Shaping Daylight: Lost and Found in Translation

This Project explores the emotional and cultural dimensions of daylighting through simulation and immersive virtual reality. We have chosen untranslatable words from 4 Indian Languages that reflect the quality of a space through light. Each word was then translated into spatial narratives, where daylight served as the medium of expression for these words. Our goal was to design four immersive spaces that reflect the quality of light and movement in Indian Vernacular buildings, as the essence of these words. 

The central space acts like a transitional space with all 4 spaces, their poems, and words. It’s made to look like one is floating there before entering a house.

Ali Pohor captures a quiet, patient light, one that arrives gently rather than forcefully. The space achieves an sDA of 74% at 300 lux, with only 4% ASE, reflecting a balanced daylight condition that avoids glare. Light filters softly through porous surfaces, warming the floor and settling into corners, creating a slow, domestic rhythm. 

Here, daylight is not a spectacle but a companion, evoking memory, warmth, and intergenerational life. The performance metrics support this subdued atmosphere, reinforcing how restraint in daylight can strengthen emotional resonance.

Inspired by the Goan idea of unhurried living, Susegad embraces a relaxed yet luminous interior. With 81.25% sDA, the space is generously daylit, though 22% ASE reveals moments of overexposure. 

This tension reflects the duality of Goan light, intense outdoors, tempered indoors. Tall openings, filtered views, and layered shading allow light to rest rather than dominate. While performance metrics indicate occasional excess, the experiential intent remains intact: a space where light slows you down, encouraging pause, breath, and stillness.

Mamiro represents a maternal, forgiving light shaped by earth and craft. Achieving 82% sDA with zero overlit areas, this space demonstrates how form and material can fully mediate harsh climates. 

Thick, curved walls soften the intense desert sun, allowing light to spill gently and linger on textured surfaces. The daylight performance aligns seamlessly with the emotional goal, creating an interior that feels protective, intimate, and timeless. 

Here, daylight is held, not allowed to roam freely, reinforcing a sense of care and continuity.