Strategies:
How to daylight a building
Daylighting requires the correct placement of openings, or windows, in the building envelope to allow light penetration while providing adequate distribution and diffusion of the light. A well-designed system avoids excessive thermal gains and excessive brightness resulting from direct sunlight, which can impair vision and cause discomfort.
To control excessive brightness or contrast, windows are often equipped with additional elements such as shades, blinds, and light shelves. In most cases, the daylighting system should also include controls that dim or turn off lights when sufficient natural light is available to maintain desired lighting levels. It is also often desirable to integrate daylighting systems with the artificial lighting system to maintain required task or ambient illumination while maximizing the amount of lighting energy saved. Recent daylighting innovations offer a wide range of advanced, highly efficient, and, in some cases, highly engineered systems. In reviewing these options, the designer should recognize that higher efficiency and improved daylighting performance may entail additional costs.
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The condition at the new and existing building interface presents an opportunity to create clerestories at the high-low roof intersection. The clerestory on the left faces north and brings in soft diffuse light while the clerestory on the right faces west. | | |
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