NY Times looks at DaVinci daylighting scheme and its "halo" / "donut"

The online version of today's New York Times includes on its 'Green Inc.' blog a post by Libby Tucker about a prototype classroom at DaVinci Arts Middle School that may indicate a future design path as Portland and the nation renovate and retrofit schools sustainably over the coming decades.

The prototype green classroom addition, which is under construction at Da Vinci, utilizes natural daylighting, passive heating and cooling systems, solar roof tiles and other features that achieve energy efficiency 70 percent over Oregon building code requirements. The 1,500-square foot music classroom, designed by SRG Partnership with the University of Oregon’s Energy Studies in Buildings Lab, is set to earn a LEED-platinum rating and net-zero energy use.

The space can be amply lit with daylight year-round and even in the grayest overcast conditions thanks to what's called “the halo,” a kind of high-tech chandelier conceived by G.Z. "Charlie" Brown that distributes natural light even throughout the space from a large central skylight. It's so effective that there’s no need to flip on a switch at all during the school day.

I previously blogged about the halo - or as Brown originally called it, "the donut" - in January of 2006 when it was part of a mock classroom prototype at Mt. Angel Abbey. (SRG's Kent Duffy spearheaded its use in a project there.) And I've long written about Brown's efforts, including a 2003 New York Times feature called "Beyond the Bulbs: In Praise of Natural Light".

I was very glad to see Libby Tucker's post, because if more people had a chance to experience the halo/donut, I'm sure this thing would become standard in practically every single-story architectural space where people spend any amount of time. Windows on the walls are great, especially in providing a view. But in lots of spaces, the light they distribute is uneven, bringing bright light near the window and making interior spaces away from the window seem all the more dark. Skylights are great, but they are essentially still just directing light straight down. Brown's halo/donut does for natural light what a ceiling fan does for air.

Meanwhile, all this talk of donuts has me hungry for a Hostess old fashioned glazed. No wonder they changed the name to halo.

Comments

[Jocelyn Bates]

Brian,
Everyone CAN experience the halo/donut at Mount Angel Abbey on Saturday, June 20th at their annual Wine and Arts Festival. AIA/P and AGC are hosting tours of Annuciation, the building that you referred to above, designed by Kent Duffy at SRG Partnership, as well as the stunning library by Alvar Aalto. Architects can recieve 2 highly-prized SD learning credits. AGC members can also earn credits. And of course the general public are invited too! Tickets are $50. Check it out at http://www.mountangelabbey.org/festival-arts-wine.htm

[Duo Gard]

Natural daylighting can do wonders for the mood. A common problem with many daylighing systems is heat transfer. How is the halo system working in this regard?