THE DAYLIGHT AWARD 2018 — DAYLIGHT RESEARCH

Greg Ward

Greg Ward, Consultant for Anyhere Software and Senior Member of Technical Staff – Research at Dolby Laboratories, Inc.

Greg Ward is the creator of the revolutionary software simulation programme, Radiance, which has enabled three decades of researchers to imagine the possibilities of daylight. Radiance is widely applied in architecture, product design, horticulture, motion picture, health effects and medical research.

Ward has investigated the interaction of light and matter across a wide range of physical scales, from unique building materials with specialized optical properties, to the spatial definition of complex building interiors and facades, and to our urban and natural environments. Ward’s passion for iterating and improving the software, has led to a strong community of Radiance users who further impact the fields of daylight research and daylight in architecture.

“My emphasis has always been on working, practical systems, as opposed to purely academic pursuits. Eventually there will be no need to guess what a design will look like; creation and evaluation will be done interactively on a computer workstation” – A new technique for computer simulation of illuminated spaces

JURY REASONING

Greg Ward’s contribution in the form of a powerful extendable software suite has enabled unprecedented advances in adjacent fields that require light modelling. Its applications include architecture, product design, horticulture, motion picture, health effects and medical research. It has also been applied to unique situations such as assisting astronauts in training to work under the harsh lighting conditions in space.

Greg Ward sustains a community of daylighting researchers and practitioners who share and support the tool, and over time have added a whole new genre of user interfaces to Radiance. Its ability to model how light interacts with complex architectural designs and new materials is pivotal in the development of design workflows enabling designers to innovate daylighting solutions. He has complemented this work with the development of new data protocols to capture image data, new visual display technology and novel instruments to measure optical properties of architectural glazing and materials.

The breadth of Greg Ward’s work has transformed the field of daylight modelling. It has empowered generations of researchers and practitioners to understand, anticipate and effectively integrate daylight in the built environment to the benefit of all.

SELECTED PROJECTS

Air traffic control tower simulation by Greg Ward, The Daylight Award 2018 Laureate, with Charles Ehrlich
Model by Saba Rofchaei and Greg Ward, LBNL
Congregation Kol Emeth
Windhover Contemplative Center
A daylight simulation of an atrium designed by Foggo Arch
Daylight simulation with Radiance software, developed by Greg Ward, The Daylight Award 2018 Laureate, for project Hayward Library & Community Learning Center, by Loisos Ubbelohde Architects, US
Model by Greg Ward and Isaac Kwo, LBNL
NYTimes building model by Greg Ward and Judy Lai, LBNL
Amherst College New Science Center, Integral Group

OUTREACH LECTURE

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