, a highly-honed polymer based upon an oil distillate product; the other, naturally-finished basswood, with full grain on display for sumptuous visual consumption.
Students Involved
Sean Lee Jun Wei + Eion Goh Ee Yan
About The Project
Eion and Sean explored the use of a novel linear luminescent lighting material: electroluminescent wire. This flexible vinyl material emits a soft, glowing light that is appropriate for night-time illumination at a residential scale. Their fixture is strung in tension upon a laser-cut acrylic armature, radially symmetrical upon a centered axis. Dual mirrors enable the user to peer into an illusory infinite spatial dimension.
Students Involved
Ngiam Ju Jin Lucas + Zhang Guoxian
About The Project
A functional chair: the ultimate combination of luminaire and bench seat. This object attempts to combine the idea seated relaxed posture with a source of light, mean to illuminate the immediate surroundings and enable a glowing ambiance whether outside or indoors. Thick gauged acrylic, laser-etched, ensures light escapes out in a directed fashion, from an LED strip light source. Heat-treated and bent into a form that is receptive to the human body and the back posture comfortable for brainstorming the next design project of the busy student.
Students Involved
Paris Lau Sherneese + Chiew Jia Hui
About The Project
The ultimate co-mingling of an organic form with a highly-processed and manufactured material: natural wood root with fibre optic filament threads interwoven with a translucent mesh fabric. This is a match of juxtaposed materiality, fed by an intense light emitting diode source, deftly hidden within a wood-based mount. Glowing fibers, normally possessing total internal reflection, have been manually modified through sanding the surface of the fiber optic thread, allowing the light to emanate from a radial direction along the shaft, outward, diffusing into the mesh. Small threads bind the fiber optic into the mesh, ensuring a symbiotic relationship between the light source and the adjacent illuminated fabric.
Students Involved
Rachel Song Li Ying + Adler Teo
About The Project
This additive-printed form utilizes conventional Polylactic-acid filament built-up to form a multi-planar sphere-like shell. Within, like that of a Russian Matryoshka doll, is nestled yet another, smaller shell with a delicate filigree filtering a centered nucleus light-emtting-diode lamp string. This luminaire, scaled for an appropriate small hospitality or residential setting, diffuses a soft glow of alluring light while the internal geometry beckons further investigation and intrigue.
Students Involved
Chin Kee Ting + Goh Min Rui
About The Project
A hybrid combination of hand-crochet knit work creates a fine filigree upon which light deftly filters through, lacing the room with a delicate filigree of patterns of light across adjacent surfaces. This luminaire, contains a compact Light Emitting Diode source which is hidden behind a lace-like curtain, contained within a dark stained wood box. The bosky box hides and conceals the source of light, while accentuating the hand-crafted nature of the knit twine. An excellent demonstration of hand-crafted work merged with the latest point-source of light, contained within a single accent luminaire.
Students Involved
Kelly Yeo Jing Er + Nidhi Hegde
About The Project
Contrasting species of heart and sap wood of the basswood tree are wrapped around doughnut-shaped annular rings of Light Emitting Diode lamps. Stacked together, in an inclined plane, this accent luminaire achieves a sense of levitation due to a near invisible anchoring of the rings to a blackened dark raked support. Light pours out downward from each ring, spilling on planar base surfaces. Sinuously layered, almost tree-bark-like wrapping of thin veneer flitches of balsa wood envelope the supporting base of the fixture. A sensuous laying of wood and light remark the supreme design of this luminaire.
Students Involved
Wan Mengcheng + Samson Sim
About The Project
A near infinite sequence of clear acrylic squares, nested within one another, recall Russian matrioshka, but with a contemporary interpretation in light and transparency. Numerous maquettes were created prior to the realization of this final model in order to perfect the bouncing of light off of varied surfaces and keep the geometric form stable and orthogonal. Movable, dynamic and reflective, these open louvers rotate on a single axis and are illuminated with a perimeter array of light emitting diodes. Further reflectivity is achieved through the appliqué of mirrors around the bracing frame. Both accent, and functional, this luminaire brings light and high design to the table.
Students Involved
Thet Now + Song Tingxuan
About The Project
A dynamic ordinally symmetrical form, polylactic acid filament supplied the base material for a 3D printed form. A center transluscent column houses a columnar LED unit providing uniform radial illumination. Intended as a pendant luminaire, the final form created was a desk-top lamp providing functional reading illumination.
Students Involved
Teo Shao Tian + Benjamin Chong
About The Project
Wrapped thin-gauge aluminum forms conceal the source of their illumination. Thin-mesh transluscent nylon fabric is supported within by a hidden armature of laser-cut acrylic panels. A thorough exploration of geometric forms is demonstrated through the diverse array of hand-drawn sketches. The students worked in tandem to create complimentary designs in order to conclude the best solution for a desk-top luminaire. Numerous maquettes ensured all possible assembly forms and geometries were experimented with during the intense design development phase.
