Although an architectural project comes to life with palpable materials, it is also defined by intangible qualities that give it richness, dynamism, and liveliness. Among them, the interplay of light and shadow can transform environments and affect their perception, determining the user's spatial experience. Besides providing natural ventilation, privacy, and thermal comfort, lattices allow this duality by filtering the entry of sunlight while projecting repetitive figures on the surface. In this way, perforated walls and ceilings can create multiple geometric patterns of light and shadow that become design elements capable of generating unique atmospheres.
Therefore, beyond their functionality, perforated skins also gain a decorative and aesthetic value defined by unlimited design possibilities. Through a wide range of materials and fabrication methods – traditional or digital –, countless shapes, patterns and colors can be achieved.
To explore some of them, we present 7 projects that create remarkable geometries of light and shadow – along with the materials and techniques that make them possible.
Wood: UMBRA Installation / TINKAH
In the context of Dubai Design Week, the facility offers an immersive environment protected from the sun. The concept was developed with Fibracolour, highly resistant and pigmented MDF panels that were used for the structure's two skins. In both, the wood is perforated with different geometric shapes inspired by the Emirates, inviting the audience to explore the interaction between light and shadow. With digital laser cutting technologies, it is possible to execute these types of perforations in wood, allowing high precision and creative flexibility during the design process.
Brick: Termitary House / Tropical Space
In the Termitary House, the bricks are separated from each other in some sections to enable the entrance of light and breeze in every corner of the interior space. In addition to cooling the house during summer months, the openings give life to the surface through rectangular shapes of light and shadow that adopt different shades throughout the day. Then, as soon as it gets dark, the house transforms into a giant perforated lantern. In this case, the pattern is achieved with the traditional technique of overlapping bricks with cement or polyurethane adhesives, where the positioning of of each brick determines the size and shape of the light openings.
Fiber cement: Shibori Office / The Grid Architects
Inspired by Shibori, a Japanese dyeing technique characterized by circular shapes, the building's envelope is made of fiber cement boards with perforated circles. The location of the holes is strategic; the largest are at the bottom and the smallest at the top, allowing light to enter in a dramatic and controlled way. Thus, the spatial experience is based on an active interplay of light and shadow that encourages productivity. In addition to circles, fiber cement boards can be perforated with all kinds of shapes with innovative technologies such as waterjet cutting machines or CNC systems.
Terracotta: The Lantern / VTN Architects
The art gallery and showroom incorporates a perforated terracotta facade, conveying a simple yet striking visual impact. Besides fulfilling a key role in thermal performance, the openings energize the space with a repetitive floral pattern of light and shadow. While during the day the shadows are projected towards the interior, at night the building shines like a lantern in the middle of the city. Even though the geometric possibilities of these blocks can be diverse, they ultimately depend on the shape of the utilized mold.
Metal: Ali Mohammed T. Al-Ghanim Clinic / AGi architects
The clinic is organized around a series of courtyards that provide lighting, ventilation, and privacy. Towards the exterior, these are surrounded with a contemporary lattice wall formed by the repetition of perforated anodized metal modules – which represent the cultural identity of the place through their light and shadow geometric patterns. By working with digital designs, CNC laser technology allows for an unlimited variety of these precise perforations in metal panels.
Concrete: Mashrabiya Mosque / NUDES – Nuru Karim
Inspired by the mashrabiya, a perforated architectural element commonly used in traditional Arab homes, the mosque explores islamic geometric patterns in its outer skin. Apart from protecting the building from heat, the envelope generates unique patterns of light and shadow, creating a comforting atmosphere ideal for spirituality and contemplation. For its manufacture, the mashrabiya is cast in glass-reinforced concrete, which allows this variety of shapes.
Clay slabs: Iguana House / OBRA BLANCA
The single-family house is essentially made from three volumes that are connected with a lattice wall bridge. The lattice is formed using thin clay slabs that, similar to a tower of cards, are placed one on top of the other in a triangular manner. Besides their thermal function, the openings create a pattern of geometric lights and shadows that travel through the space while materializing the passage of time. With the traditional superposition technique, the slabs support each other as they are unified with cement, making this type of perforated wall possible.
