DE Lighting Featured in LD+A

University of Iowa’s Visual Arts Building Uses Porous Structure to Innovate Interior Lighting

LD+A Magazine March 2019: Higher Art

“For the new building, the Steven Holl Associates had a vision of vertical porosity allowing for an abundance of natural light while promoting interdisciplinary connection between several departments,” says electrical engineer Eric Bruxvoort of Design Engineers.

To achieve the porous visual, the square volume of the four-level building contains seven vertical cutouts—exterior carvings that, when viewed from above, resemble those of a puzzle piece—as well as a central interior atrium . SHA compares the resulting experience to walking through a sponge. Balconies and glass partitions at various openings enable students to see activity on the other side of each cutout. Further, the design incorporates shifted floor plates at each level, visible within the openings where the layers overlap.

“The geometry and form of the structure assist in encouraging creativity and collaboration among the students and faculty,” says Bruxvoort, whose team was responsible for incorporating proper task lighting without minimizing the architectural effect. “Many tasks within the VAB require high levels of uniform lighting to perform minute and detailed projects, while other tasks require shadowing and contrast dependent on a high level of lighting controls to create the right atmosphere,” Bruxvoort says. “The lighting had to be functional without being the focal point—the inspiring architecture and corresponding works of art produced within the facility were to be the priority.

Read the whole story at: LD+A Magazine March 2019: Higher Art

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