Dr. Nasser B. Abulhasan

Light, Sight and Architecture: an Approach to Designing for the Optimum by Capturing the Minimum Dr. Nasser B. Abulhasan

Therefore, challenges that we, designers andarchitects in arid climates, arecompounded with are two fold: Firstly is to approach the problem of daylight designin arid climates differently from theconventional methods of the West. The challengesfaced in societies with abundantsunlight are intrinsically different than those facedin cold, overcast skies. Secondly is to take into account, in this process,the role that the human eye plays inreacting to given spaces and its contribution, if atall, to overall daylight design. In tackling these two distinct challenges, threetypes of experiments were conducted.1. Built Test Facility: this experiential modelincludes evaluations on perceptions incontrolled sequences of spaces designed throughinterviews, with subjectsentering and working in differentiated space withcontrolled lighting.2. Computational Model: this is analytical in nature,using a computer model to testdifferent light measures.3. Applied Research in Design (In site experiments):this includes actual builtexamples that test the journey that the hypothesisdevelops with each additionalexperiment.