Testing physical models of architectural spaces is a viable means to evaluate daylighting schemes for buildings. An effective daylighting model allows the designer to record and compare daylight aperture options quickly and reliably. For the sake of comparison, a reliably consistent sky condition is required. The natural sky poses a problem. Natural skies are dynamically variable, not only from day-to-day, but from minute-to-minute, defeating the principal of consistency required for accurate comparisons. This problem has led lighting designers to create artificial, electrically illuminated skies for model testing daylighting schemes. This paper presents the underlying theory and feasibility of an unique artificial sky that uses daylight for illumination. The design has been developed in a graduate seminar, during which multiple options were examined and refined through scale model studies. A full scale prototype is planned to be built in the summer of 2012.
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