Daylighting as a Synthesis Tool in the Early Design Stage: An Integrated Daylighting Design Procedure for Configuration of Buildings

Abstract

This study proposes an integrated design procedure with natural light for the development of the optimal configurations of buildings to achieve a satisfactory visual comfort level. Natural light has both psychological and physiological benefits to humans, which makes it a critical design factor for the built environment. There is a growing need of its effectual integration in the architectural design process today. The application of daylighting in current design practice has focused on an analysis of lighting quality in a single building during the post design phase. In order to satisfy and improve the level of visual comfort in a building, the investigation on how multiple buildings affect the lighting quality to each other should be conducted. The design rules 1 A systematic procedure of daylighting integration with multiple buildings in the early stage of design will allow designers to configure the design of multiple buildings for optimizing visual comfort. The proposed approach provides a procedure to integrate daylighting as a synthesis tool in the early architectural design stage to inform the relationship between buildings and visual comfort at an urban-scape. The procedure consists of the application of a 3D volumetric boundary and the design rules for configurations of buildings with various computational tools. The boundary is established through Climatic Envelope2, which clarifies an environmentally conscious design setting for architects. are developed and articulated through experimental research in 1) orientation of building growth pattern, 2) placement of buildings and 3) building form and size under two dominant sky conditions; clear and overcast. The integrated design procedure with natural light is investigated through two site studies, located in Honolulu, Hawaii and Seattle, Washington where two dominant sky conditions are represented. The intention of developing this procedure is to assist architects in the development of the initial configuration of buildings with the goal of optimizing visual comfort for users. 1 Steffy, 2002. 2 Mark DeKay, 2010.