COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

ARCHITECTURE
ARC 145 – TROPICAL DESIGN
UP-FA1-BSAR4-02
TUESDAY (7:30 AM – 9:30 AM)

RESEARCH WORK #1

PASSIVE DAYLIGHTING
CONCEPT

REGODON, FELICITE A.
STUDENT

AR. GENESIS V. GARAYANALA

INSTRUCTOR
PASSIVE DAYLIGHTING

It is the practice of placing windows, skylights, other openings, and reflective surfaces so that
direct or indirect sunlight can provide effective internal lighting. Particular attention is given to
daylighting while designing a building when the aim is to maximize visual comfort or to reduce
energy use. Energy savings can be achieved from the reduced use of artificial (electric) lighting
or from passive solar heating. Artificial lighting energy use can be reduced by simply installing
fewer electric lights where daylight is present or by automatically dimming or switching off
electric lights in response to the presence of daylight a process known as daylight harvesting.

Successful daylighting requires design considerations at all stages of the building design
process, from site planning to architectural, interior and lighting design.

Natural light is a powerful architectural tool. As the importance of sustainable design grows,
passive strategies like daylighting have become critical in reducing the impact of the built
environment.

Passive daylighting strategies promote the quantity and even distribution of daylight
throughout a building by collecting natural light and reflecting it into darker areas of the
building. What makes this a “passive” strategy is that the design elements do not require any
special mechanical equipment or energy sources. As soon as the sun rises, the passive
daylighting strategies collect and reflect light throughout the building.

There are also a number of health and wellness benefits when you allow more natural light
into your building. Exposure to natural light improves:
 • Mood
• Employee and visitor satisfaction
• Student performance and learning
• Healing (especially in hospital environments)
• Productivity
• Cognitive function
• Circadian rhythms

DAYLIGHTING ADVANTAGES

The overall objective of daylighting is to minimize the amount of artificial light and reduce
electricity costs, but it can also lower HVAC costs as well. Electrical lighting produces a lot of
heat, whereas, if properly controlled, natural lighting generates hardly any heat at all.

For most buildings incorporating daylighting, the overall energy savings range from 15 to 40
percent. Although energy savings and sustainability may be the reasons companies initially
opt for daylighting, it can also have an impact on the productivity and satisfaction of
employees, students and even clients and retail customers.

People have a natural attraction and need for daylight. Studies suggest that daylighting has a
direct impact on well-being, productivity and overall sense of satisfaction. Even retail stores
like Wal-Mart have seen the environmental and monetary benefits of daylighting for both
employees and consumers. In an experiment, stores that included skylights over certain
departments found that overall sales per square foot were higher in the departments lit by
natural light.

DAYLIGHTING DISADVANTAGES

Although daylighting can provide numerous positive results in regards to worker performance,
if a daylighting program has not been executed properly, it can produce negative results. A
few strategies can help facility executives overcome the challenges of daylighting.

A high-performance daylighting system may initially require a significant investment. However,

if the project team uses an integrated, strategic design approach, a company’s overall long-
term savings make up for any initial peso spent on daylighting.

One important point is controlling glare. Direct sunlight penetration in classrooms and office
spaces often produces an unpleasant glare on worksurfaces, making it difficult to work or view
a computer screen.
The proper orientation of windows and skylights can admit direct and diffused daylight,
producing the best combination of light for a building while also reducing glare. The selection
and placement of windows and skylights should be determined by the amount of light needed
and be based upon climate and the design of the building.

Daylighting also calls for controlling the amount of heat that enters a building. Because the
sun is such a powerful source to light buildings, it can also produce tremendous amounts of
heat. If not planned properly, using natural lighting can result in undesirable heat gains.

It may seem that it would be difficult to increase the amount of light without bringing in extra
heat. However, the use of window treatments, window films and glazing can shade a window
or diffuse direct sunlight, minimizing heat gain. This can reduce overall cooling loads,
eliminating the need for a larger cooling system, resulting in additional overall savings.

Too much heat or light are not the only challenges associated with daylighting strategies.
Some architectural features, such as a building’s roof, atrium shapes or a building’s angles,
can prevent daylight from illuminating a space. To prevent daylight obstruction, wall openings
should be strategically placed within the space.

For example, if elements that can block daylight are located high up in the space they should
be as far from wall openings as possible. In a plan that features both open and enclosed
spaces, open space areas should be close to the wall openings. This maximizes the effect of
daylight, reflecting light deeper into the space.

PASSIVE DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES

Every building is different, which is why architects customize passive daylighting strategies
based on the building’s location and its intended use. The goal of daylighting is to collect
enough daylight in the summer to turn off electric lights and collect as much as possible in the
winter to help heat the building. Here are a few design elements that architects use to bring in
as much natural daylight as possible:

• Building Orientation

Light direction is important. Light that comes from the south is usually best for daylighting as
sunlight is consistent throughout the day and year. This orientation can also be used for solar
heat gain. Light that comes from the north is the next best, as the sunlight is as consistent as
the south, just in a lower quantity. Light that comes from the east and west should be avoided
if possible. Sunlight at these orientations is harsh, it only occurs during half the day, and the
height of the sun changes throughout the year, making sunlight harder to control. Architects
design buildings so that the rooms that require the most daylight (like front entrances) face
north or south, while rooms that require less daylight (like storage rooms) face east or west.

• Windows

To bring as much light into the building as possible, architects use windows with tall head
heights. They can also use uniform windows (horizontal ribbon windows) across the entire
façade to light the space evenly. HMC Architects used this technique when we designed the
Frontier Project. We also used bilateral window placement–windows facing each other from
opposite or adjacent sides–to light the entrance from every angle.

• Skylights

Skylights allow daylight to enter from above, which is useful in spaces at the center of the
building where light from windows can’t reach. As with windows, uniform skylight spacing
results in uniform lighting. Architects can also place skylights high above the floor, allowing
the light to diffuse before it reaches the ground.

• Clerestories

Windows that are high above eye level, or clerestories, can light up an entire room. Architects
usually combine clerestories with a reflective roof material or paint. The light enters through
the clerestories and reflects off the roof, spreading very diffuse light around the room below.

• External Shading Systems

At certain times of the day at each orientation, the light will be too bright and may produce a
strong glare inside the building. To prevent this, architects design custom external shading
systems to protect windows and other transparent openings. These systems usually include
a combination of horizontal and vertical elements, but vary depending on the geographical
location, climate, and building orientation.

• Light shelves

A reflective horizontal shelf placed above windows reduces glare and directs light deeper into
the space.

• Solar tubes

These channel sunlight from the roof through a narrow opening. During the day, they look like
ordinary ceiling lamps, but they are powered by the sun rather than electricity. These work
well when placed directly above desks, where people need plenty of light.
 • Light wall colors

Light, reflective paint helps light to bounce around the room and makes the space feel brighter.

• Parametric modeling, daylight simulation, and artificial intelligence (AI)

Modern architecture firms use parametric software to generate optimized daylighting

strategies for buildings. Daylight simulation software analyzes the building geometry and
calculates the anticipated daylighting levels throughout the building at any given time of year.
AI is the latest development, and its potential yet to be seen, but it is capable of synthesizing
massive data sets in seconds to automatically generate a solution, then learn from the solution
to create a more efficient solution.