Dynamic daylight performance oriented design optimizations for contemporary reading room represented deep open-plan spaces

Abstract

Appropriate daylight environments are essential for library reading spaces that commonly meet long-term reading and writing. While conventional window form, position, and orientation designs felt increasingly difficult to comply the transformation towards deep, multi-functional open-plan modes of contemporary reading spaces. Insights of key design variable optimizations that can effectively enhance the dynamical daylight performance of open reading room represented deep open plans, therefore, become urgently needed. Employing dynamic daylight simulations validated by scaled-model measurements, this study firstly screened out the key design variables affecting both perimeter and deep areas through coupled orthogonal test-based sensitivity analyses. Afterwards, through daylight simulations considering differentiated illumination thresholds of both areas, single-factor analyses evaluating impacts of key design variables (window height and width coefficients, room heights, transmittances, and orientations) over both daylight intensities and glare probabilities have been thoroughly carried out. Qualified depths of both lighting threshold had been examined. The window width coefficient and transmittance were validated as critical design variables for perimeter area glare control. Window height and width coefficients, as well as room height were confirmed as main impacting factors to ensure mid-deep and deep zone illuminations, respectively. Moderately large window height (0.7∼0.8) and width (around 0.7) coefficients, glass transmittance (around 0.7) while moderately small room height (3.3∼3.6 m) are recommended. The research outcomes can assist in more effective decision-makings of early design phase daylight optimizations for common deep open-plan spaces. • Dynamical daylight simulations for varied depths among deep open-plans performed. • Orthogonal test based sensitivity analyses and single-factor analyses conducted. • Key variables for perimeter area glares and deep zone illumination levels validated. • Suitable design strategies of key variables for balanced daylight quality proposed.