Geometry and Natural Lighting

Taking a closer look at the basic shapes that are in the buildings and how sunlight enters the buildings. 

 I. Fine Arts School in Beijing, China; designed by Synarchitects.

 

Besides the dominant curve, the building is mostly compromised of rectangles.

Since this building is in Beijing (which is in the northern hemisphere), the sun is coming from the south. The red arrows represent the sun coming from the south. The amber colored arrows represent the other areas where sunlight enters the building. This school is free standing, no other buildings or structures close by, so it gets sun from all sides. There are also several atrium spaces, which is represented in the light yellow color.

The building gets plenty of sunlight

II. Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California. Designed by STUDIOS Architects.

 

The dominant shape in the design tends to be the rectangle.

This building is located in California, so the sun is coming from the south. The red arrows represent the direct sunlight from the south. It also has light coming in from the east. The north side of the building receives no sunlight since its up against a parking garage. The west side receives minimal sunlight, since its in an alleyway and is used as a service entry.

The top two floors, however, have additional sunlight due to these black and white silo-shaped skylights.

III. Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson 

Here again, the most common shape is the rectangle.

This building also stands alone so it gets sunlight all around. The red arrows represent the direct sunlight from the south. The large atrium in the center brings plenty of sunlight to the inner offices.

The atrium really brightens the atmosphere.