ILLUSION BY LIGHT

SUKHJIT SIDHU & AZMAL SABIL

 

'Design is the light that is shed on the human race, brightening the present as well as lighting a path to the future. Our surroundings are bathed in design’s light in a warm, protective glow. Design is a living, breathing organism that connects man to his environment through light.'

 

Students of the Architecture Design Studio 02 were required to construct an indoor abstract lighting that was a further exploration of three core ideas studied in the Precedents Studies of modern houses. Their lighting fixtures were designed to allow light to reveal, create shadows or transform its surrounding. They designed lighting that were either made for vertical or horizontal support.

 

Students found the project to be challenging and yet they remained determined to create beautiful art pieces that gave an illusion of light. Working in the Makelab for two straight weeks, students worked together to solve problems that their individual light fixtures revealed throughout the process.

 

Motivated by their passion and hard work to achieve great work, an exhibition was set up to showcase these lighting fixtures. The public was invited to the launching of the exhibition with a simple dinner beforehand. The exhibition saw nearly two hundred visitors who voted for their favourite lighting fixture throughout the night. The students spent nearly two hours presenting their lighting fixtures to a variety of people to gain their votes. The gallery was filled with an electricity of human energy that only furthered the overall experience of the night.

 

Keith Chong Yao Kit, Heah Wen Juin and Khor Shin Yee each won top votes respectively from first place to third, sending a buzz of excitement through the space. Many students invited their parents to the event, who were very proud of their children and felt very welcomed to observe the inner workings of architecture life.

 

The wonderful night ended with heartfelt speeches from the Dean of Fetbe, Ir.Assoc.Prof Dr.Jimmy Mok, Head of Architecture Programme, Asst.Prof.Ar. Chia Lin Lin and myself, the Studio Master, Sukhjit Kaur Sidhu, as well as performances by both the Dean, Studio Master and the students of the architecture studio.

 

Students felt very touched by the successful event and further went on to say that it was one of the highlights of studying architecture in UCSI University. As the studio master, I believe that studying architecture is not only about the work that students produce but rather about the spirit that comes with the act of creating. Appreciating the efforts put in by the students is only a little token compared to the passion and motivation I feel to teach architecture that they burn within me. I thank my Design Studio 02 July 2014 class for a wonderful semester.