Validation of the Algorithms Developed for Preliminary Prediction of Daylight Distribution in a Toplighted Atrium

Empirically based preliminary prediction algorithms were recently developed for different atrium types under various diffuse sky conditions. In the case of toplighted atriums, these algorithms were developed to predict light levels on the horizontal floor and on the vertical wall surfaces of the atrium. However, the actual building atriums measured to assess these algorithms in a full-scale setting were four stories high or lower. This study presents an investigation of the validity of the developed algorithms using full-scale measurements in two four-sided toplighted atriums 11 and 14 stories high respectively. The measurements were made over several days in the two large atriums of the Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. These data are compared with the algorithm predictions, and the usefulness of the prediction models is discussed

Sick building syndrome: are we doing enough?

Health and well-being are vitally important aspects of people centric building design and are the roots of productivity. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a collection of factors that can negatively affect physical health in several ways. Besides physical health is also related to psychological well-being because the human body is one interactive biological system. This paper focuses on reviewing the current state of knowledge on building sickness syndrome which has been prevalent as a building illness since the 1970s especially in offices and schools. While the concepts of intelligent, smart and sustainable buildings have gained considerable attention during recent decades, there is now increasing attention being given to designing healthy buildings. This study provides a review about SBS symptoms. Several negative effects of SBS are identified and potential solutions are advocated. Finally, the study stresses the role of built environment and concludes that ongoing research towards tackling SBS and developing healthy indoor environments should not be limited to a single formula as any health-related building design approach is dependent on several interacting factors

Optimization of facade design based on the impact of interior obstructions to daylighting

Overcrowding in the perimeter zone is an inevitable issue in residential rooms with limited space. Obstructions, such as furniture and household items, may block the existing windows, and therefore affect interior daylight conditions. A facade design approach is needed that simultaneously takes into account daylighting and the volume of usable space for obstructions in the perimeter zone of such rooms. This study simulates daylight distributions in a typical small residential room with obstructions in front of windows. The simulation consists of two parts. First, the effects on horizontal illuminances caused by different positions and shapes of obstructions are examined under an overcast sky. Second, the maximum usable space volumes for obstructions of 51 optimized facade configurations are calculated in terms of four window-to-wall ratios (WWRs). The results of this study show that optimizing the forms of facade design can increase the usable interior space volume and meet the daylighting requirements of Chinese standards for small residential rooms. Additionally, by using the optimized facade forms, a facade with a WWR value of 50% provides the maximum usable space for obstructions. Based on the above results, this paper presents two matrices that can help architects in selecting the appropriate fenestration methods and confirming the size of usable space and allocation for residents

Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect in amorphous FeNiCr(SiB) ribbons

International audienc

Structural, magnetic, magnetocaloric properties and critical behavior of La0.62Nd0.05Ba0.33MnO3 elaborated by co-precipitation process

International audienc