Abstract
In this conceptual article we propose a framework for describing the experience of delightful daylighting in Nordic homes and a method to correlate it with an existing quantitative daylighting assessment. In contrast to earlier research on daylighting, the present work gives priority to developing the methodology for researching the experience of the inhabitant in a real situation and relying the quantitative assessment on an existing method. In this way, we shift the focus of daylight studies from quantitative evaluations towards qualitative descriptions of the human experience of daylight. The framework enables future research that can broaden the way the experience of daylighting is described and to see if the quantitative assessment according to the standard EN 17037:2018 Daylighting in buildings correlates with these descriptions. Firstly, the current state of research on subjective daylight preferences and daylight assessment is reviewed. Secondly, a novel method, the long-term spatial interview, is introduced. The aim of the method is to describe a long-term experience of a spatial phenomenon, in this case, delightful daylighting of Nordic homes, through a phenomenological perspective and enable localisation of the qualitative research results. Finally, the use of the existing EN-standard as a tool to quantitatively describe the daylight situation of spaces is explained and a correlation analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results is explicated. Future research based on the framework can provide useful information for designers aiming at creating delightful daylighting experiences in Nordic homes.
Highlights
Daylighting of residential spaces concerns almost everyone but has been scarcely studied [1,2]
We firstly present the current situation in studies on the assessment of daylight perceptions and preferences and the methods used to study the human experience in these studies (Section 2.1)
The EN-standard has been chosen as the quantitative assessment method for the framework as it is the only standard concerning only daylight that has been set as a national standard in Nordic countries [14]
Summary
Daylighting of residential spaces concerns almost everyone but has been scarcely studied [1,2]. Most studies concerning the perception of daylighting are studies on user preferences where the main research focus is not on the methodology to study the experience of daylighting but the quantitative assessment of the lighting situation [2,10–12]. This rationalist and socioeconomic discipline differs significantly from phenomenological architecture which is based on human experiences and behaviours, analysed through sensory influences, and which augments the atmosphere of the place. The significance of the framework is enhanced by studying the correlation between these descriptions and an existing quantitative daylight assessment method EN 17037:2018 Daylight in buildings [14] In this way, we can evaluate whether there is a correlation between the type of experience and the quantitative daylight situation. Understanding this connection would be significant for architects aiming to evoke certain experiences in space
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