Experiences from Design-Build-Test (DBT) projects in Lighting Design

There is a very rapid change and development in lighting in terms of the development of new lighting sources. The lighting industry is in dire need of surveys, measurements and documentation of how different light sources affect our experience of the illuminated reality.

The projects described here are part of the education of Lighting Designers at Jönköping University, School of Engineering, Department of Building and Lighting Design. In several of the courses in the Lighting Design program students work in Design-Build-Test (DBT) projects. The reality as a field for studies.

In the course Exterior Lighting Design students work in groups regarding planning, testing and evaluating outdoor lighting design at some selected locations in the city of Jönköping. Students work with design ideas and technical solutions and present, discuss and evaluate each other's proposals. Students are trying out different solutions at the current location and present a proposal finally agreed. Students evaluate, measure and document their proposals and visit their student-colleagues projects. Back at the school, students write a self-reflection and an evaluation of their own and their student-colleagues projects in a report. The choice of design idea and technical solutions are documented and discussed.

In the course Interior Lighting Design students work in a Lighting laboratory in scale1:1. They test different light sources, brightness, color temperature, distance, and so on, and compare it to rooms and interiors built up in the lab. In the Light lab, it is possible to lower or raise the ceiling for different room heights. Students evaluate, measure and document their proposals and discuss their colleagues' projects. Students write a self-reflection and evaluation of their own and their colleagues' projects in a report.

In the course, Light source and Luminaire Proficiency students work with socalled Light boxes to test different light sources and their color temperature in terms of impact on their surroundings. Students work with ideas of behavior and then test and draw conclusions from their tests.