DAYLIGHTING DESIGN

Daylight is part of architecture, in both its historical, theoretical and technical conception, with unique
capacity to inspire people and to illuminate the elements of its design.
Factors involve with the use of daylight in buildings:

1. AESTHETICS‐ the play of light from windows on surfaces and textures casting an interesting shadows; the
endless variety of mood and appearances due to the movement of the sun.
2. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE‐ the sense of well being associated with daylight and the sense of orientation
that comes with being “connected”with the exterior.
3. HEALTH‐ improved resistance to infections, skin disorders and cardiovascular impairment.
4. ENERGY/COST‐ reduction in electric use and related air conditioning load from electric lighting.

CRITERIA FOR LIGHTING DESIGN

The quality of lighting can be judged through 2 primary characteristics.
1. CONTRAST‐
2. GLARE

Specific goals related to daylighting of buildings:

1. Design to achieve daylight in all feasible areas in significant, useful quantities.
2. Distribute daylight reasonably uniformly, with no significant dark spots.
3. Avoid allowing direct sunlight into the building interior in such a way that it may cause visual discomfort.
4. Provide daylight sensitive controls for the electric lighting so that it will be dimmed or turned off when not
needed.

Three types of Sky Conditions considered in daylighting design;

1. CLEAR SKY‐ provides a steady source of low‐intensity light with direct sun of high intensity.
2. OVERCAST SKY‐ maybe a very dark under dark clouds, or maybe very bright and hazy. Low level lighting,
but diffusely cast from the entire skydome. Can be excessively bright when viewed from inside the
building, or it may be quite dark.
3. PARTLY CLOUDY SKY‐ the third type form the standpoint of daylighting design characterized by partial
clouds with a blue background with bright, white clouds (oftentimes passing and changing rapidly), with
direct sunshine penetrating off and on.

SITE AND BUILDING ORIENTATION

Site features to be considered in daylighting design:
1. Location of the building on the site so that daylight can reach the apertures without significant
interference from nearby obstacles such as tall buildings. Mountains, or trees.
2. Highly reflective surfaces near the site.
3. Trees and shrubs on the site that might give shade and reduce sky glare from the interior.
4. Bright ground surfaces that can be used to reflect daylight into the interior.

SHAPES GUIDE LIGHT

1. Building Configuration
Daylighting of multi‐story building will be most effective if long and narrow so that daylight can penetrate
from both sides.
Rule of thumb:
With reasonably sized fenestration, daylighting can be quite easily achieved to a depth of 4.5
meters inward from the aperture
With windows open to a high ceiling, about 6 m inward from the aperture.

2. Window Heights
The window size and height above the workplane are among the most important geometric factors in
daylightng design. The height of the ceiling above the floor has little effect on the daylight if windows are not
placed high in the exterior wall.

3. Room Depth
As the depth of the room becomes greater, everything else remaining the same, the level of daylight intensity
throughout becomes less.

4. Surface Reflectance

5. Overhangs
Building overhangs maybe very useful for sun and rain control. Although they do reduce the quantity of daylight
within the building, particularly next to the window wall, they are especially effective in reflecting light from
outside gorund planes back into the interior of the building.
Apertures are Critical
The amount of daylight that enters any opening is proportional to the size of the openin, the transmissivity of the
glazing, and ofcourse, the daylight available to enter.
Light Shelves‐ a horizontal plane placed below the top of a window, usually just above door
height allowing light to be reflected from its upper surface to the ceiling level.
Skylights
Clerestories‐ have many of the attributes of the skylights except that they occur in vertical rather
than in a horizontal plane, therefore, are exposed to less quantity of daylight than the skylights.
Devices that control Daylight

1. LOUVERS‐ There are variety of types of louvers for daylight control. There are small, moveable and on the
interior,or they may be large and fixed on the exterior

2. GLAZING