Horizon Hall

A 24-hour study space for WPI

A study space for the WPI campus, designed around the changing needs of students throughout the day and night. Lighting informed the project from early form studies through fixture placement and simulation.

Course: Architectural Design Studio II: Light and Lighting Systems
Year: 2024
Team: Maxwell J. Wiesenfeld, Brad Leberman, and Connor Piper

Architectural render of a curved campus study building illuminated in violet and warm pink at night. — Night exterior

Designing with light

Daytime and nighttime renderings are paired with a reflected ceiling plan and a false-color lighting study. Together, they connect the intended atmosphere of the study spaces to the technical lighting design.

Daytime architectural render of Horizon Hall’s curved glass facade beside a campus path and landscaped lawn. — Day exterior

Architectural render of a bright study room with circular hanging light fixtures, red and white chairs, and tall windows. — Study room in daylight

Horizon Hall lounge with purple and amber lighting at night. — Study room at night

Daytime architectural render of a red study counter outside glazed group-study rooms, with suspended linear lights and red pendant fixtures. — Study bar in daylight

Matching nighttime architectural render of the study counter and glazed rooms, illuminated with violet, pink, and warm lighting. — Study bar at night

Architectural render of two students working at a table in an enclosed group-study room, with purple and warm lighting and a wall-mounted display. — Group-study room at night

False-color lighting simulation showing illumination levels across the Horizon Hall study space. — Lighting simulation

Foam-board and chipboard study model with a curved front and closely spaced radial frames casting long shadows in sunlight. — Daylight test · radial frames casting shadows

Daytime architectural render looking across a landscaped path toward Horizon Hall’s glazed facade, with outdoor seating and red umbrellas in the foreground. — View from the campus terrace

Light study

An earlier model from the same studio places a patterned plastic sheet above a series of foam-board steps. Light passing through the sheet creates a different pattern on each level.

Stepped white foam-board model beneath a clear patterned plastic sheet, with bright geometric light patterns projected onto its surfaces. — Light study model · changing patterns across stepped surfaces

Drawing set

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