Changing Mindsets: A Passive-first Artificial Sky

This research question was posed to a graduate seminar in natural lighting, “Can an artificial sky for testing daylighting models be designed that uses only daylight, rather than electric lamps, as its light source?”

The seminar students developed and tested successful scale models of two basic types—mirror-box and conical. This paper reports on the prototype as a viable tool for learning about daylighting and a users’ manual describing how to employ test methods.

The project not only focused on the design, fabrication, and testing of the sky, but is also about the change in mindset—valuing the efficient and elegant use of resources— for a sustainable future stressing: (1) employing appropriate technologies for the task (passive systems), (2) using high-quality resources (daylight), and (3) saving energy (100% lighting energy savings).

keywords: daylighting, artificial sky, HDR photography, daylight models