Josiah Cole

This research investigates daylight for compact living environments. The focus is on daylight manipulation and how this can be applied to student housing with poor daylight access. An existing building on 115 Dixon Street, located in Wellington’s city centre is adapted for reuse as student accommodation. Best practice design for student living is coupled with daylight manipulation investigations through digital/physical model experiments and animations to design spaces where students can focus on their studies and rest without having to stress about their living conditions. Key elements of the design needed to include a place of privacy, but multiple avenues of socialisation and access to an outdoor environment as well as maximising daylighting penetration through materiality choices and light wells. The foundation of this project was set through inspiration gained by reading Corrodi and Spechtenhauser’s research into the effects windows can have on interior lighting and studying structural pieces from Tadao Ando and James Pawson who experiment with light.