Daylight And Seating Preference In Open-Plan Library Spaces

Abstract

Daylight factor has long been the predominant metric to evaluate daylight performance. Recently, the profession has moved toward annual dynamic daylight metrics such as useful daylight illuminance and daylight autonomy, which are based on absolute values of time varying daylight illuminance for a period of full year. As opposed to static daylight metrics that only concentrate on individual sky conditions, such as the widely used daylight factor, these metrics provide a more comprehensive way to measure illuminance for a wide range of sun positions and sky conditions. Although there is a growing consensus assigning importance to dynamic daylight metrics, there is no common understanding of how to integrate the preference and behaviour of building occupants in assessing the applicability of these metrics. In fact, it is when these occupancy observations and quantitative measurements are taken together that the importance of daylight performance metrics is fully realized. This study seeks to investigate the extent to which the influence of daylight on behaviour can be predicted, and for this the behaviour investigated is seating preferences of occupants in open plan, hot-desking spaces in two university libraries in Sheffield: Western Bank Library and the Information Commons. The results suggest that the association between daylight and seat choice may not be strong, and that any effect is better associated with daylight factor than with useful daylight illuminance or daylight autonomy.