Virtual Simulation for Lighting & Design Education

The study of lighting in architectural and interior design education is diverse and difficult. It has been shown that static computer-generated imagery can adequately represent real-world environments for subjective lighting analysis as long as the software accurately reproduces certain light distributions. This paper describes a prototype environment that explores an alternative education tool for studying interior lighting environments through the use of global illumination simulations in a virtual environment. Modem virtual reality technology affords us the luxury of not only achieving a high quality visual experience but also allowing the student to navigate through a space and interactively adjust lighting parameters. We describe our experience creating such an environment as well as the subjective interpretation of student users.