The Investigation of Natural Light Level and Distribution Based on Opening Orientation (Case Studies: Laboratory in Educational Building)

Abstract

This research investigates the level and distribution of natural lighting based on the orientation of the openings in the laboratory room in the educational building at a university in Depok, West Java, Indonesia. The building was built using a green building approach. This building has several functions, two of which are the Basic Chemistry Lab and Biomedical Lab, which are located on the 8th floor of the educational building. This study addresses the questions, which laboratory room has the highest level of natural light in terms of the orientation of its openings? How is the distribution of natural lighting in these two laboratory rooms? On-site measurement was conducted to determine the natural light levels in laboratory rooms and building performance simulation software was used to investigate the distribution of natural lighting throughout the room. The results show that the level of natural lighting in the Basic Chemistry Lab (openings on the north side) and in the Biomedical Lab (openings on the south side) is similar, depends on the time and the sun position. The distribution of natural lighting in both laboratory rooms is not evenly distributed. To meet lighting needs, it is therefore the use of the distribution of natural light in the two rooms that needs to be adjusted.