Architectural Sciography: Silent Sculptor of Masterpieces

Reflection is the phenomenon that enables us to see the objects around us. Light creates a shadow in either direction.

Sciography in architecture is essentially the projection of these shadows to their greatest potential and the play of light and shadow on the interiors and exteriors of a facade.

What is Sciography?

Designers and builders have hyper-focused attention on the actual materials that are available. When constructing a building, architects and builders carefully select and connect various materials to create a structure that is not only durable but also functional, attractive, and enduring. When finished, a structure typically turns out to be more vibrant in detail than originally envisioned. Light in design and shadows in architecture contribute significantly to this effect.

Thus, Sciography is a field of perspective science concerned with casting shadows or delineating a perspective figure with its distinctions of light and shade.

The Importance of Light in Design: Key 6 Reasons for Its Essential Role

Below is a list of reasons why light is an important factor in design:

1. Light is the origin and the primary cause of shadows, giving it a significant function. Its intensity penetrates the building and determines the shadows’ depth and breadth.
2. The layout and design of the given openings and spaces serve the dual purposes of diffusing and reflecting light, producing a wide range of atmospheres and effects.
3. When considering the outside of a structure or an external facade, the intensity of light that strikes the facade and the amount of light reflected are important.
4. Either natural daylight or artificial lighting can create the effects.
5. The proportion of open space to enclosed space inside the built environment regulates the passage of light.
6. Depending on the circumstances, a building may receive diffused, direct, strong, and other light varieties.

5 Reasons Why Shadows Are an Important Factor in Design

Below is a list of reasons why shadows are an important factor in design:

1. When natural or artificial light illuminates the outside projections and overhangs of a building, they cast their shadows on the ground below.
2. These provide a more dynamic appearance to the structure’s elevations by casting shadows in various sizes and forms.
3. Shadows have several essential advantages, one of which is that they produce different patterns at different times throughout the day. This is because the sun’s location changes during the day, and as a result, one can witness a change in height at each time.
4. The topography of the whole building provides sufficient shade for the on-site activities, which in turn reduces the heat gain experienced by the site as a whole.
5. In this manner, different elevational treatments on the façade generate various patterns. The play of shadows will act as an additional shifting elevational treatment for the building, creating an energetic atmosphere.

Importance Of Shadows in Interiors

Light and shadow effects play a crucial role in interior design shadows.

• The light allowed to enter the structure and the pattern it forms inside the interiors to make it seem vibrant are two of the most significant aspects.
• Several techniques may generate a wide range of shadows and sciography inside the interiors.
• Employing and generating various shadow patterns can completely transform the appearance and atmosphere of interior areas like hallways and passageways.
• The atmosphere of a given area is created when the shadows cast by objects in the room are captured on that area’s floor, ceiling, and walls.
• There are many ways to address different interior spaces. The solid-to-void ratio in a specific area will determine the amount of shadow play available in that space.

Also read:

The Benefits of Natural Light in Architectural Design

The Effect of Shadows on Design

Shadow analysis is crucial for understanding the importance of shadows in various aspects of design.

Effects On Urban Context

Maintaining exposure to sunshine is extremely important for human beings in urban areas. A high-rise building blocking the sun’s rays can have a long-term negative health impact on the street trees and adjoining buildings. Urban context and shadows are closely interlinked in architectural planning.

Effects On Outdoor Amenities Like Patios and Pools

The use of passive methods, such as shade (or the absence thereof, depending on the weather), to keep outdoor spaces at a comfortable temperature is crucial. Outdoor spaces like patios and pools are often placed after designers carefully consider the effects of shadows. In a hot and humid area like Atlanta, for example, shadow studies enable designers to locate outdoor spaces in the shade for usage throughout the hot months.

Glazing And Self-Shading Location

Using a shadow analysis, architects, and planners may learn about the hours of the day and seasons in which their design concept naturally provides shade. It is good to place fenestration in “shadow” areas of the façade in cold climate regions. In contrast, the opposite can be true in climates where heating is the dominant climate type. Here, place fenestration for maximum heat gain. Using shade vs. open façade design, several structures have shown a 5-15% reduction in peak cooling. Self-shading and glazing considerations are vital for energy-efficient building facade design.

Effects On Plant Selection in Landscaping

The minimum solar radiation and hours of direct sunlight needed to thrive vary greatly among plant species. Understanding the hours of direct light on different portions of the site is crucial for plant selection, and designers may achieve this by studying shadows.Plant selection and shadows are important factors in landscape architecture.

Effects On Building Design and Orientation

The results of the shadow analyses can improve the proposed design’s massing and orientation by considering the effects of nearby buildings, trees, and other objects. Depending on the project’s place and position, one can utlise it to maximise sunlight and views or to reduce these factors.

To tie everything together, the most straightforward approach to conveying a structure’s or an item’s three-dimensionality onto a two-dimensional surface, such as a sheet of paper, is to depict the building’s or object’s many shades and shadows.

When it comes to the design of forms and the creation of rendered drawings, you must have a solid understanding of shades and shadows. Therefore, aspiring draughtsmen, designers, illustrators, and architects must study this topic. Architectural sciography and shadow study are essential tools in modern architecture.

FAQs

01. How Are Shade and Shadow Used in Sciography? 

To make the things shown in a drawing seem more three-dimensional and lifelike than they would in a simple projection drawing, in which the shades and shadows are not visible, sciographers use shading and shadowing techniques.

02. What Is a Shadow Study?

With shadow analysis, architects can determine how much natural light certain portions of their buildings get. When building or renovating, it’s crucial to consider how any existing or proposed physical barriers could limit a building’s exposure to direct sunlight in the present and future.

Zoning regulations often require a shadow study to demonstrate the effect of the proposed construction on its surroundings.

03. Why Do We Show Sciography in A Drawing? 

Drawings with sciographic elements are easier to interpret since they convey depth and the shape of surfaces (whether flat, rounded, slanted, or vertical).

04. What Do Shadows Represent in Architecture?

The shadows cast by carved surfaces radically shape and characterise the architecture of the time. We may use the same methods to highlight a structure’s key features. Bordering shadows characterise the borders of physical shape. They draw attention to those features of the structure that aren’t covered by shadow. It can significantly impact the final appearance and feel of commercial establishments.

05. How Are Shadows as Crucial as Lights in Design?

Builders and designers concentrate on materials. As the structures rise, more intangible aspects appear. This phenomenon has much to do with how light and shadow play on one another.

Image Courtesy: Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 6, Image 7

Author Bio

Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.