Building Science 2 | this-is-how-i-design

Building Science 2 - BLD61303

Project 1: Lighting and Acoustic Performance, Evaluation and Design

Lighting Design is a primary element in architecture design and interior architecture. Successful buildings are those in which the lighting of the building itself along with the activities it contains together make up a unified design concept. On the other hand, Acoustic Design is an element which is concerned with the control of sound in spaces especially those enclosed. The acoustical requirement varies in relation to the functional space whether it is a cinema, lecture theatre, restaurant and café or a meeting room. It is essential to preserve and enhance the desired sound and to eliminate noise and undesired sound.

This project was designed to introduce and expose us to lighting and acoustical design requirements within enclosed spaces of buildings. In a group of 6 members, we were required to observe, evaluate, analyze and report both lighting and acoustical performance of a selected case study. Alvin, Alisha, Mubarak, Nabeel, Saurabha and I teamed up for this project and we chose D’Kaffé; a bar/café located at the DK Senza condominium.

Once the case study was chosen, we were to produce scaled measured drawings of the chosen space inclusive of all necessary features that affect its lighting and acoustic conditions. Thereafter, evaluations were carried out on daylighting, artificial lighting, and sound conditions. The adequacy of light, sound/noise for the case study was carried out objectively.

All information and evaluation were to be submitted in the form of a report along with digital summaries of the work on lighting and acoustics in the form of 2 A3 panels.

Summary of Lighting and Acoustics analysis

Complete Report

Reflecting back…

This project provided me with a better understanding of the analysis of lighting in terms of natural lighting as well as artificial lighting and analysis of acoustic design in buildings. It also served as a comprehensive summary of the entire module and sufficient guide for the project that followed after.

Project 2: Integration with Design Studio 5

Project 2 was designed with the purpose of implementing our understanding of the principles of lighting design into the context of our Design Studio project which was the Community Library. We were required to implement both natural and artificial lighting systems along with the usage of the PSALI (Permanent Supplementary Artificial Lighting of Interiors) design strategies in two chosen spaces from the design of the library. The analysis of natural and artificial lighting of both spaces in the library were to be composed in the form of 2 A2 panels that were to be accompanied with a report that included the necessary calculations to aid in the necessary design solutions.

Report and Calculations

Reflecting back…

This project gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with Ecotect Analysis by Autodesk, which allowed me to produce the daylighting and artificial lighting contour diagrams for a better analysis so that appropriate design solutions could be implemented to the problems faced. I was also able to gain a better understanding of how to integrate both natural and artificial lighting through the usage of the PSALI system when designing and realize its importance as it aids in reducing the energy consumed by the building rather than if it were to be completely dependent on artificial lighting systems alone.