AND Journal of Architecture, Cities and Architects

Intangible Material. Designing with light

2025-08-30T20:07:16+00:00

Light without consumption

2025-08-30T20:07:16+00:00

The concept of public lighting is evolving from a mere technical function to a strategic tool for enhancing sustainability and the landscape. This study presents the case of the Andolaccio area, near Lake Bilancino, as an experimental laboratory for the application of regenerative lighting solutions based on photoluminescent materials and zero energy consumption strategies. The methodological approach combines laboratory testing, in situ prototyping and analysis of the ecological context, with a particular focus on reducing light pollution and preserving biodiversity. The results demonstrate that photoluminescence ensures diffuse visibility and orientation in public spaces, reducing environmental impact and improving the sensory perception of the night-time landscape. The treated surfaces showed durability, resistance to atmospheric agents and sufficient light emission in the hours after sunset, although solar radiation conditions influenced this. The project confirms the validity of passive lighting as a sustainable alternative to conventional lighting, suggesting potential applications in urban and natural settings. The article also proposes replicable guidelines, contributing to the debate on smart lighting ecology and the role of design as a tool for redefining the relationship between light, the environment, and the community.

La luce del luogo

2025-08-30T20:07:16+00:00

Kenneth Frampton developed the theory of critical regionalism in 1983, introducing the concept of the ‘light of place,’ which, unlike artificial light, activates a corporeal and atmospheric dimension of built space. Through textual analysis, critical comparison, and archival research at the CCA, a genealogy is reconstructed in which natural light assumes a phenomenological value, grounding architecture in a specific cultural context. The investigation extends to case studies by Aalto, Ando, Kahn and Zumthor, revealing three interpretations: light as a site-specific phenomenon, a sensory experience and a political gesture.

Space in Light

2025-08-30T20:07:15+00:00

This paper aims to analyse the potential of artificial light to transform spatial perception, focusing in particular on the scenographic application of the luminous medium.
The historical overview is framed within two domains— theatre and art— before moving to the present day, where the study examines the use of light in an installation context through virtual integrations and the perceptual transformations of spaces, whether anthropised or natural, made possible by lighting technologies.

An experience with light

2025-08-30T20:07:15+00:00

The project to expand the cemetery in Valfabbrica, Umbria, takes the form of a critical and design-oriented investigation into the role of light in contemporary architecture. Starting from a historical and artistic reflection linked to the frescoes attributed to the school of Cimabue, the author highlights the continuity between the symbolic and spatial use of light in tradition and its reinterpretation in the current project. The architectural intervention takes natural light as its fundamental "material", capable of generating relationships between space, matter and perception, redefining the sacred and communal dimension of the place. Through theoretical references to thinkers such as Agamben, Kahn, and Venezia, and with references to design experiences from the 1970s to the present day, the essay offers a critique of the superficial, spectacularization of contemporary architecture, which is often dominated by artificial lighting and glossy images. The Valfabbrica design experience demonstrates how an approach rooted in archetypal principles and dialogue with the landscape can restore architecture's authentic sense of sacredness, in which light, silence and matter are elements that generate meaning.

Spaces to rethink

2025-08-30T20:07:14+00:00

This contribution presents the experience of the design workshop promoted as part of the Interest programme of the Municipality of Terni, aimed at the urban regeneration of certain strategic peripheral areas. The initiative, organised by Iscom Group in collaboration with the University of Perugia, involved 15 students from the Design degree course in a training and experimental process aimed at developing proposals for three marginal urban micro-areas: Alterocca, Martiri della Libertà and Gruber. The process was divided into phases of analysis, site visits and graphic presentations, supported by contributions from external experts, and produced design concepts characterised by inclusive and multidisciplinary approaches. Emerging themes included the reconnection of the urban fabric through new pedestrian routes and orientation devices, the introduction of natural elements to improve the microclimate and environmental quality, and the use of targeted and reversible “urban acupuncture” interventions capable of activating new forms of sociality and enjoyment. The results, presented publicly in Terni in May 2025, demonstrated the effectiveness of a collaborative model between public administration, academic knowledge and professional expertise, capable of generating innovative visions for the contemporary city and enhancing the active role of young people in building a “tomorrow to be designed”.

Between space, education and urban transformation

2025-08-30T20:07:14+00:00

The contribution analyses the experience of the design workshop promoted in Terni as part of the Interest project, highlighting how the convergence of participatory design, a transdisciplinary approach and experiential teaching can generate new urban regeneration practices. The initiative highlighted the university's active role not only as a producer of theoretical knowledge, but also as an educational and civic infrastructure capable of experimenting with collaborative operating models rooted in local contexts and oriented towards territorial transformation. The projects developed by the students creatively addressed issues such as slow mobility, social inclusion, biodiversity, narrative identity of places and accessibility, demonstrating how the design of public space can act as a device for activation, connection and care. The methodology adopted, inspired by the logic of design thinking and living labs, enabled the combination of direct observation, perspective vision, and light prototyping, offering effective responses to complex urban contexts. The experience also reinforced the educational value of design as a cultural and political practice, helping to develop participants' awareness of the ethical and civic responsibilities of designers. In conclusion, the workshop is proposed as a replicable model of cooperation between universities, communities and local administrations, capable of activating processes of cultural and social innovation and promoting new forms of active citizenship.

Designing with light

2025-08-30T20:07:14+00:00

Daylighting design today represents an essential component of architectural practice, closely linked to environmental, spatial and perceptual objectives. However, despite the growing interest in natural light, significant gaps persist in both architectural education and design practice, often dominated by performance-driven or standardised approaches. The SOLARIA project (Sistema Operativo di supporto alle scelte progettuali per LA progettazione ARchitettonica basata sull’Intelligenza ArtificIAle) was developed to support a more informed and articulated design awareness through a decision support system (DSS) based on non-generative artificial intelligence. The system provides qualitative and context-sensitive information, structured into two main repositories (design strategies and technical devices), and assists architects in the early stages of the process through a query-based interface. Its aim is to re-establish natural light as a design material by promoting a critical and creative use of information, thus contributing to a more sensitive, informed, and sustainable architectural culture.

Cultural lighting

2025-08-30T20:07:13+00:00

The article examines the relationship between Chinese cultural identity and technological innovation, specifically through the design of lighting systems. It analyses how light, between traditional symbolism and digital technologies, acts as an interpretative medium for Chinese cultural values and practices. Through case studies developed in a workshop at Jiangnan University, design practices that blend cultural heritage and interaction with immersive and participatory experiences are highlighted.

Let us shed light

2025-08-30T20:07:13+00:00

This essay analyses the rise of electric lighting between the late 19th and early 20th centuries through advertising posters dedicated to lamps and lighting systems. These images, from Italian and European contexts, are not limited to promoting a product, but become true instruments of cultural and symbolic narration. The light bulb emerges as an icon of modernity, associated with concepts of progress, freedom and emancipation, often conveyed through female allegories, mythological references and artistic representations with a strong visual impact. Posters from companies such as Philips, Osram, Edison and Nitens bear witness not only to the technical evolution of lighting, but also to the role of visual communication in shaping the collective imagination. The analysis highlights how advertising in the sector has contributed to transforming the perception of electric light from a technological innovation to a symbol of an era, celebrating the triumph of modernity and anticipating graphic languages that would profoundly mark the visual culture of the 20th century.