Cornell Box Kidosaki House
Modesto J. Bigas

Cornell University Program of Computer Graphics
Cornell Seal

Modesto selected Tadao Ando's Kidosaki House as a subject for simulation. Ando's buildings are constructed with a signature concrete block style. These blocks include recognizable round indentations that can easily be approximated using texture maps. It seemed that the radiosity algorithm could easily simulate the lighting in such buildings. In practice, the high contrast between outside brightness and inside darkness made it difficult to generate an acceptable solution.

This photograph from the house shows an interesting feature of the living room. There is a narrow window in the ceiling which runs along the edge of a curved wall. The shadow cast through this opening is an important aspect of the lighting solution.

Using Lightscape software, a radiosity solution was completed and this ray traced image was generated. Notice in the photograph that light is specularly reflected from the glossy floor onto the ceiling near the window. A more sophisticated global illumination algorithm would be required to simulate this particular light transport.

Another view of the living room.

An image of the dining room was generated from the same lighting solution. The living room of the previous pictures appears in the distance of this image.


Last updated 06/27/97 PCG www Home