Lighting models may be used to produce both qualitativeand quantitative data. On the one hand, they may allowthe designer to perceive the effects of daylight or artificiallight throughout the spaces modelled; on the other,they may be used to record more accurate informationin relation to various amounts or combinations of lightsources and the subsequent effects these have on themodel’s spaces. They may also make strategic use oflight in order to project an image of the proposal thatseeks to explain more latent or poetic qualities withinthe design. This type of model can create an impressiveeffect by incorporating miniature bulbs, fibre opticsand transparent or translucent materials. Such modelsare often used to emphasize specific characteristics ofa design. Beyond providing dramatic and atmosphericeffects to a project, lighting models can be used toeffectively communicate particular designs dependingon their function. Buildings typically have a differentappearance at night than during the daytime, and alighting model can convey such implications of a designin its context.

Lighting models do not necessarily represent realisticspatial properties, and some models have lightingincorporated into them in order to add drama andatmosphere to the design – or to emphasize the formalqualities of a project.