Sunlight, the beginning of a story

Background:“The sun is fundamental to all life. It is the source of our vision, our warmth, our energy, and the rhythm of our lives.” In the current sustainable design trend, the sun is mainly considered the source of daylighting and energy. While sunlight, as dynamic energy, how can we manipulate it to cast an impact on our daily social or cultural life beyond thermal or visual comfort?

Goal:Our design goal is to promote a new interaction between humans and the sun to uplift the state of mind and spirit, which triggers some positive social behaviors.

Design:The design is composed of two layers, the top layer is “Pattern” which is related to the local social and cultural context. The second layer is “Louver” which filters the sunlight through spacing, depth, and direction in responding to the sun’s path. “Bright Spots” are formed on the surface when the sunlight goes through the perforated patterns and louvers. While the sun moves, the “Bright Spots” keep changing location and shape.

Scenario I:Kids in this community enjoy drawing on the ground with chalk, they express their imagination or play games by drawing graphics on the ground. The “Butterfly Patterns” are used during summer to enhance the atmosphere of summer, the movement of the sun leads to the illusion of “Bright Butterflies” flying over the pavilion. Creative art is encouraged in this condition, and beautiful chalk drawings are left for the whole community to appreciate. And the pattern board can be changed to reflect different seasons and events.

Scenario II:A romantic city attracts lots of lovers from all over the world every year. “Heart Patterns” are used on one of the bus stops. People waiting for the buses are showered under the love-shaped “Bright Spots”. People may see a “Bright Heart” fall on their hands without expectation. This kind of little surprise triggers romantic or sweet feelings between lovers.