Assessing the Efficiency of Sunscreens in University of Baghdad Campus

Abstract

Sunscreens play an important role as exterior solar shading devices that block a certain amount of the sun radiation from entering the building. Thereby, they improve indoor environmental qualities by reducing heat gain, controlling glare and decreasing contrast ratios leading to increased human comfort, satisfaction and productivity. In University of Baghdad campus design, Gropius’s main aim was “Let climate control dominate the university architectural motif”. Sunscreens were thus essential features and functional both from the practical point of view to protect windows, and as a prominent design element of sculptural quality. The campus, over the past decades, was subjected to many changes and new buildings were added to the master plan. Sunscreens were imposed on the new buildings’ elevations as unifying design elements without considering the climatic and orientation aspects, causing excessive heat gain in interior spaces. The paper aims to explore and evaluate the efficiency of sunscreens in University of Baghdad campus, in both the original and new buildings, to determine the optimal building orientation and the effective sunscreen design that improves the passive energy performance of the buildings.