Assessing Light in Architecture: A Numerical Procedure For A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

International Lighting Conference, Associazione Italiana di Illuminazione (AIDI),
CIE (Commission internationale de lclairage), Venise, 9-10 Octobre 2006.
ASSESSING LIGHT IN ARCHITECTURE:

A NUMERICAL PROCEDURE FOR
A QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
1
Claude M.H. Demers ( )
1. INTRODUCTION
Light is perhaps one of the most decisive attributes of a successful building and has yet to be fully
understood by architects. There are interesting design tools available to architects and designers
assisting them in the design process, but these need considerable time to master or understand,
whereas the method of image analysis proposes an intuitive approach with considerable advantages.
The aesthetic response of light in space depends on numerous factors that should be included in the
qualitative analysis of a lighting system. Qualitative analysis normally involves a process that
incorporates a large part of subjectivity and therefore, results become difficult to comment or discuss
amongst professionals. In that view, it appears important to integrate a method that allows the
integration of a quantitative component in the qualitative assessment of light in space. Quantifiable
aspects of light that relate to the definition of space can be identified in the analysis of a digital image.
The digital method of analysis presented in this abstract has been developed since 1993 [Demers]
and applied on research consultancy for the design of several buildings such as the New Canadian
Embassy in Berlin and more recently in the design of the CIFSS Pavilion at Laval University. It
proposes a qualitative interpretation of lighting patterns on surfaces, a fundamental relation between
light and architecture. Secondly, a quantitative interpretation of lighting patterns is introduced and
becomes most relevant as it allows architects to compare different design solutions quite effectively
without entering into intricate calculations at the early design stages. The present research shows
applications of the methodology to real case studies in naturally and artificially lit spaces,
experimenting with several lighting conditions from high to low contrast to evaluate the limits of the
image as a tool of analysis. Benefits of using such a method reside in its readily availability to all
practitioners and students at a very low cost and ease of interpretation. Interest in the methodology
involving this digital analysis of images has also been shown in subsequent researches by Demers
(2004), as well as by Siret (1997) and Bracarensi et. al. (2002). The method has also been
successively used amongst architectural design students as a mean to interpret design alternatives
primarily on the qualitative aspects (Dubois, 2006).
2. METHOD OF ANALYSIS
Architecturally, contrasts of light and shade define surfaces and contribute to the character of a space,
a question related not only to light and shade patterns, but also on the nature of the different sources
of light and surrounding surfaces. This section demonstrates components of the digital image that can
be used to produce an assessment of light in space.
1
M.Arch. Ph.D. (Cambridge). Associate Professor, School of Architecture at Laval University, Groupe
de Recherches en Ambiances Physiques (GRAP), Facult damnagement, darchitecture et des arts
visuels, Vieux Sminaire, Universit Laval, Qubec, G1K 7P4, Canada. claude.demers@arc.ulaval.ca

An image, when properly exposed, is a direct record of the amounts of light to which each area has
been exposed [Evans, 1959, p. 77]. The image therefore constitutes the basis of the following method
of acquiring lighting data in architecture. Digital photography has been the subject of important
developments and improvements during the past decade, offering support for recording lighting
patterns in space and making it an ideal tool for research and practice. Integrated pose-meters, are
now more versatile and offer more precision in the calculation of the right exposure of the subject in
the view field of the camera. New digital cameras integrate a multi-reading pose-meter that grants
more precision and flexibility in the evaluation of the correct exposure of photographs. The ideal digital
camera used for acquiring visual data should therefore be chosen in relation to the level of desired
preciseness for the study. Digital images of existing spaces are obtained according to an established
procedure [Demers 1997] to ensure validation of the analysis. It is important to relate to the procedure
as it determines the level of lighting obtained in the images. For instance, as the eye adapts to
different lighting levels, the pose-meter of the camera needs to consider the same adjustment in
relation to different lighting conditions. Whereas many scenes can be obtained from automatic
exposures, images obtained in backlighting offer the most critical conditions as the photographer need
to select the right exposure and even work with manual controls. Reflected light from mirrors and other
high reflectance surfaces can also affect the correct exposure. The preview of an image on the screen
of the digital camera should therefore always be performed on site to verify the correspondence
between the actual lighting condition and the recorded image.
Images are subsequently processed within the Adobe Photoshop software for digital images combined
with plug-ins from Reindeer Graphics according to the methodology [Demers 2002] that allows several
levels of evaluation. Whereas chromatic contrast is subjectively assessed on people, intensity contrast
remains more appropriate for computer analysis as it refers to the image brightness and is therefore
used in the research. The color information content of the digital images is therefore discarded,
leaving grey scale pixel values that provide information on light and contrast. Previous validations
[Demers 1997] carried out in an artificial sky using a physical model correlated photometric and
photographic measurements in an average interior lighting condition, but current research shows that
results obtained in an existing artificially lit space using photocells as a measure of illumination levels
in comparison with grey level scales are also representative. Assuming a certain correspondence, this
research expands the use of lighting patterns in the analysis of a lighting condition. Several types of
patterns can be extracted and used according to the character of the analysis such as the level of
detail and the dominant pattern. The following sections explore some of the most interesting patterns
and their potential to assist architects and designers in their analysis of light in space.
2.1 Level of detail

The pattern of the level of detail relates to the attention needed to read or respond to visual stimuli of
a space. Light has the ability to emphasize textures, details and structural features of a space,
producing sometimes intricate patterns in architecture, and sometimes more minimalist and uniform
compositions. These attributes are important in the elaboration of an aesthetic description of a space.
Color and luminance patterns of different surfaces are also responsible for interaction with light and
the perception of visual details in architecture. In the digital method of analysis, the level of detail is
quantified as the overall percentage of contour lines contained in a scene in relation to the entire view
frame of the image. The contour filter should be applied to the grey scale digital image. This descriptor
allows a discussion and comparison of images issued from spaces of different definitions of detail
(figure 1). Figure 1a represents the highest level of detail with a line density of 36% amongst the
presented examples. The image corresponds to the view of strongly projected shadows of sunlight on
the already textured wall of the space. The image also highlights the intricate patterns of shades and
textures creating unexpected grids. The quasi-absence of lines in the vertical rectangle of the same
image also emphasizes its visual presence, competing with the surrounding highly textured surfaces.
Figure 1d presents the lowest level of detail with a 7% value. The contours lines of the chairs define
uniform surfaces that are surrounded by a somewhat delicately defined background details. The light
grey lines correspond to more subtle definition of details whereas dark and thick lines such as in figure
1a and 1b are more related to highly contrasting patterns in space. Surfaces showing a certain level of
lighting uniformity therefore contain a lower number of pattern lines.

It is impossible to predict exactly how people would react to a particular scene, but the digital image
analysis allows the possibility to identify the potential locus of attention, corresponding to the zone of
high density that could relate to areas of special interest in the visual field [Austen, 2000]. It is also
used to refer to the extent, also described as its distribution in the space [Austen, 2000]. These
analysis are part of the qualitative definition of light and textures on surfaces and provide order in the
discussion of a high number of spaces or views. It should be acknowledged that the level of detail
pattern does not take into account focal accents [Lou, 1996] in the environments such as the presence
of people or other details. Other complementary aspects of space such as acoustics would also
considerably affect the global perception. However, it remains interesting to consider this pattern as a
condition that can generate a particular attraction to the viewer. It can therefore be assumed that:
a) In two similar types of images or subjects, the level of attention could be raised as the number
of lines increases, creating interest for the eye.
b) Images containing a combination of surfaces of a high number of lines (visually textured) and
a low number of lines (visually more uniform) are producing a high contrast of light-textures.
These have the potential to provide areas of rest for the eye, defining a certain composition of
space and light-textures.
Lighting patterns in artificially lit environments are usually constant whereas in daylit spaces, they are
dependant of the amount of light and direction occurring on a surface. The latter type of patterns
should ideally be photographed under uniform and clear skies, with several sun angles when possible
for a more comprehensive and accurate analysis of a lighting effect.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Figure 1: Level of detail: digital images are in a decreased order or detail content.
2.2 Location of the dominant pattern

Hopkinson [1969] acknowledges the phototropic nature of the eye, which accounts for our being
attracted or even sometimes diverted by sources of light of a high brightness in the visual field. The
location of bright patterns on the digital image allows the establishing of the physical relation between
space and light, essential to the perception of the visual environment. The quantification of this
variable is established by applying the Adobe Photoshop stamp filter (figure 2) on a grey scale digital

image by using mid-scales of clear/dark and uniformity settings of the software of image analysis.
Other settings could be applied, but it was found that where the extremes of these scales were
chosen, the resulting images were either too bold or too precise to produce any conclusive analysis. It
is important to apply the same settings to each image to ensure correspondence of the results of
analysis. Figure 2 presents an application of the filter on the same images that were previously
analyzed (figure 1). The filter ensures that only the brightest areas of the images are highlighted and
boldly represented in black and white. The second row of smaller images identifies these zones of
high brightness for each example. This analysis evacuates all information related to gradation of lights
and detail, but provides a general overview of the location of the brighter sources of light in the space.
Figure 2a presents a rather uniform brightness pattern that is slightly more densely at the top of the
space than in the lower parts. It also emphasizes the dark vertical rectangle of the window area of the
wall as a light absorbent surface. Figure 2b shows an asymmetric composition where the upper left of
the space corresponds to the brighter area whereas a series of converging architectural elements
highlighted by light underline the presence of horizontal reflectors associated with each balcony
circulation. Figures 2c and 2d show a central occupation of a more precisely defined brighter zone
surrounded by darker areas. The vertical dimension of light presented in figure 2c associates with the
high lateral window of the atrium space that admits sunlight whereas the horizontal repartition of light
in emphasized in figure 2d.
Scattered
Entire frame
a)
Vertically
Centered
Dominance
Upper left
b)
c)
Horizontally
Centered
d)
Figure 2: Location of the dominant lighting pattern.
Superposition of patterns related to the level of detail (section 2.1) and the brightness location (section
2.2) sometimes occur in the same zone. Figure 2d is an example of such superposition as the
horizontal central occupation of the brighter part of the image also corresponds to the zone of higher
density of details. These combinations are interesting as they indicate whereas the brighter zones and
lighting-pattern are acting separately of acting together, reinforcing a specific location of the space.

2.3 Gradation of light

Gradations from light to dark can be interpreted from the pattern as an indicator of contrast on certain
areas of a space. The main direction of the pattern and the relative measurements between the
brightness zones on that axis become assessors of the gradation. Images are processed and
simplified into five brightness zones (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) using the posterize command
of the software of image analysis. This five brightness zones system is based on the Luminance
Brightness Rating (LBR), which contains nine grey levels [Lou, 1996]. It is possible to refine the image
analysis in separating the image in the nine grey levels (0%, 12,5%, 25%, 37,5%, 50%, etc). This
process adds only four new brightness zones between the existing ones, but the transitions between
zones are generally too smooth and do not reveal as much the global pattern. The nine brightness
grey level separation should therefore mainly relate to scenes of a very low contrast.
The original image of figure 3a is processed in these five brightness levels (figure 3b). It is possible to
calculate the distance between the limits of different brightness zones and use a comparative scale to
evaluate the spreading of the patterns. The pattern of figure 3b is obtained when using the contour
filter. A coefficient of gradation [Demers, 1997] is introduced to provide a quantitative interpretation of
the pattern. The interval between the brightness zones of a pattern is usually calculated
perpendicularly to the main axis of the spreading.
100%
0,15x
75%
0,21x
50%
0,19x
25%
0,34x
0%
a)
b)
c)
Figure 3: Linear aperture: gradation of light obtained through brightness separation [from Demers
1997].
Images of figure 3 were extracted from a series of experiments performed in the controlled
environment of a physical model photographed under an artificial sky [Demers 1993; 1997]. For such
comparative studies, all significant objects of the images should be at the same size to ensure that
calculation of distances between zones is relevant for a certain space or type of light. For instance, the
image of the white wall (figure 3) was always of the same as apertures were changing sizes and
positions. These parametrical studies enabled a more theoretical understanding of lighting patterns in
relation to aperture configuration and position, as well a surface reflectance. This knowledge is now
applied in actual spaces such as in figure 4. In this particular case, the five brightness levels are
present in the scene, indicating a high contrast particularly between the top of the chairs and the
background windows. This is clearly represented in the absence of transition between the 0% (black
chairs) and the 100% zones (bright windows). The patterns discussed earlier in section 2.1 (level of
detail) in the window area of the central image are in the 100% and 75% brightness, indicating a
relatively low contrast definition of the pattern. There is also a rather important definition of the ceiling
surface in relation to the background windows, also indicative of high contrast. Images have the
potential to identify zones of the visual field responsible for glare. High contrast at the eye level of the
scene of figure 4 has the potential to produce glare for an observer situated in the room at the location
of the photographer.

25%
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
Figure 4: Brightness separation of image d (in figures 1 and 2).
2.4 General brightness of the image

Perhaps the most striking character of a space comes from its dark versus bright ambience. It is
possible to measure the lighting levels of a space and compare it with other spaces, but this can be a
long process and need specific meters that one does not necessarily carry all the time, especially
when unexpectedly visiting a building. The present type of digital analysis is practical to compare and
discuss different situations.
Histograms are used to analyse the distribution of pixels of certain brightness on an image (figure 5,
top right). When using the separation of brightness (section 2.3), it is possible to obtain a robust
histogram of its brightness content, enabling a more global assessment of the grey level dominance
and compare it to other images. Figure 5 shows the relative quantity of pixels for each of the five
levels of the grey scale for the four images previously analysed. The histograms are translated into
horizontal bars corresponding to the five brightness separations discussed in section 2.3. The
horizontal axis represents the proportion of pixels of a particular brightness on the image. The 100%
brightness (white) is relatively constant for all four images, representing an average of 20% of the total
amount of pixels (from 15% to 25%). The 0% brightness (black) is much more variable from one
image to another, from about 20% for the atrium to nearly 60% for the office and therefore affect more
considerably the character of the analysed spaces in terms of lighting ambiences. The three midbrightness zones (25%, 50% and 75%) can be regarded as a group in this particular example. The
proportion of mid-brightness greys increases from the office (top image, about 25%) to the atrium
(bottom image, nearly 60%). In this group, the lower and mid-brightness pixels are more relevant to
discuss the overall brightness of the image.

office
0%
tranche
25%
50%
75%
exchange
100%
atrium
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
proportion of zone per image brightness level (%)
Figure 5: Comparison of the distribution of lighting zones in images.
3. CONCLUSION
The digital image allows the comparison of several lighting conditions in a systematic manner. It
provides also a relation between patterns of light and the composition of space in a language that is
meaningful to architecture. Four types of digital analysis have been presented in this research:
1 Level of detail
2. Location of the dominant pattern
3. Gradation of light
4. General brightness of the image
These types can be used independently, or compared one to another. Previous research has shown
correlation between photometric and photographic measurements, especially in the mid-brightness
grey scales [Demers, 1997]. Although not extensive, the study reinforces the potential for digital
images to support more conventional measurement techniques.
The variables of digital imagery refer to physical aspects of light in space and therefore afford an
artistic insight and potential descriptors of the lighting patterns in space. The results can be
qualitatively and quantitatively interpreted, ensuring a complementary analysis of light on surfaces.
The digital camera and the method of computer image analysis constitute the main tools for acquiring
and analyzing lighting conditions. These tools have the advantage of being already used by
professionals and students of architecture and therefore are available at any time. When performing
these analysis, researchers and architects should always bear in mind that the image and the view
frame of the camera is only a part of an actual space frozen in time. Although visual perception is very
complex, the patterns developed in this research will eventually be part of a series of other patterns
issued from other complementary aspects.

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International Lighting Conference, Associazione Italiana di Illuminazione (AIDI),

CIE (Commission internationale de lclairage), Venise, 9-10 Octobre 2006.