LIGHTING & ACOUSTICS LAB FROM IDEA TO PROPOSAL DESIGN IN COMPACT SPACE

Lighting and Acoustics Lab became a must in professional study of any Interior Design Program, due to its importance, allowing students to clearly realize this scientific & artistic study. A previous research, by the same author, discussed its importance within the programs of Interior Design and Architecture. Thus the Committee of Academic Accreditation (CAA 2012) did recommend this lab as urgent need to the facilities of the department of Interior Design, at Ajman University of Science and Technology (AUST) in United Arab Emirates (UAE), within the last visit of the committee for the program renewal license.

This Lab should specially focus on lighting effects on materials color appearance as well as its elements within the interior design. The second attention is related to acoustics part as it is co-topic in the same course. The main point that makes this Lab of such importance that is one course is divided to two main topics affecting to certain limits the interior design of any function. Lighting is vital for visual comfort. Acoustics is crucial for body and life safety. Both of them are of great importance to our safe life, as health, aesthetics and ergonomics. Both topics need separate courses as much data, in each, need to be delivered to our future interior designers.

From this point the research problem face many points. It starts by first finding the proper space. The Interior Design Department spaces were not designed to fit such Lab space. So, different suggestion has been evaluated in term of positive points (the maximum applications to be inserted) and negative points (the loose of important and critical space and functions in the department) to select the location of this Lab. It is a new space in such not designed nor prepared space in the architectural program of the department! Second confronting problem is to apply the program design over a real area, not just theoretically! Application of program should have several flexible solutions to enable fitting program design in real space. Solving the space has a great goal, is to success the functionality of this Lab according to the course needs, topics and requirements with aesthetical constraints as it is in Interior Design Department.

The research methodology shall follow the interior design professional steps to apply a specific interior design project from the programming phase (including the Data Gathering, Survey and Furniture – Furnishing – Equipment and Interior Materials Inventories) to the drawings and specifications details in order to be applied directly after contractors’ quotations and evaluation.
This application should detail the main lighting & acoustics goals and objectives to be applied as maximum needs within this unprepared space offered by the Interior Design Department. Lighting goals were divided to equipment and different fixtures types in addition to software, to enable students to concentrate about their diversities as units, position and their effects in interiors. Acoustics goals were classified as materials position and types, in the interior of this Lab, to be a clear sample to the students as it is not to be notice in any interior spaces.