Daylight Provision Requirements According to EN 17037 as a Restriction for Sustainable Urban Planning of Residential Developments

Nataša Šprah,Mitja Košir

doi:10.3390/su12010315

Abstract

The attempt at a more sustainable land use by increasing urban density may have a negative effect on the daylighting of residential buildings. In densely built areas, obstructions generated by the surrounding buildings can substantially reduce the available amount of daylight, causing poorly daylit spaces and a less healthy indoor environment with higher electricity consumption as a consequence of artificial lighting. European standard EN 17037, Daylight in Buildings, was established in 2018 to ensure appropriately daylit spaces. In this paper, a three-step methodology was developed to investigate the relationship between certain urban planning parameters and the daylighting of a typical room defined by specific (Slovenian) legislative restrictions about its geometry and minimum required window to floor area ratio, in order to establish the maximum densities of residential developments still fulfilling the minimum requirements for daylight provision defined by EN 17037. The results show that a relatively low urban density is required to fulfil the stipulations for minimum daylight provision for the deepest permissible room according to the Slovenian legislation. The impact of the development floor area ratio on the daylighting potential of buildings was identified as significant, followed by the site coverage, development layout, and building typology. Furthermore, the developed methodological approach clearly demonstrates a substantial potential for application in urban planning, with indoor daylight environmental conditions being linked to the planning of residential developments in the earliest stages of the project.

Highlights

Cities are among the most important entities shaping the sustainable future of human well-being [1]
The proposed relationship can be used to define guidelines regarding maximum urban densities that still allow for the minimum required daylighting of indoor spaces at the stage of urban planning prior to the commencement of detailed archSiutsetacintaubilritya2l02d0,e1s2,ixgFnO.R TPEhEReRmEVaIEiWn advantage of the proposed approach to the4uofr2b2 an planning of residential developments is in the way indoor daylighting requirements are already considered at the urban levoef lthaenstdatetdhestraenfdoarrde acroe nnotrt idbiruecttelytoapbpleictatbelre tionudrobaonrplliavninningg,ctohenydciatniobne sapapnliedd, iantditrhecetlys.ame time, to
Since maximum floor area ratio (FAR) and site coverage are commonly used for density restrictions in urban zoning plans, while at the same time they can be universally applied to any building typology and urban morphology, their direct connection to indoor daylight potential would prove useful in the early planning stages of new residential developments

Summary

Introduction

Cities are among the most important entities shaping the sustainable future of human well-being [1]. In this regard, compactness of the built environment is a widely acceptable strategy through which more sustainable urban forms might be achieved [2]. Positive effects of urban densification as a strategy for sustainable development, such as the reduction of energy needs for heating, cooling and mobility as well as the possibility for more efficient land use, have been widely accepted and adapted to various policies [3]. The most appropriate urban form and density in the case of achieving lower energy consumption are different from the targets of the highest economic benefits or social sustainability [5]. Within the social aspect of the sustainability agenda, urban form works in different ways—density can for example worsen social equity [6]

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion