Existing buildings represent city’s history and culture, as well as they have a great functional value. Retrofit is the mean to ensure values belonging to old buildings, and, at the same time, to adapt buildings to new purpose and lifestyle. European Union roadmap is lately establishing new regulations to reduce building energy consumption, what has turned energy into renovations’ spotlight. However, energy improvements alone entail pourer daylight conditions. So, it is important to study both factors together, and do it more carefully for buildings of historical value, where aesthetic of the construction is usually protected. It is then the aim of this thesis to characterize the problems faced by architects and engineers when developing refurbishment strategies to improve both energy and daylighting performance and to provide options to solve such issue.
DAYLIGHTING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR RETROFITTING BUILDINGS OF ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL INTEREST: A SIMULATION-BASED INVESTIGATION FOR A COPENHAGEN CASE STUDY
Thesis develops first a preliminary study that assesses daylight conditions in existing building block areas to characterize light levels before retrofit intervention. The analysis covers different urban canyons, glazing type, window size and room high. Then, second study analyses the potential of room elements to affect light conditions. Different strategies are applied to get energy and daylight improvements bearing in mind building aesthetic importance. Overall, this work contributes to construction field through a range of room examples that can serve as an inspiration to experts, owners and users facing retrofit projects. There is a wide variety of buildings and room conditions, so that there is not singular and unique solution. Nevertheless, to characterize daylight design solutions contributes to the complex knowledge of natural light that will bring proper and high quality design solutions.
Cited: Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut (SBi) “Dagslysbestemmelser i BR,” 2016. Daylight Retrofit Guide: http://issuu.com/maria8982/docs/maria_garcia_daylight_renovation_gu/1
Maria Garcia Master Thesis Project. (Day)lighting group (Aarhus University) and Henning Larsen Architects, Denmark. January 2016
Why?
Goals?
Why retrofit?
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Provide daylight renovations options which consider common restriction in protected buildings.
- We make use of old buildings in our everyday life. - Existing buildings represent great values: history and culture. - Great part of existing buildings does not fulfill current standards. - Retrofits should rise quality in well-being, energy, health, economy and architecture.
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Analyze daylight conditions from different perspectives (illuminance levels, human comfort and energy performance) and with different metrics ( DF, CBDM, vertical illuminance and DGP).
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Provide guidance on how to approach the problem by summeriznig thesis work in a Daylgith Retrofit Guide.
Why daylight? - Natural light adds value to retrofit plans. - However, daylight is often underestimated and suffers negative consecuences from energy interventions.
How?
Municipality
Professionals
Owners
Users / society
Østerbor1Area,1St.1Kjelds1neighborhood. Copenhagen Denmark
1. Courtyard performance
2. Room modifications
This preliminary study looks at daylight conditions in existing building block areas to characterize potential daylight levels before retrofit intervention.
Second study analyzes the potential of room elements to improve light conditions. Parametric study is develop to get energy and daylight improvement bearing in mind aesthetic importance for protected buildings.
PARAMETRIC STUDY
STRATEGIES
URBAN CANYON
ROOM STOREY
WINDOW Façade thickness
Window type
Window Reveal
Window size
Balconies