Visual comfort-based methods for building envelopes design

Obtaining the theoretical knowledge by attending to the theoretical lectures and working via simulation tools in the laboratory. As well as solving individual projects during the whole semester. Solar geometry. Solar access. Sustainability in buildings. Urban design. Floor-cluster. Solar envelope. Solar collection surface. Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB). Daylight. Visual comfort. Rhinoceros. Grasshopper. Glazing systems. Reverse solar envelope. Shading systems. Complex fenestration systems.

NB! This course will take place in spring semester 2024/2025 which starts on 3rd of February and ends on 16th of June (you can find that information under Start date section). The real course start and end dates will be announced at the beginning of February at the latest.

After completing this course the student:

• has a basic understanding of solar geometry, indoor comfort concepts, and related metrics;
• is able to use solar envelope methods taking into account different solar access regulations;
• determines the influence of design decisions on solar access and daylight provision;
• integrates daylight provision and solar access in the buildings envelope design process;
• discusses the learned knowledge with vocabulary and technical terms of the discipline;
• evaluates façade solutions according to different design criteria;
• is able to design different building types considering performance-driven methods.

Final assessment can consist of one test/assignment or several smaller assignments completed during the whole course. After declaring a course the student can re-sit the exam/assessment once. Assessment can be graded or non-graded. For specific information about the assessment process please get in touch with the contact person of this course. For specific information about grade transfer please contact your home university

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• R.L. Knowles, Sun Rhythm Form, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1981.
• Capeluto I.G., Shaviv E. 1997 Modeling the Design of Urban Grids and Fabric with Solar RightsConsiderations, Proc. of the ISES 1997 Solar World Congress, Taejon, Korea, (pp. 148-160).
• Capeluto Plotnikov, A method for the generation of climate-based context-dependent parametic solar envelopes, Architectural Science review, 2017.
• De Luca, Solar form-finding. Subtractive solar envelope and integrated solar collecion computational method for hig-rise buildings in urban environments, ACADIA 2017.
• Carlucci, S. et al., 2015. A review of indices for assessing visual comfort with a view to their use in optimization processes to support building integrated design. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 47, pp.1016–1033.
• Galatioto, A. & Beccali, M., 2016. Aspects and issues of daylighting assessment: A review study. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 66, pp.852–860.
• De Luca, F., Dogan, T., & Sepúlveda, A. (2021). Reverse solar envelope method. A new building form-finding method that can take regulatory frameworks into account. Automation in Construction, 123, 103518.

lectures, exercises