THE ELLIOTT PRIZE

FOR THE STUDY OF LIGHT IN ARCHITECTURE

$1000 RESEARCH GRANT

DATE: 2019

TYPE: EXHIBIT

CLIENT: RAND ELLIOTT*

IDEA:

The Elliott Prize is a research stipend sponsored by Rand Elliott*, FAIA and Jeanette Elliott, that enables and inspires architecture students to investigate the use of light as a material in the design process. This study explores how great architects have harnessed the power of light through physical space. After initial discussions with Rand, we aimed to explore something that would embody both our passions. We were both fascinated by the powerful effect light has on our emotions, and how great architects of the past have been able to yield this power through the built environment. As a part of this research I spent the summer studying world class architecture in Dallas. This research was documented through sketches, photography, and user interviews. This research and documentation focused on the physiological and psychological effects of light on human emotions. The five most notable projects were the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Perot Museum of Natural Science, the Marty Leonard Community Chapel and the Dallas Museum of Art. This investigation alongside other research spaces reveals the complex disconnect between human emotions and our ability to articulate them. Light stirs the human soul. It is paint for the canvas that is the human heart. It is a dichotomy of good and evil. It has the power to elevate, or depress, to clarify, or obscure. Light dictates what is, and what is not. As architects we must understand and utilize these truths, designing not only the light, but also the dark.