WILLIAM M.C. LAM,
Cambridge, Massachusetts
SUNLIGHTING AS
FORMGIVERS FOR ARCHITECTURE
I began to get more involved energy conservation through
daylight design when I challenged the architects to do so during the Arab oil
embargo caused energy crisis as the AIA and DOE began the process of creating energy performance standards. The ideas developed, executed and critiqued
in my 1987 book Sunlighting as
Formgiver for Architecture seemed to have had some influence for a while.
From what I see being built today, I wonder if most of
you here today would agree that,
particularly in North America,
we have hardly begun to take advantage of the energy saving potential of exploiting daylight.
Now that the California crisis has begun to create renewed interest in energy conservation , I
believe that SUNLIGHTING and good
energy design can regain a higher priority , if we create delightful as
well as energy efficient buildings. Design
of lighting for energy conservation and economy without producing pleasant,
delightful luminous environments is
hard to sell. Poor and wasteful
design comes not from lack of hardware or funds, but from the lack of a clear
concept of what a good environment is and the values to make necessary
tradeoffs. If one really knows what a
good environment is, on can more likely achieve one. Today, I want to tell you
what is Sunlighting?
where it is relevant?
the principles and concepts illustrated with
Examples in a number of building types occupied mostly
during the day and
in which lighting is important , daylighting
desirable.
The importance of lighting controls to achieve the
potential energy savings
In the examples shown today , I will suggest the types
of buildings the offer the greatest national energy saving potential.
1. SUNLIGHTING
IS PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN.
MOST CHALLENGING IN WORK SPACES, SUCH AS SCHOOLS,
OFFICES, LABORATORIES, LIBRARIES AND
MUSEUMS....LEAST CHALLENGING IN PUBLIC SPACES WHERE COMFORT STANDARDS ARE LESS STRINGENT, AND CONTROLLED LIGHTING
LESS IMPORTANT.
Sunlighting is important because most of the world is sunny. Where less abundant it may also be important because sunlight is
more treasured there.
2. MOST OF USA--receives more MORE THAN 50% of possible
sunlight
SUNLIGHTING IS CONSCIOUS DESIGN OF BUILDING FORMS FOR
OPTIMUM ILLUMINATION AND THERMAL PERFORMANCE.
The indigenous;us architectures of the world are primary examples. The time frame of the design evolution was
such that illogical concepts were unlikely to become standardize...those that
became standardized were the “natural” solutions to the problems. We need to reexamine those architectural
forms..and modify them for todays different context--particularly more demanding
work conditions, the use of air conditioning, and very large, wide
buildings.
3. SUNLIGHTING IS DIFFERENT FROM DAYLIGHTING, justified
in Northern European practice...where the object was to make the windows and
skylights large enough for the darkest overcast days. With those designs, all beautiful sunny days are likely to be a
problem to be corrected by paint or shades and blinds that are likely to be in
place when not needed as well as when they are...as at the J. Hancock Building
in Boston
4-6 PEOPLE LOVE
TO SEE SUNLIGHT-AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT SUFFERING FROM GLARE OR OVERHEATING
7 Control sun
for heat and light
8 Sunlighting is
indirect lighting...
8-10 SUNLIGHT IS
INDIRECT LIGHTING because the ground is brighter than the sky........ same
principles
needs ceiling high for best distribution
needs high reflectance room surfaces
needs knowledge of where to put light sources for best
advantage, at max distance fro the ceiling.
BUT infinitely MORE COMPLICATED
light source constantly changing in direction and
intensity
In the sunny Middle East, decoration is likely to be on
the ceiling, Northern Europe on the glass.
11 -Control
Building Orientation and shape orient
EW to maximize Southern exposure
12 -13 Learn
from the indigenous architectures of the world ..as FL:W did
13- Use shading rather than low transmission glass
14- Mirror glass
does not control glare-local shading by users
16-17 Ground
reflected light is great in theory..just provide shading... but in reality is
usually not there...shaded by adjacent
building or trees The view to the
south is often the darkest
18-19 The most
reliable source of ground reflected light can be the facade itself.
Capture it, redirect it
using high reflectance materials.
20-21 To control
for light as well as heat- sunlight
needs to be redirected not absorbed
22 Students can
educate themselves with model studies
23 Use generic
data to extract design concepts...establish design
priorities
24
Liteshelves - SIDE LIGHTING SUMMARIZED
25-26 TOP
LIGHTING OFFERS THE MEANS TO ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING ON THE
TOP FLOORS OF MOST BUILDINGS DURING
DAYLIGHT HOURS. UNLIKE SIDE LIGHTING
, EASY TO DISTRIBUTE UNIFORMLY.
CHALLENGE ...TO CREATE A PLEASANT, DESIRABLE WINDOWLESS
ENVIRONMENT...NOT INCREASE HVAC COSTS MORE THAN SAVED FROM LIGHTING
TOP LIGHTING
- in
SUNLIGHTING..get the right seasonal balance of light and heat. GLARE from Low angle sunlight easier to
control in top lighting than as side
lighting.
27. FOR
SEASONAL BALANCE..CLERESTORIES ARE BETTER THAN SKYLIGHTS Flat skylights maximize light in summer,
better- slope to peak at equinox i
28-30 Daylighting
can be important in PUBLIC SPACES ..but since visual comfort considerations are
not usually very stringent in circulation spaces.
design requires
only good passive solar design ...
CASE STUDIES-
museums, churches, and homes are interesting challenges
but
in limited time today...
daytime work spaces
where lighting is important, quality factors most stringent and there is
maximum opportunity for energy saving
with Sunlighting
offices, labs, schools, libraries
factories, and shopping centers.
CONCLUSION:
We don’t need new gadgets like fiber optics, only
application of well established principles and commitment to the design
philosophy of form follows function instead of form follows style and value
engineering.
I hope I have demonstrated principles of SUNLIGHTING and
the quality of buildings that are shaped by it.
THE RESULTS OF SUNLIGHTING SHOULD BE DELIGHTFUL AS WELL
AS ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS. SELL
DELIGHT-MAKE IT ARCHITECTURE whether or not the clients has expressed interest in energy
conservation. They can get excited much more by the prospect
of comfortable, pleasant, delightful environments and what can be earned by better staff morale and productivity,
and brownout protection than what can
be saved on the electric bill, unless energy costs rise enough.
Reference: SUNLIGHTING AS FORMGIVER FOR
ARCHITECTURE, William M.C.Lam , Von Nostrum Reinhold, New York, 1987
case studies
27-31 Washington
Union Station, Tampa & Las Vegas Airport, Vancouver Courthouse, Denver
Airport
light
distribution not critical. Good
passive solar design important...ie. vent at Vancouver Robson Place.
32 Taliesen
West Originally an open tent for
winter camp-successively renovated to translucent roof with min light
transmission...more light from the windows.
33-37 Johnson Controls, Salt Lake City
a Lighting Inform Demonstration project...well documented example for
typical open office/warehouse building.
South facing Sheet metal light shelf plus high south facing wall.
suggested improvements:
small summer peaking skylights at middle, unshaded mirrored sloping light shelf edge, no overhang at
clerestory.
38-39 U. Missouri Med School Library
JC lessons applied:
unshaded clerestory to light south facing wall
litrium to interior light shelf wall of library-equal to
sloping skylight for max at equinox
integrated system to get max ceil height... exposed conc
structure with duct as light shelf.
40-45 BC/BS North Haven, Cn. Multi story litrium
office bldgs with light shelf
first bldg:
litrium equal n and s
...excessive overhang gloomy in
summer
2nd bldg - larger, s facing litrium, add trellising on
south facing for total shading
46-51 Soddy
Daisy School, Tenn -monitored by TVA
Solar
Lightshelves on s faces, south facing litrium
Great gym with
walls illum from clerestories
Sun catcher for equal light on both walls
52 Consolidated Diesel, Rocky Mount, N.C.
9 city blocks, environment more pleasant ..sunlit illuminated
walls” like working outdoors”
53-55 U.
Kentucky McDowell UK Cancer Research
Team process for great lab environment-services integrated in plan and section
clear high ceilings in labs (ducts, etc in shadow of
paired beams)
environment equal to offices,
56-57 Long Island Library-clerestories and light shelf
in traditional building form
58-59 Tisbury
School, Martha’s Vineyard .. E to S
facing light shelf as corridor ceiling for bilateral lighting, low scale
friendly edge.
60 Greenmeadow
School, Maynard ,MA... bilateral lighting from central skylights
61-62 United
Church of Christ Conf Ctr, Madison, Wis
V shaped building with East & West exposures
...low edge, corner windows, main lighting of perimeter rooms through
clerestories lit from central skylight, baffled with expanded wood
connectors. beautiful integrated
effect.
63 Problem
library with unhappy owners
skylight too large 25% of floor area...12% trans fritted
glass makes average illum in range, but large unbroken patches of 1000 fc
including main desk and reading tables.
skylights
covered with tarps. asked to
find permanent solution.
64 Ceiling
could have been shaped to benefit
larger area.
65 Truro
Library , Cape Cod 4% skylight area
is enough
rather than translucent or louvered skylight which look
like fluorescent light fixtures,
better to baffle clear skylights with large scale
baffles integrated with the structure.
See sunlight, makes entire ceiling the light fixture.
66-67 Newbury
Library, MA Clerestories give good
lighting...distribution, glare , and aesthetic effect would be better with
similar baffles that were eliminated in Value Engineering...along with blinds
at the windows. Hope and expect ,
these will be installed eventually.
68-70 USPS
Prototype work spaces one design for Country..... hundreds of buildings over
US. Employees wanted daylight.
EW facing clerestories...max light early and late in the
day when facilities most active.
Better effect with cross baffles as proposed., duct enclosed.
Great form for quality spaces in offices, high tech
manufacturing , or shopping centers.
71-75 artificial
light/ Lockheed, Oakland, CA
Confession: as
concept designer, on most projects I did not have a chance to follow up to see
that...the projects took advantage of energy saving potential...switching the
lights off when not needed. To see
that circuiting was logically organized in zones related to
daylight or function.
In homes, most
people probably close the blinds and turn off the lights. When the user is not paying the bill, or if
there is no one is clear responsible for controlling the shades or lights,
automated systems are a necessity. Not
only must a good system need to be installed, but it must also be properly calibrated.
Example from Lockheed...years before energy conservation
potential was realized.
Design flaw at Lockheed...south face of atrium needed to
be treated like an exterior wall.
76-78 TVA 5mSF
Mirror system for increased potential for energy conservation ...compromised during Value Engineering before design completed w undesigned mirror
system on RFP.
79-80 Morgan
Hall, Harvard Business School example
of mirror installation...Should be installed at TVA as DOE. demonstration.
Very easy since the Liteshelves are already in place.