Light and Wellbeing: An ArtsFusion Lecture by Davidson Norris

“More light”, Goethe’s dying words. While the administration of more light did little to deflect the ultimate consequences of Goethe’s deteriorating health, his last words do express an intuitive understanding of the bond between light and health that, while unknown to early 19th century science, 21st century science is increasingly in a position to confirm. Davidson Norris’s lecture will explore the expanding evidence of the connection between light and health and will then speculate on how this intertwining will impact light’s dominant means of delivery — architecture. 

 

Davidson Norris, a practicing architect and a principal of Carpenter Norris Consulting, comes to daylighting from a broad background in sustainable design. Norris's expertise is in the technical analysis of daylighting, ranging from solar site analysis to daylight availability on the work surface. He has analyzed and investigated daylighting solutions for office blocks, court houses, urban parks, laboratories, residences, and astronomical instruments. A graduate of the Yale School of Architecture, Norris teaches daylighting and sustainable design at Columbia University. He is a member of Illuminating Engineering Society and the North American Sundial Society.

 

Co-presented by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies