Optimising Daylighting Performance in Tropical Courtyard and Atrium Buildings for Occupants’ Wellbeing

Daylighting has attracted increasing attention from researchers as an energy-efficient and sustainable building design technique. This research investigates the daylighting of atrium and courtyard building by comparing the performance of various Window to Wall Ratios (WWR) appropriate to Malaysia's tropical climate. The most acceptable option for daylight performance was to specify a moderate WWR value of 30% with shading devices. The results of The Radiance Daylighting Simulations confirmed the daylight performance by a comparison of calculated data and modelling. The findings show the combinations of daylighting parameters that work for courtyard and atrium buildings for the occupants' wellbeing. Keywords: Daylighting Performance, Courtyard, Atrium, Tropical, Radiance Simulations eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i16.2710

FORMATION FEATURES OF ATRIUM SPACES IN THE ASPECT OF VISUAL-SPATIAL RELATIONS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

Changes in the atrium buildings in the functional and compositional aspects in diff erent historical periods infl uenced the typology and features of the use of atrium spaces in modern architecture. This study is based on a comprehensive analysis of the development of atrium buildings and a synthesis of the obtained qualitative characteristics of atrium spaces with trends in the formation of functional-composite components in modern architecture. The purpose of the article is to identify typological features of atrium spaces that form the visual integration of internal and external spaces. Artistic expressiveness and variability of the use of atrium in modern architecture are prerequisites for the systematization and identifi cation of the features of the formation of atrium spaces. The author considers the formation of atrium spaces as an aspect of visual-spatial connections with the environment.

STAGES OF FORMATION OF ATRIUM SPACES IN THE ASPECT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY ENVIRONMENT

The formation of atrium spaces, the change in their functional and compositional features in the process of development and transformation of space-planning qualities of architecture are investigated. The accumulated experience in designing atrium buildings with the aim of creating a sustainable architectural and urban planning environment is systematized. For the first time, prototypes of atrium spaces of the Middle Ages of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are analyzed. Studied domestic and foreign experience in the formation of atrium buildings. The features of the shaping of modern atrium spaces that perform the function of a courtyard for one or a group of buildings are revealed.

Glazing Sizing in Large Atrium Buildings: A Perspective of Balancing Daylight Quantity and Visual Comfort

Due to the multiple benefits on energy, well-being, comfort, and the economy, the utilization of daylight remains an imperative topic of architectural design. With the remarkable ability of drawing and increasing daylight deep into the core of buildings, atriums with a large proportion of glazing have become one of the most preferred design forms. The concomitant and unexpected visual discomfort in modern buildings, however, has drawn increasing concerns. Therefore, this study investigated the relation between glazing proportion and daylight performance, as well as the impact of building height and atrium types on daylight performance in atrium buildings by using an annual dynamic simulation method and metrics. It was found that extending glazing proportion had prominent effectiveness in the enhancement of daylighting; building height had a negative influence; round and square types of buildings performed much better than rectangular ones. Moreover, to inform a practical design, we analyzed the link between increasing daylight and visual comfort from the perspective of balancing them, and then proposed a design guide for atrium roof-glazing sizing.