Evaluation and Optimization of Daylighting in Heritage Buildings: A Case-Study at High Latitudes

Abstract

Transforming historical listed buildings into workplaces is a serious challenge, particularly for buildings with relatively small windows in the façades, which determine scarce daylighting indoors. This paper studied how daylighting can be significantly increased in a case-study historical building through rooflighting systems, as the façade cannot be modified. The case-study was a historic and iconic warehouse built-in 1681 in Trondheim, Norway. The optimized configuration was analyzed in terms of daylight amount and view analysis, according to EN 17037 and to LEED v4.1 protocol. A critical evaluation of the actual applicability of the optimized Scenario in the real building was carried out along with the constructors. A 3D model was built in Rhinoceros, and daylighting simulations of the base-case (the building in the existing configuration) and for 6 alternative Scenarios were run through Climate Studio. The following metrics were calculated: Daylight Factor (DF), Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA), Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE), and views. An optimized configuration was eventually identified through the Galapagos component in Grasshopper, with an average DF value of 2.7% (against 0.9% in the base-case configuration), higher than the target DFm of 2.4% for Norway), and a sDA value of 50.2% (14.2% in base-case configuration).

Indoor Environmental Quality and Occupant Comfort

“…The articles published in this Special Issue are representative of this research field. Scholars focus on how to effectively improve indoor thermal comfort [7], air quality [8], lighting performance [9][10][11][12], and sound insulation performance [13], and reduce building energy consumption by optimizing building equipment [7][8][9], interior spaces [10][11][12], and building structures [13]. In addition, the functional types and geographical locations of the research objects are different.…”

“…Zhang et al [8] studied a new ventilation system for rural houses in severely cold regions of China in winter. Piraei et al [10], Ma et al [11], and Jia et al [12] explored the optimal design of daylighting performance of heritage buildings in highlatitude areas and classrooms in mid-latitude areas. Qu et al [13] conducted a study on the sound insulation performance of interior partition structures for a hotel.…”

CFD Assessment of Car Park Ventilation System in Case of Fire Event

“…This observation gains even greater significance within the current landscape, characterized by a discernible shift towards the replacement of conventional systems with environmentally conscious alternatives. This collective effort seeks to amplify the pursuit of carbon neutrality, particularly within the realm of building design and infrastructure development [7][8][9][10][11][12]. In the context of this trend, the adoption of jet fan ventilation systems serves as a notable example of embracing innovative solutions to achieve heightened sustainability goals and mitigate global warming.…”

Impact of building envelope parameters on occupants’ thermal comfort and energy use in courtyard houses

“…Indeed, one of the most crucial elements in defining a building's energy efficiency might be considered to be the façade design and the thermophysical properties of the materials used Kazemi, Courard, & Hubert, 2021;Madandoust, Bazkiyaei, & Kazemi, 2018;Mirrahimi et al, 2016;Moein et al, 2023). For instance, lowering the U-value enhances thermal performance, which can be attained using a various techniques depending on the climate, including adding more glazing layers, using special coatings to control solar radiation, and filling gaps between two layers with low thermal conductive gases (Al-Saadi, 2006;Carmody, Selkowitz, Lee, Arasteh, & Willmert, 2004;Norouziasas, Pilehchi Ha, Ahmadi, & Rijal, 2022;Piraei, Matusiak, & Lo Verso, 2022;Rahif et al, 2022). Also, the window is one of the most critical parts of the building, responsible for about 60% of the total energy loss of a building (Jelle et al, 2012).…”