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Design for and with daylight: Computational

shading design for two healthcare applications
in hot climates

Conference Paper · October 2017

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Mili Kyropoulou
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 Design for and with daylight:
Computational shading design for two healthcare applications in hot
climates

Mili Kyropoulou
HKS LINE, HKS Architects
Houston, TX US, mkyropoulou@hksinc.com

Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate methodologies of generative envelope and shading design by
assessing its effect toward providing sufficient and comfortable daylighting within patient room spaces and
other healthcare support areas. Two case studies are used as examples, one located in Houston TX and one
in Kuwait. Challenges that were presented by the climate and by the sub-optimal building orientation or room
layout are explored through a series of solar studies and daylight simulations. Climate based annual daylight
metrics Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA) and Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE), first presented by the
Illuminating Energy Society in their IES LM-83-12 report [1] and more recently adopted by LEEDv4, are used
as comparative benchmarks in order to evaluate daylight performance. Daylight simulations were conducted
using DIVA for Grasshopper within the Rhino interface, a plug-in that uses Radiance and Daysim. Solar
studies were conducted using Ladybug, a Python based plug-in for Grasshopper in Rhino. Galapagos, an
evolutionary solver available within Grasshopper for Rhino, was also used in one of the applications as an
optimization tool.
Keywords: daylight, healthcare facilities, parametric studies, visual comfort, shading

1. Introduction
Healthcare facilities are considered among the biggest internal dominated energy consumers in the building
industry due to their high operational demand. Given the high number of air changes required in hospital
buildings -especially in the US- solar control presents a less critical strategy in regards to energy
performance, and it becomes more essential as a thermal and visual comfort regulator. At the same time,
new standards in the industry (i.e. Fitwel, the WELL Standard) are beginning to shift the attention away from
merely energy performance and more towards a combination of performance and occupants’ comfort, health,
and wellbeing [2]. Daylight availability, patterns and control become major components that define the user’s
comfort especially within a healing environment.
Digital tools for assessing daylight in buildings are gaining ground in the industry, and they present a great
potential for automating and optimizing the performance of contemporary building facades suggesting more
sophisticated methodologies. Computational tools are available for use as form finding facilitators that enable
evidence based assessment and aid in decision making. Simulations of the physical environment have
become common tools that augment Evidence Based Design conclusions and minimizes time consuming
investigations and their associated risks and failures.
The present paper focuses on two design case studies from the healthcare world with emphasis on
methodology and tools. The two case studies share the common design problem of solar control on a
challenging orientation that seeks an answer through the development of a shading system that will enhance
daylight performance of the interior space.
2. Background
2.1 Sustainability for Hospitals and Daylight in a healthcare facility
Healthcare facilities face multiple challenges in achieving sustainability. An analysis of data from the Energy
Information Administration revealed that healthcare facilities rank second among building types in the USA in
energy use per square foot, and rank fourth in total energy use. Data from the US Green Building Council
showed that only 1 percent of healthcare buildings are registered with the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and 0.4 percent have achieved certification, which is low
compared with other building types [3]. As the dialogue about adaptation for sustainability in healthcare
continues, the various stakeholders need to further explore which strategies can have the most impact in
terms of added value and benefits to resource preservation and health. If such effective sustainability
initiatives are started early in the planning and design phase – and continue through construction, operation
and maintenance – they may result in a better, faster return on investment [3].
Daylight is not regulated by any enforced law or code. However, architecture has addressed its effect
throughout history as both the primary means of providing light to perform tasks, as well as its immaterial
effects over aesthetics and ability to add to the poetics of the building. Today, light is being provided with
artificial means in various sophisticated and technologically advanced ways that try to mimic and ultimately
replace daylight. If regulatory restrictions per building typology dictate architectural decisions that counteract
optimal use of daylight, visual comfort must be addressed in other ways. This becomes particularly apparent
in healthcare buildings where programing complexities and the demand made of all building systems are
extremely high. Unlike many other applications where lighting layouts may well influence ductwork or even
structural layouts, healthcare design is much less tolerant to such influences [4].
At the same time, several studies strongly support that bright light—both natural and artificial—can improve
health outcomes such as depression, agitation, sleep, circadian rest-activity rhythms, as well as length of
stay in patients suffering from dementia and persons with seasonal affective disorders (SAD) [5]. It has also
been shown that patients in brightly lit rooms have a shorter length of stay compared to patients in dull
rooms. Beauchemin and Hays (1996) found that patients hospitalized for severe depression reduced their
stays by an average of 3.67 days if assigned to a sunny rather than a dull room overlooking spaces in
shadow [5]. Thus, an important consideration while designing hospitals may be to optimize exposure to
daylight in patient rooms. Daylight optimization strategies are also expected to result in better rendering of
healthcare services, energy savings and reduced operational costs associated to lighting.
2.2 Benchmarking and computational design
The absence of relevant regulatory framework has pushed designers to seek benchmarking in measuring
and assessing daylight availability and visual comfort in broadly recognized scientific associations and
standards. The wide applicability and acceptance of the LEED standard makes it today one of the primary
benchmarking tools used by designers. The two case studies are using the two annual climate based metrics
that were first introduced by IES LM-83 [1] and adopted by LEEDv4 as benchmarking tools in order to
assess envelop performance per daylight: Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA) and Annual Sunlight Exposure
(ASE), with minimum acceptable sDA at 55% and maximum acceptable ASE at 10%.
It is worth noting that none of the presented projects are seeking LEED certification, however, both clients
and design teams recognize the value of the standard as an optimum source of comparative analysis and
benchmarking. At the same time, both clients were explicitly seeking an “iconic” design where more
sophisticated envelop solutions will not only contribute to saving energy and operational costs, but will also
add to the immeasurable design value of the project.
The digital era has reached a point in architecture where computational tools are primarily used to generate
organic forms with mostly aesthetic drivers. These applications very rarely address environmental
parameters such as acoustics, solar availability, daylight, energy, and comfort. At the same time,
environmental regulations have become more stringent, and as the market is driven by such principles, the
need for coupling parametric design with environmental performance criteria will continue to grow [6].
3. The case studies
The two presented case studies are a product of collaborative work within HKS Architects and they are
based mostly on studies done within the HKS LINE design studio. They present the design of shading
elements that are generated as a function of performative parameters from solar and daylight simulated
values. The first project is a small localized shading solution on one single space, while the second case
study is a large application that is realized across the entire façade of the building.
Both hospitals are located in hot and humid climates (Houston TX and Kuwait City, Kuwait) at latitude 29
north. Effective shading is one of the major strategies that can eliminate excess solar gains during hot
season and therefore a constructive way to eliminate energy use and enhance visual and thermal comfort all
year long.

3.1 Case Study 1: CHI St. Luke’s, Baylor Saint Luke’s Medical Center, Houston, TX
3.1.1 Design Question
The first application is an inpatient healthcare facility in Houston TX. The building is initially optimized per its
shape and orientation resulting in a partially self-shaded structure. Consequently, all patient rooms face
south and north within a 15o divergence due to the building’s shape (Fig. 1) and they were effectively shaded
using horizontal and vertical elements. Although most spaces were self-shaded by the building mass or with
simple overhangs, the west end of the podium features a sizable double-height waiting area space where
solar penetration was expected to contribute to excess solar gains year round as well as visual discomfort for
at least half of each day all year long (Fig. 2a). The large glazing area of this space and the shape of the
podium overhang result in an uneven coverage of the window with over-shaded spots on the upper part and
‘hotter” areas at the lower part of the glass (Fig. 2b). The sub-optimal orientation of the space together with
the irregular exposure of the glass outlines the design challenge: Create a shading feature that will alleviate
excess solar penetration without compromising adequate daylight levels and views to the exterior.

Figure 1: Bed tower orientation studies result in minimized solar incidence on the façade

Figure 2a: CHI St. Luke’s, Baylor Saint Luke’s Medical Center: Figure 2b: Direct incident solar radiation
the west facing waiting area cummulative from March to September
3.1.2 Vertical fins optimization
The design begins with the generation of simple vertical fins where two values are parametrized and
optimized against daylight performance: The ‘depth of fin’ to ‘distance between fins’ ratio and the rotation
angle of the fins. These two parameters were input in Galapagos as genomes and tested over sDA and ASE
in the space. Galapagos is able to accept only one fitness criterion and therefore the genomes are tested
over the difference between sDA and ASE aiming for its maximization. After running 9 generations with a
maximum of 50 individuals per generation, the most fit values for the fins’ sizing were 1.8 depth to distance
ratio and 36 degrees rotation due south which resulted in 58.7% sDA and 1.2% ASE. sDA was reduced by
28%, but is still within acceptable levels based on the minimum 55% threshold. ASE decreases by 98% and
is well below the 10% threshold (Fig. 3).

Figure 3: Criteria optimization using Galapagos and sDE/ASE comparison of optimized fins against baseline

The better fit that came out of the evolutionary solver was used as the geometrical starting point to further
optimize the fins’ depth against the previously noted uneven solar incidence on the window glass. A 572
node grid is generated on the glass surface where the solar radiation sensors are placed and an equal
number of adjacent nodes are extruded to different fin depths (Fig. 4). Using office excel basic functions, it is
observed that the relationship between the fins’ depth and the average direct incident solar radiation from
March to September (as shown in Fig 2b) on the entire glass is governed by the quadratic equation (1)
where y is the depth variant (Fig. 5). Solving this equation per parameter x, we get two solutions (3) and (4)
using the discriminant D (2), both of which essentially result in the same geometrical extrusion of the fins.
(1) y = 1.3686x2 - 19.377x + 71.868, where a = 1.3686, b = 19.377 and c = 71.868 - y
(2) D = b2 – 4ac
(3) x1 = -b + √D
2a
(4) x2 = -b - √D
2a

Figure 4: Control grid nodes on the glass (red) and Figure 5: the relationship between fins’ depth and
points to be extruded per optimum fin depth (black) average incident solar radiation on façade
The geometrical restrictions of the existing design dictated the boundary within which the fin can be
developed. The fins were extruded using equation (4) with a corrective multiplier so as the largest fin can still
fit within the geometrical boundary of the design (Fig.6).

Figure 6: Nodes extrusion of vertical fins

3.1.3 Performance evaluation of generated design
The generated design as developed after optimization is finally tested on solar incidence on the glass as well
as on sDA and ASE in the space. The direct incidence solar radiation from March to September is decreased
by 54% compared to the baseline geometry. This resulted in an enhanced daylight performance. sDA
decreases slightly to 66.4% but still remains within acceptable levels and well above the 55% threshold. At
the same time, ASE decreases by 80% (Fig. 7).

Figure 7: Resulted design vs baseline against incident solar radiation, sDA and ASE

3.2 Case Study 2: Children’s Hospital, Kuwait

3.2.1 Design question
The main inpatient tower is a rectangular volume developed on northeast-southwest axis as a response to
site restrictions and programmatic requirements (Fig 8). Mapping the annual solar path relative to the
building in plan and perspective view (Fig 9) facilitates a greater understanding of solar position over the
year. North-East façade receives unobstructed direct sunlight after 1-2pm until sunset and South-West
façade from sunrise until 12pm all year long. From the solar geometry of the two predominant orientations, it
is apparent that North-East orientation is less vulnerable to solar exposure and that a substantial portion of
direct sun can be blocked with a combination of horizontal and vertical elements. On the other hand, South-
West orientation is more likely to require additional measures in order to be able to meet acceptable solar
control and visual comfort.
Figure 8: Building position and orientation Figure 9: Sun path diagrams and crucial sun angles

A preliminary daylight assessment of a typical room on both orientations proved that both dominant
orientations need a sunlight control strategy that will not compromise daylight levels and views in the patient
rooms. In response to this, a secondary enclosure is developed that will hold a shading system where light
will be blocked or redirected. Although the effect of a shading device on the energy performance of the
building is outside the scope of this project, it is anticipated to contribute to the elimination of direct sunlight
and excess solar gains that contribute to overheating and thermal discomfort, and thus higher cooling loads.
3.2.2 Concept Design Intent and Shading Structure Geometry
In a country with an arid climate and abundant dry, hot weather, water has long been cherished by desert
cultures as a precious commodity and source of life. Water has a fascinating ability to change its physical
form, one of which is irregular crystalline structures in the formation of ice when frozen. Its structure and
molecular breakdown is highly geometric. Per the designers, this scheme’s design intent has been
developed on the following basis, crystalline forms denote the connection between historical traditions of
science, healing, and the life-supporting nature of water.
The secondary environmental enclosure is organized based on an equilateral triangular grid within which a
tetrahedron is nested as the primary boundary of the shading surfaces. This faceted cell provides multiple
planes that reflect, redirect or block light, similar to the facets of the healing crystal. The depth of the shading
device is dictated by a cutting plane through the boundary cell, and can be optimized relative to daylighting
and glare performance criteria. In order to link the solar performance of the interior space with the geometry
of the shading device, a parametric model was developed using python based scripts in Grasshopper for
Rhino, which can generate geometries based on the relationships between design criteria (parameters).
The shading parapet was first subdivided into 9 triangular parts per orientation that were tested and
optimized separately (Fig 10). One baseline surface per orientation was chosen in order to establish general
trends of the parametric controls on the tetrahedron. The three parameters that were tested individually as
isolated cases are: 1. depth of extrusion, 2. horizontal tilt towards favorable orientation (north for North-East
façade and south for South-West façade) and 3. vertical tilt towards the ground (Fig 11).
Figure 10: Parapet subdivision on the two main elevations

3.2.3 Plot of trends of geometric parameters

All three parameters are affecting daylight performance almost linearly relative to their change (Fig 11).
(1) Depth has the same effect on both orientations resulting in a relative decrement of both sDA and
ASE. North-East (NE) orientation can reach satisfying levels of daylight -high sDA and low ASE- with
substantially shallower shading. South-West (SW) façade requires a deeper structure to at least mitigate
glare potential by half while compromising useful daylight to unacceptable levels. It is therefore apparent that
further treatment will be required in order to achieve overall good visual comfort.
(2) Inversely, horizontal tilt is highly dependent on orientation. On the NE façade, an increment of the tilt
towards north is proven very minimally effective. However, since glare was brought to acceptable levels
solely with optimizing depth, no substantial tilt is recommended. On the SW façade, the trend is opposite.
Tilting the surface towards south is favoring useful daylight substantially while deteriorating ASE levels. It is
thus possible to establish equivalences and apply shallow shading with no horizontal tilt or deeper shading
with more pronounced horizontal tilt.
(3) Vertical tilt towards the ground does not have major effect on daylight performance on either
orientation. For that reason, on the NE elevation it is advisable to apply the maximum allowable vertical tilt at
all times as a measure of saving material, with constant consideration to geometrical and structural
restrictions. On the SW orientation, this should be a practice only when ASE levels are substantially low,
otherwise vertical tilt may cause a slight deterioration that can be outside the acceptable levels.

Figure 11: Parametric controls of shading module and their trend plot against daylight sDA and ASE
3.2.4 System evaluation for unified performance
Following the observed trends of the geometrical manipulation on the triangular subdivisions, each of the 18
identified areas (9 NE and 9 NW) was optimized. The optimization of the shading structure is aiming to
achieve a balance between maintaining acceptable daylight availability by avoiding over-shading and
mitigating glare potential by orienting the assembly towards the most effective direction. The final
assessment of all 9 NW cases results in a shading structure with 25-35% extrusion without the need of any
horizontal tilt and with maximum vertical tilt set at 25% due to geometrical restrictions. The SW shading
optimization requires a deeper structure of 35-50% extrusion and a minimal horizontal tilt to the south of
maximum 15%. Vertical tilt is mostly deteriorating visual performance and thus not recommended.

Figure 11: sDA and ASE for each triangular subdivision against LEEDv4 benchmarks
3.2.5 Patient room example: HDR (High Dynamic Range)
One average representative room is modeled and simulated using High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, a
technique used in imaging and photography to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity than is
possible with standard digital imaging or photographic techniques. The aim is to present a similar range of
luminance to that experienced through the human visual system. HDR imaging plotted in matrices of 9
representative times over the year and with the camera set from patient’s point of view helped visualizing the
severity of the problem and identifying the exact time of visual discomfort. Figure 12 displays the most
affected times per orientation (morning for east and afternoon for west) and the effectiveness of the shading
structure.

Figure 12: HDR images for a typical room

4. Discussion
It seems likely that climate-based daylight modelling will become a routine part of the evaluation of daylight
at the planning stage [7]. The use of such metrics as a design-generator places performance evaluation tools
at the forefront of today’s architectural design process.
 Both projects are still ongoing, and it is uncertain whether the presented designs will be implemented.
Although the process of performance-based generative design was unusual for both healthcare clients, the
results were useful in informing all project stakeholders from the designers and consultants to the client and
users. The CHI shading design uses performance as a motive in order to create a form that responds to the
design question successfully while generating a fluid main entrance geometry that departs from the
conventional. Similarly, the Kuwait Children’s Hospital application presents a larger scale holistic approach to
exterior skin design where parameterized geometric variables linked to performance criteria aim to optimize
solar and daylight penetration.
It is unclear whether such design processes will dominate the industry, but it is certain that they are
becoming more common in the field, and clients are increasingly familiar with discussing performative and
quantitative parameters to help evaluate the validity of a design. Most importantly, these studies are
providing the baseline and the tools for a final economic evaluation of the application, and assisting decision
makers in reaching an informed and educated conclusion.

5. Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the HKS design teams of both projects for coordinating the incorporation of
these studies into their processes. Special thanks to Paul Ferrer for his assistance in reviewing the present
paper and his collaborative spirit.

6. References
[1] ILLUMINATING ENGINEERING SOCIETY, 2012. Approved Method: IES Spatial Daylight Autonomy
(sDA) and Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE). IES LM-83-12.
[2] International Well Building Institute, 2017, The WELL Building Standard.
[3] R. S. Zadeh, X. Xuan, M. M. Shepley., “Sustainable healthcare design. Existing challenges and future
directions for an environmental, economic, and social approach to sustainability”, Emerald Group
Publishing Limited, Facilities Vol. 34 No. 5/6, 2016 pp. 264-288
[4] IES, “The Lighting Handbook”, IES 10th Edition
[5] Ulrich, R.S., Zimring, C., Joseph, A., Quan, X. and Choudhary, R. (2004), The Role of the Physical
Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity, Center for Health
Design, Concord, CA.
[6] A. Omidfar, 2011, “Design optimization of a contemporary high performance shading screen-
integration of 'form' and simulation tools”, Building Simulation 2011, Sydney
[7] J. Mardaljevic, G. Janes, M. Kwartler, 2015, THE ‘NORDSTROM TOWER’: A LANDMARK DAYLIGHT
INJURY STUDY, IE 28th Session, Manchester, UK

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