Daylight is a complex phenomenon. In a workplace, sunlight can be a source of well-being, but the light can also be blinding – for example, a computer screen is of little use in direct sunlight. Another source of discomfort may be unpleasantly high indoor temperatures. This is the point of departure for a research project at Designskolen Kolding titled “Regulering af dagslys i offentligt miljø” (Regulating daylight in public spaces), which explores the interaction between decoration, new materials, techniques and models.

 
By Mads Nygaard Folkmann

The headquarters of DFDS Seaways in Copenhagen, architects: Dissing + Weitling. The office building was taken into use in 2003, the heat-reflecting slats were mounted later. The slats produce stark shadows.

How can we regulate daylight in the home or in the workplace? On the one hand, we want to enjoy and use the light and the heat it produces, but on the other hand we do not want it to be too bright or too hot. That is one of the major challenges in the research project “Regulering af dagslys i offentligt miljø” (Regulating daylight in public spaces) at Designskolen Kolding. The project is based on a systematic description, analysis and exploration of the textile field. It began in January 2007 and continues through July 2008.

The project is carried out by Vibeke Riisberg, associate professor, Ph.D., Joy Boutrup, associate professor and textile engineer, and Annette Andresen, research assistant and textile designer, all at Designskolen Kolding. At an early stage, there was a necessary limitation in scope, and the project now focuses on interior light screening in existing buildings. The project focus is on general principles of daylight screening as well as the development of a prototype that may serve as the basis for a new product.

Inspiration. Traditional textile screening: lace curtain. Daylight – and a pleasant influx of light.

The main thesis of the project is that it is possible to optimise daylight screening using a combination of decoration and function. The purpose is not to keep the daylight out but to promote the use of daylight to achieve a pleasant influx of daylight that can be regulated to match the users’ individual needs, says Vibeke Riisberg.

“Our work rests on the thesis that it’s possible to optimise daylight regulation through a flexible combination of complete screening, filtration, diffusion and direct influx of light with perforation. In addition, we’ll be able to save on energy when we don’t need artificial lighting. In many places, the screening has become so effective that it’s necessary to use artificial lighting indoors, even in the summer!”

Inspiration. Technologically based metal screening: the Arab World Institute in Paris. In the building the influx of light is adjusted with a shutter mechanism that is controlled by a sensor. Architects: Jean Nouvel, Pierre Soria and Architecture Studio, 1987.

The project aims at developing flexible, adjustable solutions for indoor use, and it is not only about light but also about the ability to dampen the heat that also follows from strong sunlight. Thus, a key aspect of the project is to explore heat-reflecting materials and foils with ultraviolet and infrared reduction in combination with light-regulating patterns and textile materials.

Systematics and Innovation

Vibeke Riisberg explains that the first step was a concrete effort to list existing products and solutions: What is available in the market, and what sort of screening solutions are in use in existing buildings? As part of this effort the project team carried out a photo documentation of six office buildings that had all come into use between 2002 and 2005.

The next phase involved systematic, experimental studies of fibres, materials, material processing, techniques and decoration; this is the point where the project detached itself from the existing conditions and attempted to find new solutions. This process is taking place at a time when new materials and technologies are constantly being developed around the world; thus, the project also has a knowledge-gathering function.

Pattern seen from the side – when the light comes in at an angle there is an aesthetic interplay of doubling and diffusion.

Collaboration and Intelligent Design

As a driving force in the project Vibeke Riisberg points to the various competencies represented on the project team.
“As a textile engineer, Joy is quickly able to assess the technical aspects of new materials, for example, and she’s a good at ‘translating’ between engineers and designers. Annette is a textile designer and has also worked with graphic design, so she has a different approach to the visual side; in addition she has created a series of important computer animations that we have used in our work. My own angle is to work with textile design as a phenomenon that incorporates many different components, including material properties, technique, function and aesthetics,” she says. 

Pattern constructed with a hexagonal grid. The printing technique is burn-out, which here results in a perforation pattern. The two-layered material and the openness and weave of the fabric create an organic moiré effect, which adds an extra dimension to the pattern.

“In contemporary textile design there is a great interest in intelligent, smart materials,” Vibeke Riisberg explains. “I would say that we’re working with intelligent design, reflecting on the technology we apply – what are the consequences, for example in relation to energy consumption and environmental issues – and taking a holistic approach to the design in terms of function, technology and aesthetics. The aesthetic component is particularly important if we want the users are to embrace the resulting solutions – the aesthetic appearance of our surroundings is very important for our well-being in the workplace. Our approach is to use design to create a setting for the design of an office space that also leaves room for the user’s own input. Here, the designer has a big responsibility in defining the setting for the functional and aesthetic content that is to be developed.”

The Aesthetic Dimension

That is exactly why the project is also defined in a cross-field between function and decoration. Vibeke Riisberg wants to use the textile designers’ competence to work aesthetically with decoration. “This is a tricky area we’re getting into,” she adds. “How do we talk about aesthetics? We have yet to develop a common language in this area. One of the things we’ve done in the project is to try to use decoration in a functional way, that is, to explore how ornamentation, for example, can let in varying amounts of light. The pattern plays a big role, and since we have chosen to use a model where two flat layers of textile can be adjusted in relation to one another, we have also sought to develop a structure that can be repeated and layered. Working with two layers of textile that can be adjusted in relation to one another also provides a flexible principle in relation to regulating both heat and light.”

Model setup at Designskolen Kolding in a scale of 1:4.

Pattern and Transparency

“The pattern we’re currently working on is based on a geometric hexagon, which lets us shift a motif in two layers without winding up with a chaotic look. We have chosen to work with a pattern that is both open and closed, and at the same time, for the sake of the development of the principle, it has to be as neutral and as general as possible. Our proposal should be viewed as a principle – the development of a finished solution, ready to use, requires the involvement of an industrial designer. The key thing is that we examine the relationship between patterns and their transparency, that is, how light passes through the materials and is diffused by it. Part of this study is based on a model in a scale of 1:4 where we test variations of the pattern and measure the light intensity. A particular property, by the way, is the so-called moiré effect that occurs when two or more layers of transparent fabric are placed behind each other, which adds an extra dimension to the pattern.”

Model trial with influx of light. The light intensity is measured generally, on the floor and in the shade.

“The physical trials are also important because the aesthetic dimension too is qualified through concrete testing. Setting up a model makes it easier for us to see if something really works or not. In our proposals we have drawn inspiration from various types of solutions which in our opinion work well aesthetically – like lace curtains, for example, or the Arab World Institute in Paris – but it’s essential that we try to discover the right principle for our particular purpose.”

Experiment with 3D structure. The structure can be folded and expanded.

Current Status

In a sense, the project has only just begun, and if it is considered broadly with all the implications it may entail, the scope is huge: How might outdoor screening be handled, how can principles be defined that can be implemented in new constructions, and what is the impact of specific climate conditions? That is why the initial restriction in scope has strengthened the project: it has initiated a field of research that may later be expanded.

“Right now, we’re progressing along two tracks: We have discovered that the light is too harsh if the patterns are too simple. We have made certain experiences with materials and techniques that let us work with new patterns and their aesthetics and function. And we have broadened the field a little and are now ready to experiment with 3D textiles, which is quite different from the flat textiles that we have been working on so far. We’re expecting a great deal from this development,” says Vibeke Riisberg.

Project Background

The background of the project is an interest in the health implications of light, and area that has already been the topic of a fair amount of research. The topic is relatively well-documented in connection with office construction – for example, the Danish Building Research Institute issued a weighty report on the issue in 1999. The key concern in the research project in Kolding is to apply this consideration within the field of design and thus develop new types of solutions for regulating daylight; in a concrete sense this involves both the application of existing methods in textile design and an exploration of the potential of new methods.

The project idea is described in the 2005 report “Forskning i tekstildesign – en undersøgelse af potentialer” (Research into textile design – a study of potentials) by Anne Louise Bang and Kirsten Nissen. The project description states that the project “takes its point of departure in the special conditions that exist in the research environment that is under construction at Designskolen Kolding”, that is, the recently established Textile Consortium (read article).

The project receives support from KVADRAT, the Danish Centre for Design Research and the research funds of the Danish Ministry of Culture. Thus, the interests involved range from research to business, and that is why this is also a project that Designskolen Kolding has decided to pursue strategically.

Mind Design #2, 2007