Study on Daylighting Performance in the CFAD Studios at the University of Sharjah

Abstract

One of the major concerns for achieving comfortability and sustainability inside studios is lighting quantity and quality. Integrating daylighting without creating glare in building design would reduce the intensive use of artificial lighting. The latitude of the UAE “United Arab Emirates” leads to the high intensity of solar radiation, which requires serious attention to find effective strategies to control daylighting and achieve both visual and thermal comfort. High-quality lighting performance in building design can be achieved by minimizing active artificial lighting needs through correct building design and maximizing the use of available natural passive daylight sources. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the performance and alternatives of integrated daylight into one of the studios at the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) by improving the existing conditions of studios in the CFAD according to standards. A light meter and Autodesk Revit software were used in the study and its related analysis. The Autodesk Revit software has been used to analyze the luminance environment of the existing studio and other cases to reach the best alternative. Six simulation cases, including the current case, were simulated and compared with each other regarding the required amount of Daylight Factor (DF). As a result, case 6 performed best among the rest of the alternatives. Such integration in the educational buildings could be significant and would help decision-makers and architects adjust their buildings and improve indoor lighting. However, further studies on the psychology of users and building energy consumption should be taken forward in the future.