How light and shadow could be used as building materials in architecture

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How light and shadow could be used as building materials in architecture
There is no need for defining natural light; however, what one needs to remember is that natural light allows people to define what is around them, by night and by day: the altering perception of the bodies or things on which it impacts, as well as the space that contains them. Generally, natural light or its absence could also transform this space in every moment, every day of the year, every season and every hour (Johnson 17). There are various ways in which light and shadow can be employed as material in architecture. When effective applied, these two elements can greatly change the ways that space is perceived, and they can as well as alter the reading of space in architecture. In this paper, the purpose is to provide a detailed and comprehensive discussion of how shadow and natural light can be used as building material in architecture. The relationship between architecture and light takes place unavoidably; at times unconsciously, and other times consciously.
Goldyn (3) stated that it is possible to build architecture using natural light and shadow. Even though these two are natural elements, they could be transformed, shaped and coaxed in production of human experience. Architecture does not lie within the physical form of work, rather, architecture lies in the human experience that is gained and stimulated from the work. As utilized in architecture, light is perceived, indirectly, through reflecting surfaces. Light, in essence, serves to chase darkness away, and in the process it creates shadows, which in turn frame the pools of light; darkness is never far away (Portela 19). It is of note that the history of architecture could be depicted as the narrative of how day and sunlight enter into building structures and then reveal through shadow the spatial forms and composition within. Sunlight basically enables the form and space o...