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Breadcrumbs

Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture Lucerne School of Engineering and Architecture
About us About us
Building and Construction Building and Construction
Building Envelopes and Civil Engineering Building Envelopes and Civil Engineering
Building Envelopes Building Envelopes
Daylight in buildings Daylight in buildings

Daylight in buildings A visible factor for comfort and energy requirements

While the impact of daylight on our perception of buildings is evident, its effects on energy demand, visual comfort, subjective perception, and occupant well-being are highly variable and complex.

CCGH+IB conducts research and development in this field, delivering spplication-oriented solutions for daylight behaviour modelling and the development of daylight-responsive products. Our work supports both manufacturers and planners in creating high-performance, user-centered daylight solutions.

Goniophotometer for measuring the spatial distribution of transmitted and reflected light (image: M. Vogel)

Spatial flow of daylight at Villa Müller (simulation radiance photon map)

Daylight redirection and absorption (simulation radiance photon map)

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Building envelope as a regulator for daylight

The building envelope acts as a "building skin" - not only as a boundary, but also as a regulator for daylight. It shields direct sunlight and directs it evenly into the interior. At CCGH+IB, climatebased metrics are used to provide reliable information on daylight quality in indoor areas - in contrast to simplified planning parameters such as the daylight factor. Together with international partners, we develop novel methods and support planning and industry goals.

Projects:

Affordanz-basierte Tageslichtanalyse in antiken Häusern

Light fields for glare assessment

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Sun protection, glare protection, daylight control

Sun protection systems are essential in highly insulated buildings, yet they often create conflicts between effective summer heat protection and adequate daylight availability. This challenge can be addressed through coordinated control strategies, as well as innovative directionally selective, and switchable systems. CCGH+IB conducts research on both specialized and integrated solutions that intelligently combine solar protection with daylight provision.

Projects:

Adaptives Blendschutztextil

Elektrochromes Glas

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Measurement and modelling of optical material properties

Daylight can only be reliably evaluated in planning with the aid of simulation. At CCGH+IB, Radiance is used as the simulation standard and is specifically extended for the analysis of daylight control through Photon Mapping. Based on this, CCGH+IB develops new methods for precise modelling of complex daylight phenomena. Measurements taken with the Goniophotometer provide reliable data on the optical properties of components and their influence on light incidence. This results in well-founded predictions regarding daylight availability, visual comfort, and glare assessment, as well as usable data sets for innovative product developments.

Projects:

BSDF measurements on CFS

High Resolution Complex Glazing Library