Daylighting in the architectural design process: development of a virtual tool to support the initial design steps

• Grant number: 17/24479-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Architecture and Urbanism Technology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Sergio Scarazzato
• Grantee: Jéssica Cristine da Silva Fonseca Matos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The benefits of daylight in buildings are well known: quality of lighting incomparably superior to electrical lighting sources, reduction of electricity consumption, and positive impact on productivity, well-being, comfort, and health of users. Such benefits justify the inclusion of issues related to the use of daylight in the early stages of the architectural project when important building variables are defined, such as orientation, volume, room layout, openings, and shading. However, architect education in daylighting issues rarely goes beyond a quantitative and superficial approach. Thus, the project presented here developed a virtual tool to support the project, following the methodology of "Design Science Research," which helps to include questions about daylighting in the early stages of the architectural design process. For this, the tool contains several design parameters related to the basic concepts of daylighting and different scales: (i) urban, (ii) surroundings, (iii) buildings, (iv) interiors, and (v) furniture. The target audience for the development of the tool was students of the architecture course, intended to be a tool to support the teaching of natural lighting in the architecture course. The tool was used experimentally in design disciplines of the mandatory curriculum of the graduation course in architecture and urbanism at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Urbanism at the University of Campinas (FECFAU-Unicamp). Evaluation questionnaires were applied to analyze their applicability and contribution to student training about daylight. The tool is available on the web and app store and can be used for free. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MATOS, Jéssica Cristine da Silva Fonseca. Daylighting in the architectural design process: Development of a virtual tool to support the initial design steps. 2023. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo Campinas, SP.