PROJECT TITLE
Lighting Fixture Design Competition
AUTHOR
Paulette R. Hebert, Ph.D.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA
prh2239@ucs.usl.edu
PROJECT LEVEL
3rd and 4th Year Students
ABSTRACT
The students were charged with designing custom,
operable lighting fixtures for "clients" which they selected from the
people featured in a current issue of the university's alumni magazine,
La Louisiane. The students' lighting fixtures were required to
manifest at least one of the lighting techniques introduced by Fran Kellog
Smith's book, Bringing Interiors To Light which had been presented
and discussed during the semester. These techniques include: uplighting,
downlighting, beam play, shadow play, highlighting, backlighting, structural
lighting, silhouette, light as art, and sparkle. The students chose "clients"
familiar to them - musicians, scientists, business people and fellow students
- and based their designs on the needs of and interests of the selected
clientele. In order to promote sustainable design, students were encouraged
to utilize "found" or recycled materials. The utilized materials included
straw baskets, PVC pipe, various kinds of paper, wire mesh, corrugated
cardboard and copper tubing. Some lighting fixtures were created using
a high degree of craftsmanship and more traditional lighting fixture materials
including glass and various metals. All of the lighting fixtures produced
were powered and displayed in an on-campus exhibit/design competition.
Judges included architecture faculty, the President of the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), New Orleans Section, and
the Editor of La Louisiane Magazine. Winners of this competition
presented their lighting fixtures to members of the Illuminating Engineering
Society of North America, New Orleans Section, at their regular monthly
meeting. IESNA members and other attending design professionals interacted
with the students and a design dialogue ensued. Certificates and complementary
dinners were provided for the students. The IESNA members indicated that
this was one of their most successful and interesting meetings. An article
about the project and its process was run in La Louisiane magazine
following the projects' completion. Additionally, some selected lighting
fixtures were published in the January/February Issue of Architectural
Lighting magazine. Further, a west coast lighting fixture showroom
contacted the instructor requesting more information and possibly a meeting
with the students to discuss showing or mass-marketing their light fixtures.
OBJECTIVES
1. To teach design students about lighting
techniques through hands-on experiences
2. To design and construct operable, expressive lighting fixtures
as works of art
3. To design for clients' particular personality and needs
4. To encourage design students to utilize "found," re-used or recycled
components in order to reinforce the idea of "sustainable design"
5. To broaden students' understanding of materials and construction
6. To encourage feedback for designs through the students' participation
in an on-campus exhibit of their lighting fixtures
7. To educate others at the university about interior design through
an on-campus exhibit of student work
8. To encourage interaction between students and professionals by
involving the IES as a supporter for a lighting fixture design competition
9. To encourage excellence in student design through a lighting
fixture design competition with exposure and prizes
10. To enhance oral presentation skills and confidence through students'
presentations to IES professionals.
PROCESS
Lighting fixtures should be designed for a particular
person featured in La Louisiane magazine. Students must explain
why their lighting fixtures meet their clients' needs and tasks. Students'
projects must manifest at least two lighting techniques. Lighting fixtures
should utilize "found," re-used or recycled materials. Students fixtures
must be operable, electrically safe and physically stable and able to
withstand transportation to off-campus presentations.
• Students attended several in-class lectures by instructor on lighting
sources.
• Students purchased instructor-prepared packet at a local electrical
distributor which consisted of necessary electrical components and accessories
necessary for lighting fixture operation.
• Students attended a guest lecture by an electrical engineer on
principles of electricity, safety, lighting fixture construction and operation.
This included a demonstration of the proper connection of the wires and
components in the instructor-prepared student electrical packet.
• Students read about lighting techniques in Bringing Interiors
to Light.
• Students attended in-class lecture by instructor on lighting techniques.
• Students participated in the in-class activity of evaluating catalogued
lighting fixtures designed by others and identifying the materials, lighting
techniques and lighting sources utilized in these lighting fixtures.
• Students participated in independent, informal field trips to a
local electrical distributor to speak with lighting fixture sales representatives.
• Students created the design concept and preliminary design of lighting
fixtures in written and graphic format and submitted them to instructor
for review.
• Written critiques were given to students by instructor.
• Students further developed and improved lighting fixture designs
in written and graphic format and submitted to instructor.
• Written critiques were given to students by instructor.
• Students participated in informal one-on-one critiques with instructor.
• Students revised designs and completed fabrication of their lighting
fixtures in the design building's workshop.
• Students presented their work in an on-campus exhibit.
• Students' projects were judged in 4 categories by 3 outside judges.
• First, second and third place students received certificates and
recognition.
• First place students orally presented their projects at the state's
Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Meeting. First place winners received
dinner at the meeting courtesy of the IES at the restaurant where the
meeting was held.
• IES professional members additionally chose an overall winner,
who received a certificate.
• First place winners were acknowledged at the college's awards night.
• The best overall winner was interviewed and photographs of the
student and the project were featured in the university's alumni magazine.
PRESENTATION
1. Operable, full scale, lighting fixture
2. Card attached with the following information:
Photograph of person designed for
(from school alumni magazine)
Explanation of why this fixture meets
their client's needs
Task and space lighting fixture was
designed for
Students' lighting design concept/inspiration
Identification of two of the lighting
techniques manifested by the students' lighting fixture
EVALUATION
Students were graded on an 100 point scale:
90—100 = A, 80—89 = B, 70—79 = C, 60—69 = D, below
60 = F
Grades were based on the following:
Craftsmanship
Creativity
Manifestation of 2 lighting techniques
Clarity and manifestation of design
concept
Appropriateness of solution for client,
task and space selected
Utilization of "found," recycled or
reused materials
Adherence to directions, meeting deadlines
PROJECT LENGTH
The students had 2 months from the introduction
of this project until their final exhibition. The class was a lecture
only. Students worked on their projects on their own time. Two formal
interim deadline dates for preliminary sketches and concepts were given.
Additionally, students met with instructor during instructor's office
hours and free time for consultations.
RESOURCES
Smith, F. K., Bringing Interiors to Light,
out-of-print.
CREDITS
Dr. George Loli, Professor, University of Southwestern
Louisiana, School of Architecture, is credited with special inspiration
and for directing the most successful student in the design competition,
a student enrolled in his class, Ms. Amanda Bernard.
DOCUMENTATION
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