Whilst light is a creative medium its most basic function is to enable us to see. Our visual acuity is not only reliant on the quantity of light but also its spectral distribution. Seeing is therefore not only about distinguishing light and shade but also colour.

The healthy eye can see in a wide range of levels of light - from dim candlelight to bright sunlight. What is critical to visual function, however, is controlling adaptation from one condition to another.

Whilst natural light allows the proper legibility of detail and colour, artificial light can also be controlled to meet the majority of our needs. Our built environment can therefore be illuminated to reinforce the function of any given space through responding to the visual task. In this way the form of light follows the function of architecture.

Click to return to Themes