"NOMAD" A luminaire design based on the nomadic culture

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The Lighting Laboratory

Campus Haninge, Stockholm, Sweden Course Code: HS200X

Degree of Master of Science - Architectural Lighting Design:

"NOMAD"

A luminaire design based on the nomadic culture

NILA YINDERI

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Abstract

The intention of this work is to represent the nomadic culture by a luminaire. Inspired by the nomadic Mongolian ger(yurt) and based on its physical and cultural characters, the work is done by designing a portable luminaire with the concept of the solar solution. The whole project is an attempt of bringing traditional culture items to luminaire design and searching for the balance between them.

Key words:

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Introduction

“Nomad” - a word which is quite far for most of the people nowadays. But on the vast Hulunbeier grassland in North China, my hometown, where part of the Mongolians are still living close to their animals and leading a pastoral way of life moving in search of the best pastures and campsites with seasons. During the longtime migrant life, they developed a circular dwelling “Ger” as their house which is a symbol for the nomadic civilization. As the new generation from the nomadic family, when I was studying the lighting design course, there was an idea in my mind all the time that if it is possible to do something between nomadic culture and lighting design. So in this project, the work is supposed to design a luminaire with the background of the nomadic culture.

The thesis is started from the introduction of the nomadic culture which is the initial origin of the whole design work. Representing the nomadic culture, the ger is the point of connection between the culture and the luminaire. By working out the internal relations between the ger and the luminaire, the primary design is achieved by the prototype. For the further development of the luminaire, some improvements are given on the basis of the prototype. Then the final step of the thesis comes to a discussion between the tradition culture and the luminaire design.

This luminaire is targeted at mass market and designed as a personal lamp. The concept is inspired by the ger. The design idea follows both the physical and cultural characters of the ger in appearance and the luminous aspect respectively. A main improvement is provided by using the solar powered solution. Nomadic people raise herds, driving them or moving with them, in patterns that always avoid depleting pastures beyond their ability to recover, so this improvement is an expression of respecting the sustainable side of the nomadic life style.

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Nomadic culture

Nomad

There is a classical folk song widely known among people in China:

"The Chille-River Hulujin

handed down from the North-Dynasty, China (439-534)

The Cloudy-Mountains lie, See the Chille-River pass by, Like a big dome is the sky Covering the prairie nigh. The lofty sky is deeply blue,

The vast wildness not seen through. The wind lowering grass in green, Sheep and cattle are easily seen." 1

(During North-Dynasty, people who inhabited in today's Mongolian Steppe were called Chille people in China.)

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"Around the third millennium BC the vast region from today’s Central Asia till the Korean peninsula in the east, from the forests of Siberia to the valleys of Yellow River, was inhabited by number of cattle breeder tribes. The type of economic activity, characteristic to these tribes, was dictated by the natural conditions, in which they had to exist as a major part of the region is steppe or low altitude hills, which developed as nomadic civilization that had its own highly developed culture and quite sophisticated technology suited to their own living conditions." 2

With the natural environment, for the people, the foundation of their life is herds of livestock who furnished them with all the necessities and comforts of their existence. So the people lead a migrant life with their livestock for searching the good pastures.

"Nomadic people are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but traditional nomadic behavior is increasingly rare in industrialized countries. Nomadic hunting and gathering, following seasonally available wild plants and game, is by far the oldest human subsistence method." 3

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Ger

The extreme climate and geography greatly influenced the nomads’ way of life that has always lived close to their animals and the land. During the longtime migrant life, they developed a circular felt-covered dwelling, the "Ger", adapted to the difficult conditions of their daily life in the harsh steppes, which is incredibly warm in winter and cool in summer and is resistible to powerful winds without being fixed in the ground. It is easy to be moved and can be raised and dismantled in two hours. 4

As a symbol of the nomadic culture, ger plays an important part in the nomadic people’s daily life. Although after many generations and faced with the impact of modern life, the ger has never changed in the nomadic plateaus. In the following paragraphs, you will know the ger from its structure, function, interior arrangement, history and meaning. These characters are the main points which will link up the ger and the luminaire.

Structure

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Fig.1 Structure of the ger Crown Felt cover Compression Ring Insulation Rafter Tension Cable Lattice Wall Insulation Outer Wall Floor

According to a mechanical analysis, it is really clever for the people to build the ger with the circular shape. Since the wind is a big factor you have to consider when you build on the open steppes and in desert regions, the circular shape makes the structure more stable because there isn’t a side facing the wind regardless of the direction from which the wind originates. For me the structure is like a simplified thin-shell construction in architecture. Although the crown and the frames used are not heavy, the structure is still supported steadily.

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Function

"Portable: Depending on the size, a ger can be assembled or dismantled in anywhere. After dismantling, the various parts of the ger are loaded onto camels, horses and ox carts for transport. As nomadic herders move at least three or four times a year in the search for good grazing lands, this feature is of essential importance." 6

Portable is the most significant character for the ger. Today it is used in many different fields and more and more portable products are created. And it will also be an important feature in this design work.

Fig.2 A Nomadic herder is moving his ger

With acknowledgements to

http://www

.mongolian-yurt.com/

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Air circulation: A ger has an opening in the center of the roof, fresh air regularly circulates through the ger as cold air flows down and hot air flows upward. Since the crown is located in the middle of the roof, the air coming through it reaches every part of the ger. The ger is designed to be adapted to its inhabitants in both cold and warm conditions. The central wood-burning stove provides heat evenly throughout the ger when required. When it is hot, the lower end of the soft covering of the ger is raised slightly and held in place with belts on the exterior. This increases the air flow inside the ger and has a pleasant cooling effect. 7

The people who created the ger really made a good use of the crown. They made it not only as the supporter of the whole structure, but also the opening of the air and light.

Fresh air

Fig.3 Air circulation through the crown

Fresh air

Fig.4 Air circulation through the lattice wall

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Interior placements

The interior furnishings and seating placements are always the same. The ger is set up with the door facing south. The altar is placed opposite the door at the back of the ger. The hearth or stove is in the middle of the floor with firewood or other fuel in front and a low table behind. The western side is the domain of the men, male visitors and honored guests sit this side, where saddles, tools and airag (fermented mares milk) are kept. The women and children use the eastern side, where rugs, bedding, food, cutlery, crockery and water are stored. Servants, poor visitors and any sick or very young animals that need nursing sit near the entrance. 8

http://www

.woodlandyurts.co.uk/Y

urt_Facts/tradition_etiquette.html

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In the Mongolian traditional customs, anyone stopping outside of a ger is always invited in for a meal. Due to the nomadic life style, sometimes there is a long distant from one campsite to another, they will definitely prepare food for the person no matter if they know each other or not, so that the person will not be exhausted because of hunger on the way. If the person is a guest, a sheep will be killed for the meal. When they drink arak(a kind of alcohol) or the milk tea, they flick a small amount to the sky, the wind and the earth before drinking, which is also a representation of respecting the nature.

History

"Gers have been a distinctive feature of life in Central Asia for at least three thousand years. The first written description of a ger used as a dwelling was recorded by Herodotus of Halicarnassus, who lived in Greece between 484 and 424 BC. Herodotus, who is regarded as the father of history, was the first person in the world to record an accurate account of the past. He described ger-like tents as the dwelling place of the Scythians, a horse riding-nomadic nation who lived in the northern Black Sea and Central Asian region from around 600 BC to AD 300. Thus, the ger was described in the first historical document in the world.The Italian merchant Marco Polo was the first Westerner to visit the Mongolian Empire in the 14th century. He wrote, “...They [the Mongols] have circular houses made of wood and covered with felt, which they carry about with them on four-wheeled wagons wherever they go. For the framework of rods is so neatly and skillfully constructed that it is light to carry. And every time they unfold their house and set it up, the door is always facing south.” This south-facing orientation is still prevalent today, there being obvious advantages to this for people living well north of the Equator." 9

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From the history of the ger, it is shown that over the long process of the time-honored nomadic civilization, the ger has been the witness of this culture. Today with the decrease of the traditional nomadic behavior, maybe in the near future the ger can only be seen in the museum. So shouldn’t we do something to remind the people that there was a ger which carried one of the greatest human civilizations at one time?

Fig.6 Ancient Mongolian ger cart

http://www

.mongolian-yurt.com/Y

urt-history

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Meaning

Having been home to the many tribes and cultures of central Asia for millennia a great deal of traditions, superstition, religious significance and custom has built up surrounding the ger.

"The family ger is usually obtained as a gift from the brides parents on a couples’ marriage. The frame should last a lifetime, but the felt covers need replacing every three to five years. The ger is set up with the door facing south. When families camp together during the winter the group of gers are set in a circle with the opening to the south. The roof poles and crown are carried in through the door, it is considered bad luck to pass them over the wall." 10

There is one meaning between the ger and the sun which is very important for this project, since this is the other main point which can link up the ger and the luminaire.

The ger and the sun

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- Modeling for the living way of ancient people who used the sun as a clock. Have breakfast Herd Water animals Do the housework Have lunch Break

Herd back animals

Feed animals

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Luminaire design

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Nomadic culture is the guiding point in this work, so it is placed on the top in the diagram. By studying nomadic culture, the ger is known as the symbol of this civilization. And it is also the original inspiration for the whole design project. Since the intention of this work is to design a luminaire, I tried to find the relation between the image and the product. Then I did work out some links which are shown as the colorful words above “personal, folding, circular, portable, handfeeling, comfortable,

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Design of the physical part

In this part, I will introduce the design idea from the details.

I believe art is from life. Speak of the folding structure, I still remember the first time when I learned something about it. It was when I was in the primary school. The teacher taught us how to make a paper fan in the skills lesson. She just folded a piece of paper on the front and back sides several times, and then a fan was made. At that time I was really impressed that the plane paper can become such an elastic and useful tool only by a few steps of folding. Then with the age increasing, by seeing more and more folding products, I have became inured with this kind of structure, but I think there is a “folding structure complex” deep in my heart which inspired me when I was doing this work.

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Combining the circular shape of the ger, I started to try the folding structures. The decision was made when I tried on the fan structure. As you see in the following picture, through bending all the arms towards one side, the plane fan becomes a three-dimensional structure which can support itself very well.

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Design of the luminous part

Image board:

Key words: powerful, patterned, warm, soft, pleasant, personal, nostalgic, creative.

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According to the structure I decided, I made a model with hard paper and wanted to try the feeling of the lighting images through tests, the testing process is shown in the following table.

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For the testing materials, since I was looking at the possibilities of the light distribution and character, bulbs were used as the light sources in the process. The intension is to try the lighting effects under different solutions. Through the result, it is shown that this structure can make a lighting effect of the sun ray pattern, which is important, because the sun is a connection point between the culture of the ger and the luminous part of the luminaire. From the test, what should be improved is to make the lighting effect softer and less glary.

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Prototype:

Fig.5 The prototype during daytime

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As it is said in the introduction, “Nomadic people raise herds, driving them or moving with them, in patterns that always avoid depleting pastures beyond their ability to recover”, and “They use the dried herds’ dung as the fuel and never plant in the grassland. In the hearts of the nomadic Mongolians, grassland, river and all the things from the nature are given by the gods which should be respected. So when they are moving, they will carry everything including rubbish with them, they believe that you should return the grassland what it was when you came. What impressed me most is that there isn’t a gravestone for the nomadic Mongolian grave. After burying a person, they will let the horses run above to stamp the ground flat, which is also their way to protect the grassland.” from the first chapter of the paper, all of which prove that the nomadic people are really protecting the natural environment and leading a real sustainable life by their own actions from generation to generation. So in the improvements of the prototype, I try to use the solar battery as the energy source which is an expression of the sustainable side of the nomadic life style.

With the solar panel, the luminaire can be charged under the sunshine anywhere during the daytime and be used during the nighttime.

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One night of the "nomad"

- Illustrations for the uses of the luminaire in different environments

When I read, "nomad" is used as a desk lamp.

When I go to bed, "nomad" is used as a bedside lamp.

When I get up during the night to toilet, "nomad" is used as a torch.

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Discussion

Traditional culture and luminaire design

As the practical application of art, design is a combination of art and technology which both belong to the culture. Culture is the summation of material and spiritual civilizations. It is a historical heritage and the supporter of a people. Some artists try to get out from the impact of the traditional culture and create their own article milestones, but the culture which will affect the development of the art and science will directly and indirectly influence the way of design. In other words, design can not survive without culture. It can be considered to be the oldest subject for human being, but at the same time it always has the newest contents.

As the important devices in people’s daily life, luminaires have been designed to multi-uses nowadays. Same as other designs, both art and technology are playing important roles in the luminaire design field. With the development of science and technology, besides satisfying people’s functional and aesthetic requirements, it will be more meaningful for the human being if the design work is based on the traditional culture and represent the distinctive national features. So how the traditional culture and luminaire design connect with each other is the question which should be discussed.

Inspirited by traditional culture, projects can be explored by the rational comprehension between cultural items and design. For designers I think it is also important to add their own life experiences and personal emotions to the design works besides referencing from the culture. I think the recreation of the traditional culture is also a respect for our history and ancestors.

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Conclusion and further study

This thesis is a valuable experience for me. By doing the project, I learned more about luminaire design and improved my ability of doing the design work independently.

The main work of the thesis is designing a luminaire. With the development of the project, through the first idea, the prototype and the final improvements, I practiced a lot and also realized my deficiencies when doing the design work. With the science and engineering background, I am used to paying more attention to the final result, so sometimes ignored the process. By doing this work, I realized that it was much more exciting and important to enjoy the process which can give you the real practical experiences.

This thesis is in a way done from a personal point of view, so some ideas may be a little subjective and one-sided during expressions. I'd really appreciate if you have any suggestions.

For the further study of this project, the main work is the solar powered design. Some of the technical parameters about the solar panels which I used in the improvements are referenced from the batteries used in the solar flashlights which are now available on the market. But for a larger scale indoor luminaire, it is still not so common to use the solar panels because of the limiting factors including the techniques and cost. As the cleanest energy in the world, the use of the solar energy is developed in more and more fields. At present most of the low powered LEDS use direct current which can be converted by the solar batteries. So With the increase of the efficiency of solar panels and the popularization of LED, exploring the solar LED luminaires is becoming a market trend. So it is also a new challenge and opportunity for the designers to display their talents.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude to my tutor, Diana Joels, for her expertise, understanding, and patience. She has kindly spent her time discussing with me so many times which was really helpful for me. I would not have finished this thesis without her support and encouragement.

A very special thanks to my teacher, Jan Ejhed, whom I respected most. I learned so much from him when studying the lighting design course and the first talk with him when I started the thesis inspired and guided me a lot.

I must also acknowledge my coordinator, Agneta Ejhed, who cared me a lot during my study here. Without her cooperation and encouragement it would not have been possible for me to study in the course.

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Quotations:

1. http://bbs.translators.com.cn/mtsbbs/viewthread?thread=12504 2. http://www.ignca.nic.in/ls_03011.htm

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomad

4. According to the source from http://www.bogdtour.mn/about_mongolia.htm 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurt

6. http://www.mongolian-yurt.com/yurts-and-nomads.html

7. According to the source from http://www.mongolian-yurt.com/yurts-and-nomads.html

8. According to the source from http://www.woodlandyurts.co.uk/Yurt_Facts/tradition_etiquette.html 9. http://www.mongolian-yurt.com/Yurt-history.html

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"NOMAD" A luminaire design based on the nomadic culture

"NOMAD"

Abstract

Table of contents

Introduction

Nomadic culture

Nomad

Ger

Interior placements

History

Meaning

Luminaire design

Design of the physical part

Design of the luminous part

Prototype:

One night of the "nomad"

Discussion

Traditional culture and luminaire design

Conclusion and further study

Acknowledgments