IN LIGHT OF DESIGN: The Architecture of Ambiance

Architectural education often emphasizes technical proficiency and efficiency over the development of sensory and emotional experience, despite the profound impact atmosphere has on the built environment. Architecture schools claim to prepare students for a broad range of creative careers, yet direct education in atmospheric design is frequently relegated to adjacent disciplines like interior design, production design, or themed entertainment design. This disconnect raises a critical question: Can architectural education teach technical engineering skill and atmospheric sensitivity simultaneously, without compromising either? Given the crucial role of atmosphere in shaping human experience within spaces, it is essential to integrate its study into architectural pedagogy through both curriculum and building design. This thesis critiques current architectural education, using SCAD as a case study, and proposes a new building dedicated to light-based studio learning that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and direct experience of atmosphere. The research explores how materiality, light manipulation, and spatial design can create diverse ambient conditions while maintaining architectural rigor. The goal is to identify strategies and design interventions that embed atmospheric understanding into architectural education, ultimately producing architects who are both technically skilled and experientially aware.