(Overview) (Method) (Survey) (Mt. Airy) (Michigan) (Exeter) (Syllabus)

Methodology

Lighting model of Phillips Exeter Academy. The model was built and tested prior to field investigation of the building.

The daylight testing assignment incorporates the following steps:

• Select an example for study (from a list presented by the instructor).
  A sample list is indicated in the Syllabus. It is important that projects selected are of interest to the students and exemplary in some way, with potentially instructive and challenging daylighting "lessons."
  
  
• Obtain documentation, sufficient for the lighting model.
  Published sources (magazines and books) provide available references, further augmented by contact with the architectÕs office for construction documents.
  
  
• Build a lighting model, sufficient for testing and photography.
  The time allocated to model making has to be limited by emphasis upon the selective use of the model (for testing and photographing). Durability and portability is required, e.g., tilting the model to simulate all times of the year and taking the model to the building impose requirements for light-weight and transportability.
  
  
• Hypothesize various questions and daylighting principles through model testing.
  Model study should include both qualitative and quantitative assessment. The most valuable learning is to understand the flux of light in the model through observation and model measurements. An exploratory attitude about principles and lessons revealed are best developed in class discussion in class by reference to the model studies.
  
  
• Provide training for field-testing.
  A short briefing on field measurement and occupant survey design was offered by Kit Cuttle and Milhouse Ecklund. The survey, developed by the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer principally for evaluation of electric lighting in commercial office buildings, was adapted to include daylighting-related questions (see sample survey form in the next section).
  
  
• Arrange and undertake field-test, including on-site measures and occupant survey.
  In all of the examples, the case study buildings (libraries) were accessible to the field testing visit by advanced notice and approval. In all cases, library directors and staff were interested and helpful in all cases.
  
  
• Summarize findings based on the several test results.
  Examples are provided below in the "Building Work-up" Reports. The format of each reports is presented in identical manner below to facilitate comparison between cases. Learning by observation of "visual evidence" can be appreciated by comparison of the "flux of light" shown in the photographs.

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Created: 05/13/97
Revised: 09/09/02

http://www-archfp.ced.berkeley.edu/vitalsigns/workup/rpi/watson_method.html