Light as a Narrative of Place: Examining the Human Experience of Daylight in Public Buildings in Northern Cities

Abstract

This thesis will explore how architecture and daylight can be used as a narrative to create a human experience reflective of place. This will be explored through public buildings in large metropolitan cities in Nordic countries. This region is of interest because of the latitudinal realities which emphasize dramatic annual and daily differences in lighting conditions. By exploring the experience of the built environment in this region, the intuitive and learned skills of Architects can be understood and we can begin to explore how they deal with daylight by manipulating volume, temporality, materiality and the aperture. The goal of this thesis will ultimately be to test through the design of a public building in Rinkeby, Stockholm, how intentionally shaping daylight can be a design driver that seeks to bring together the light which so specifically shapes the northern climate and the people that inhabit that region.