Vision and Perception

Tuğçe Kazanasmaz

Seeing Process

Readings: YFU papers on lighting (online source)

Moore, F. (1993) Environmental Control Systems:
Heating Cooling Lighting. McGraw-Hill, USA. (Chapter 21.
The Luminous environment) pp.277-294.
Philips Lighting Manual (1993), Philips
Lighting, Netherlands. pp. 3-123.
Glossary on lighting terminology. 1
 Seeing
process

Object
environ
ment

Eye
light
brain

2
The Seeing Process
How a human eye functions

3
Schematic of the retina

4
 Physiological Conditions

1.Accomodation is the process by which the eye locates and

focuses on objects within the visual field.

The nearer an object is to the eye, the greater the convexity of the
lens must be.

The accommodation process causes changes in the form and in

the position of the lens inside the eye.

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2. Adaptation is a process involving the size of the
central opening of iris and the sensitivity of the retina.
The pupil dilates, or opens, when light is low and
contracts in bright light.

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3. Visual field is what the eye can see in horizontal and vertical directions.
The normal total visual field is approximately 130o vertically and 180o
horizontally.

Toward the outside of this field, details become very indistinct, although it
is possible to detect movement or changes in brightness.

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 Binocular Field

The binocular field is the area seen by both eyes when they focus on
a single object.

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The ability of the brain to perceive the images from both eyes as a
single image is called binocular vision.

Foveal vision is the detail acuity of the eyes. Foveal vision provides
the best colour response because of the concentration of cones in
the fovea, the thinnest area of the retina.

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 Brightness Contrast
• 1 to 1/3 between task and adjacent surroundings
• 1 to 1/10 between task and more remote darker
surfaces
• 1 to 10 between task and more remote lighter
surfaces
• 20 to 1 between fenestration(or luminaires) and
adjacent surfaces
• 40 to 1 anywhere in the field of view

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 Glare
• Glare is a bright light that affects our visual perception. It is uncomfortable
and painful.
• It is influenced by brightness conditions within the entire field of vision.

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Visual Acuity (görüş keskinliği) is the ability of
the observer to distinguish fine detail.)
visual acuity illuminance

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Disability Glare (yetersizlik kamaşması)results from areas in
the field of view of such brilliance that they cause a scattering
of light within optical matter of the eye.

It causes a “veiling effect” which reduces visual contrast. So,

seeing is reduced

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Discomfort glare(konforsuzluk kamaşması) is defined as
glare which produces discomfort.
It does not interfere with visibility or visual performance.
It may result from bright sources within the field of view.

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 Discomfort glare evaluation
control of glare

• The luminance of the light source which causes glare

• The position of the light source in relation to visual
field
• The angle between the light source and the receiver
• The luminance of the surrounding

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Glaring index for several applications

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Sources: glazed openings and sun patches

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Specular reflections

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Some examples of glare 19
20
inappropriate electric lights

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 light quality criteria
• lighting level,
• luminance distribution in the optical field,
• reduction of direct or indirect glare,
• light direction and shades,
• light colors.

Each time these criteria must be properly adapted to

satisfy the specific requirements of a given space.

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Lighting quality

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 For visual comfort, it is necessary to create a proper
balance between the luminance of the immediate task
and that of the adjacent surfaces

• Achieve comfortable luminance ratios in any space,

• A careful study of light sources and the reflectance

of surfaces (i.e. ceiling, walls, floors, and furniture).

• Avoid both excessively dark backgrounds and

distracting bright surroundings.

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 Visual performance is aided by lighting that
gives the correct brightness balances in the
indoor environment.

Some directionality of light

results in highlighting
and shading, revealing
attributes of the object.

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Contrast is necessary for human vision.
Perfectly uniform brightness from all sides of an
object obscures its shape.

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 Shading devices play a key role in visual comfort and thermal
comfort by controlling daylighting levels thus
minimizing glare, and by reducing direct solar radiation (thermal)
gains.

The solar shading device was submitted by Martin Hay, Architecture Manager
in GHD’s Doha office, and developed and tested in collaboration with the
company’s Brisbane and Melbourne offices 27
Indirect glare problem on a computer screen as a result of the
daylight entering for the window behind the working position.

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 References
Egan. D., Concepts in Architectural Lighting, McGraw Hill, USA, 1983.

Nuckolls, James L., Interior Lighting for Environmental Designers, John Wiley&Sons Inc., 1983,
Canada.(pp.12-19).

Tregenza, Peter. The design of lighting E & FN Spon London ;New York , 1998

Ching, Francis D. K. and Adams, Cassandra. (2001). Building Construction Illustrated. New York: John
Wiley & Sons.

The IESNA lighting handbook, New York : Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, c2000.
Edited by Mark S. Rea.

Philips Lighting Manual (1993), Philips Lighting, Netherlands.

Moore, F. (1993) Environmental Control Systems: Heating Cooling Lighting. McGraw-Hill, USA.

Brandi,Ulrike. (2001) Lightbook:the practice of lighting design Birkhauser Basel Boston

Lechner, Norbert. (2001) Heating, cooling, lighting :design methods for architects
Wiley , New York.

Phillips,Derek. (2000) Lighting modern buildings. Architectural Press, Oxford,Boston .

Steffy, Gary R. (2002) Architectural lighting design ,John Wiley,New York.

Watson, Lee. (1990) Lighting desing handbook. McGraw-Hill, New York .

Fontoynont. M. (Ed.) (1999).Daylight performance of buildings. European Commission, Brussels.

Baker N., A.Fanchiotti, K.Steemers.(1993). Daylighting in architecture: a European reference book. James
and James, London. 29