Vintervegetation genom ljus : om hur man med belysning kan framhäva avlövad vegetation i offentlig stadsmiljö

Sammanfattning: Use of lighting is crucial to make public urban places available during dark hours. Landscape architects participate in planning of lighting, but during our education there is very little taught on the subject. Through this study we approach the subject of lighting by looking into lighting methods for urban plant materials during winter. In this thesis we look into ways to emphasize the visible characters and experiences of urban plants during winter season using light. Target audience are landscape architect students and landscape architects without knowledge of lighting. The part of the thesis that describe basic conditions for, and visual characters of plants can be useful to lighting designers without knowledge in this subject. Working methods used were the following: • Pre-study about light and lighting techniques through literature and dialogues. • Compiling important visual winter plant characters through photography and literature. • Outdoor light experiments with plants. The plants were chosen on the premises that they are common in urban areas. Light sources and armatures were borrowed from companies. Methods for lighting were found in literature and through dialogues with lighting designers. The experiments were photographed and described in writing. • Interviews with people of different professions that in one way or another work with light design and through literature within the subject we ourselves set out to gain better knowledge. The result part of the thesis is divided into three sections: Light, Urban vegetation and Lighting of urban vegetation. In the first part, Light, we briefly describe what light is and how it allows us to see our surroundings and to understand what it is that we see. Light technique concepts that were important in this study are explained. These concepts are: Color temperature, color reprodution, colored light and luminous flux. The light sources used during light experiments are described. These light sources are: LED, Sodium-vapor lamp, Halogen lamp, Compact fluorescent lamp and Metal halide lamp. We also describe the impotance of avoiding glare and to consider surrounding elments such as weather and light from other light sources during the design process. In the second part the crucial factors for plants development and appearance are described. Among others these are: species, light conditions, water supply and conditions of soil. Visual characters among urban plants during winter time are presented. The characters are divided into following groups: architectural shape, cold colors, warm colors, wealth of details, shrubs and hedges, strong vertical form or prominent trunk and broad or hanging crown. A number of examples of species representing each character are presented. Their visual characters as well as their growing conditions are described. The third part discusses conflicts and possibilities when combining lighting and plants. Mechanical injuries, especially on the root system, as a result of careless installation of lighting occurs. To control lighting so that it adapts to the visual changes in vegetation over seasons. Urban vegetation that obscure safety lighting. Lighting’s influence on plants ability to enter a dormant phase. The light experiments are also presented here. A number of lighting methods, used to enhance a plants visual characters, are featured through photos and text. Lighting methods that where examined where among others: Creating shadows, localized lighting, creating silhouettes, variation of color temperature and lighting from below.