HISTORY ON LIGHTING

ARCH364 - BUILDING UTILITIES 3

Topic 1: Introduction and History of Architectural Lighting

01 What is Light?

  • Light is defined as electromagnetic radiation detectable by the human eye.

  • Electromagnetic radiation spans an extensive range of wavelengths, from gamma rays (<1 × 10−11 m) to radio waves (measured in meters).

Characteristics of Electromagnetic Radiation

  • It can be described as an electric and magnetic disturbance traveling through space at the speed of light.

  • It has no mass or charge and travels in packets called photons (or quanta).

  • Produced by charged particles (like electrons) when they change velocity.

Visible Spectrum

  • Humans can only perceive a narrow range of wavelengths, from approximately 700 nm (red) to 400 nm (violet).

  • Adjacent spectral regions are infrared and ultraviolet.

02 Speed of Light

  • Speed of light in a vacuum: 299,792,458 m/s (or about 186,282 miles per second).

  • For comparison, the speed of sound is 343 m/s.

03 Understanding Light

  • Light's definition varies across contexts:

    • Physicist's perspective: Focus is on the physical properties of light.

    • Artist's perspective: Emphasis on aesthetic appreciation.

    • General population: Light serves as a primary tool for perception and communication.

04 Importance of Light on Earth

  • Essential for various organisms to perceive and interact with the world.

  • Solar energy warms the Earth, drives weather patterns, and initiates photosynthesis (approximately 10^22 joules/day reaches Earth).

  • Light's interactions with matter have contributed to shaping the universe's structure.

05 Color and Light

  • Color in physics correlates to specific wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation visible to humans.

  • The range of visible wavelengths constitutes the visible spectrum.

Wavelengths in Nanometers

  • 700 nm - Radio Waves

  • 580 nm - Infrared

  • 550 nm - Visible Light

  • 475 nm - Ultraviolet

  • 400 nm - Gamma Rays

06 Historical Evolution of Lighting

  • Lighting technology plays a vital role in modern life, comparable to running water and the Internet.

Old vs. Modern Lighting Technologies

  • Modern lamps are diverse in design, limited only by imagination.

  • Key factors to consider:

    • Fuel source

    • Luminaire

    • Technology for producing visible light

Natural Light in Architecture

  • The Sun is a significant source of light; architectural design can optimize natural light use (e.g., Pantheon).

Evolution of Man-Made Lighting

  1. Torches: The first man-made light source, developed around 70,000 years ago.

    • Made from combustible materials and non-flammable shells (e.g. hollowed-out rocks).

  2. Candles: Introduced wicks and improved combustion with wax (historical development from ancient Egypt and Asia).

    • Wick mechanism relies on capillary action to deliver fuel to the flame.

Major Advancements in Lighting Technologies

Gas Lamps

  • Developed in England (1790); introduced to the U.S. by William Murdoch (1792).

  • Methane, acetylene, butane, propane, hydrogen, and natural gas have been used historically.

Electric Lamps

  • First electric light demonstrated by Humphry Davy using batteries and charcoal rods (arc light).

  • Thomas Edison’s contribution (1879) included the invention of the incandescent light bulb with a durable carbonized filament.

Further Developments

  • Introduction of fluorescent lighting by Daniel McFarlan Moore (circa 1904) led to high-efficiency alternatives to incandescent bulbs.

  • First mercury-vapor light developed by Peter Cooper Hewitt (1901).

Modern Lighting Technologies

  • The 20th century saw advancements in high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps.

  • The most promising lighting for the 21st century appears to be LEDs, with superior efficiency and longevity compared to traditional options.