GlareShade: a visual comfort based approach to adaptive shading systems

Abstract

The thesis investigates design solutions for an adaptive shading system in high-rise office buildings. High density of occupants, variation in comfort levels corresponding with different activity types and individuals' preferences, diverse occupation schedules and maximized exposure to outside environment relative to construction footprint exemplify the complexities associated with daylight control strategies in high-rise office buildings. Precedent daylight control strategies fail to address the glare issue and relative complexities associated with variation of criteria for occupants' comfort. The thesis proposes a new method to evaluate glare issue relative to an individual's viewpoint and identifies the problematic region(s) on corresponding glazing surface(s) that can be addressed with an adaptive shading system.