Optimizing daylight utilization of flat skylights in heritage buildings

Area of Science:

• Architectural Engineering
• Sustainable Design
• Building Performance Simulation

Background:

• Adapted reuse of historical buildings presents challenges due to severe deterioration and the need for delicate retrofitting to preserve originality.
• Altering building use requires special considerations to meet new user needs and maintain historical significance.
• Daylight in historical buildings is crucial for appreciating artistic content, ensuring user visual comfort, and impacting overall energy performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meet new daylight requirements in heritage building spaces, prioritizing natural daylight over artificial lighting.
• To optimize daylighting conditions in a historical palace through parametric configuration of a skylight.
• To assess the impact of design interventions on visual and thermal comfort in adapted reuse projects.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Rhino + Grasshopper's Diva package to assess daylight performance in a top-lit space at Tosson Palace, Egypt.
• Employed Radiance and Daysim engines for parametric skylight configuration and optimization in a high-intensity solar climate.
• Applied a multi-objective octopus plugin for genetic optimization of skylight glazing and dimensions, evaluated using LEED v4.1 criteria (sDA and ASE).

Main Results:

• Optimized skylight configurations reduced Annual Sun Exposure (ASE) by 38% compared to the base case, mitigating direct sunlight issues.
• Achieved a moderate and uniform daylight distribution across affected floor levels, protecting interior artifacts.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of minimum design interventions in enhancing visual and thermal conditions.

Conclusions:

• The study provides guidance for heritage adapted reuse in hot climates, balancing original design preservation with user comfort needs.
• Optimized skylight solutions can significantly improve daylight adequacy and reduce glare in historical structures.
• Further research will explore the enhancement of both visual and thermal conditions through advanced skylight configurations.