betillon / dorval bory: appartement spectral, paris

‘appartement spectral’ by betillon / dorval-bory, levallois, france

image © betillon /dorval-bory

a renovation of a small parisian studio apartment focuses on a the relationship of different light qualities within the space, employing

binary sources of artificial illumination. french firm betillon / dorval-bory used an incisive, scientific approach to light within the

built form, using a range of indices to evaluate specific moments of color and spectral distribution. of particular use was the color

rendering index (CRI), a fundamental criteria for evaluating light that assesses the homogeneity of color rendering with respect to

spectral power distribution (SPD.) a low CRI range, for example, results in a loss of color range. given the technical considerations of

the project, lighting with alternately low or high CRI is composed according to the program– the kitchen and living room required

color distinguishing illumination, while the bed and shower merely require monochromatic light. the bipolarity of the light quality

helps shape the space, instead dictating use, circulation and paths of movement free of a plan and following the logic of composition

generated by light.

light with a low CRI number is used in the bedroom area

image © betillon /dorval-bory

daylit, open plan space

image © betillon /dorval-bory

using the intangible to create space yields unexpected uses of the architecture

image © betillon /dorval-bory

warm and cool are parsed out in the built form

image © betillon /dorval-bory

the architects strove to make interiors as neutral as possible, so as to allow the binary system to create a logical composition

image © betillon /dorval-bory

clever use of under-stair space

image © betillon /dorval-bory

view of the sink through the steps

image © betillon /dorval-bory

shower view

image © betillon /dorval-bory

shower view with the monochrome light

image © betillon /dorval-bory

the effect disallows the perception of color

image © betillon /dorval-bory

while light with a higher CRI number is optimal for color perception

image © betillon /dorval-bory

the warm light is emitted from some low pressure sodium lamps with zero CRI

image © betillon /dorval-bory

same space with the other illumination typology

image © betillon /dorval-bory

the movement of architectural planes changes throughout the day

the removation is a total intellectual work that manifests itself in architecture

when construction began

relationship of the shower and stair

two spectrums, two bulbs

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nicolas dorval-bory (13)