A Design Method for Complex Fenestration Systems Using Forward Raytracing

Abstract

Complex fenestration systems (CFS) are becoming a part of the building designer’s daylight strategies to bring higher quality of daylighting. While numerous tools effectively analyse the behaviour of CFS in the building space, the field lacks a comprehensive CFS design tool that takes the built context and environmental conditions into consideration. The paper proposes a method for designing CFS with their performance optimized considering the building context and environmental conditions. A parametric forward raytracing design tool is presented and the design evaluation criteria for such CFS is developed to assist building practitioners in easily and quickly design CFS. The tool is to reduce the need for learning complicated technologies, outsourcing the design task or breaking a link in the workflow of building designing. A case study is carried out to test the current and potential capabilities of the proposed work-in- progress method. The results show that an optimized CFS design using the forward raytracing tool can be achieved in shorter times with improved performance compare to non-optimized CFS designs.