| Title |
Predicted Performance of Reintroduced Direct Sunlight as an Additional Natural Lighting Source |
| Keywords |
direct sunlight ; Natural lighting ; Reflected light ; Natural light source ; Daylighting performance index |
| Abstract |
An increase in the design of commercial buildings with daylighting is beginning to receive more attention, claimed by some as a second revolution in architecture. The benefits of daylighting may vary significantly because a characteristic of daylight is the way in which it varies. Sunlight, however, received in the interior of a building after filtering can serve a useful purpose as the additional sources of natural illumination. In a cloudy climate it can serve as an occasional welcome addition to the available diffuse light. Also, site constraints or surrounding urban context may necessitate using reflected light sources, or such sources may be an integral part of the overall design objectives and aesthetics of the proposed projects. When sunlight is introduced into a space, its role in general illumination is what is of interest in this study. Results show that sunlight may help the general illumination in almost same level of significance as daylight from diffuse sky. It is also summarized that the contribution of reintroduced sunlight to general illumination through the year round may be even and uniform regardless of the season. Consequently, reintroduction of sunlight should be regarded as one of the successful means to enhance the visual environment in quantitative and qualitative way. |