Hervé Descottes

One of the strengths of the Architecture Briefs series is having the right author for the right topic. This title on lighting is a case in point, given that Herve Descottes's firm, L'Observatoire International, has one of the strongest portfolios of lighting designers today. The case studies of L'Observatoire projects (The High Line, Kiasma Museum of Art in Finland, the Guthrie Theater) are a highlight of the book, following chapters on visual principles of light (illuminance, luminance, color and temperature, height, density, direction and distribution). The case studies elucidate how these principles are taken into account in design. Charts illustrating how various artificial lights work relative to the principles are particularly handy, additionally reiterating that lighting design is engineering, a means of quantifying what is ultimately a qualitative experience.… (mais)