MAXIMIZING DAYLIGHTING WITH SOLAR CONTROL IN DESIGN STUDIOS IN THE UAE

摘要

Seeking architectural expression in building facades that reflect the new cultural meanings of the society have resulted in buildings with excessive areas of glass, giving little or no attention to the impact on the environmental issues. Consequently, the quality of the indoor space to provide the required thermal and visual comfort was sacrificed. This research project investigates the problem of providing the appropriate lighting and thermal conditions for tasks involved in the architectural design studio such as drafting, model making, and computer using under the UAE conditions. Controlling the solar radiation and maximizing the use of daylighting as ways to improve the thermal and visual comfort and to save energy is investigated. The ultimate goal of this research is to attain appropriate design guidelines for daylight performance in architectural studios in the Arab Gulf region (i.e., a hot arid region) with specific emphasis to the UAE based on testing several case studies. The study depends mainly on experimental research approach. At the current stage the study focused only on evaluating the base case which is the new building of the department of architectural engineering at UAE University. It is also considered as a pilot study. Valuable experiences have been acquired and recorded from conducting this initial stage. Other design improvements will be evaluated in later stages.