Fall 2025 Architecture Studio Briefs: Tom Phifer and John Bassett

Phifer and Bassett instructed students to make a “heliodon” light table with a remote control light that can track the sun in different seasons. The design process centered around manipulating light through tests done in physical models. Using the heliodon, students would simulate the sun in California, which is much different than in Philadelphia. ”Architecture is a technology that we can tune so that the space can resonate more precisely with our bodies' circadian rhythms and the natural world around us,” Phifer says. (Photo Jesus Frias)

Mission San Juan Bautista: “On our Bay Area study trip, the most remarkable example of light admittance was the little Chapel at the old Mission San Juan Bautista,” Bassett says. “Inside, you really appreciate that architecture in this bright environment does not need a lot of windows, nor very large ones, in order to bring in an adequate amount of California daylight. As we are designing a religious complex this semester, this was a perfect lesson for us all. (Photo Laura Ellis)

Yilun Jin’s monastery is spread across the site in 20 small structures. Inspired by Greek theaters that sit on top of a hill, Jin’s design makes walking and the landscape part of the experience in addition to the connection to the rhythms of natural light. “Shaped light—whether it is directed, washed, reflected, bounced, filtered, dappled, slowed, gathered, scooped, etc.—creates conditions where the inhabitant can experience a deeper connection with themselves and their surroundings,” Bassett says.

Jack Bradley’s proposal is a sensitive intervention, using reflective anodized aluminum cladding to reflect the surrounding landscape. “What left the biggest impression on us was how strong the light from the sun was in California,” Bassett says. “The skies were always clear, which left the sun completely unobstructed from dawn until dusk. An unrelenting, sharp light.”

Students were challenged to create spaces with no windows, allowing in only light from the top. Joohyun Shin “designed a dining hall space that is lit from a single light well that hangs low in the room and runs the length of the central table providing soft, natural light to those eating. “We are investigating how architecture can be shaped by light to facilitate these activities and guide daily rituals in different spaces of the complex,” Phifer said.

The monastery contains a chapel, library, monks quarters, dining hall, bell tower, kitchen, garden, and sacristy, all tied together by a series of corridors. Ryan Lane designed a geometrically rigorous, fortress-like complex on top of the hill. “The architecture is the framework, the vessel, and the pattern of light and seasons will be what animates the monks’ experience. Silence, proportion, order, scale and the use of direct materials will characterize the spaces,” Bassett says.

Jonathan Bonezzi designed a corner staircase that opens up with a lightwell that allows light to pour in from above. “To quiet the mind, the architecture too should be quiet,” Bassett says. “We are particularly interested in how light can be bound up in an architecture to complete the story of this place.”