FRAMED VIEWS: NATURE-INSPIRED LATTICE WINDOWS AND LIGHT–SHADOW TRANSLATION IN CONTEMPORARY INTERIOR SPACE

Abstract

This paper explores how Huizhou lattice motifs can be translated into modular perforated screens for contemporary interior spaces, so that they function as spatial boundaries rather than surface decoration. Based on field photography in southern Anhui, four motifs—ice-crack plum blossom, ancient coin, lingzhi, and begonia—were redrawn and simplified in AutoCAD to generate repeatable modules, which were then developed into screen panels and tested through digital interior scenarios in 3ds Max. To move the study a step beyond digital visualisation, a model-scale physical prototype of the lingzhi-based screen was fabricated from basswood plywood using laser engraving and cutting to examine modular repetition, wall integration, and visual permeability. In addition, a structured visual assessment rubric was used as an analytical aid to compare daylight filtering, shadow readability, visual permeability, and graded privacy under controlled scenario conditions. The findings show that differences in module density, opening distribution, and edge continuity influence how the screens filter daylight, cast readable shadows, and shape graded privacy within interior space. The study proposes a practical motif-to-module process and contributes to the discussion of heritage-sensitive, lightweight, and reversible interior boundary design.