Lighting Workshop

On February 5, as evening fell, students from the 8th and 10th semesters carried out a Lighting Workshop where they applied the knowledge acquired in the course Lighting Technology for Spaces.

Guided by Professor Álvaro Nieva Montes de Oca, the students illuminated various outdoor settings across the University Campus: building façades, clusters of trees in the gardens, and even some of the palm trees on site.

The practice proved highly enriching, as it involved the use of LED lighting technology. Unlike traditional luminaires that relied on filaments or gases, LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology is based on semiconductors that convert electrical energy into light.

One of the most remarkable features of LED technology is its ability to produce different colors of light: red, green, blue, amber, infrared, and ultraviolet — the primary spectrum. Red, green, and blue are commonly combined in what is known as RGB technology, which, depending on the intensity of each color, can generate an infinite range of tones.

When working with white light, the concept of color temperature comes into play, measured in degrees Kelvin. This includes Warm White (2,700K–3,000K), Neutral or Natural White (4,000K–4,500K), and Cool White (6,000K–6,500K).

Through workshops like this, students explore the full range of lighting possibilities — tones, combinations, and variations of white light — that can transform architecture into a sensory experience.

Once the luminaires were installed in the different settings, the students presented a live demonstration to the School of Architecture authorities, including Dean Luis Arturo Méndez Alba; Architecture Program Director Eduardo Cárdenas Castellanos; Academic Secretary Brenda Estefanía Díaz Macías; and Professor Álvaro Nieva Montes de Oca, who led the workshop as course instructor.