The inclusion of a central court or atrium within a building is a popular design due to its aesthetic, open appearance. The greater penetration of natural light aids in the reduction in use of artificial lighting during the day. Care must be taken to balance the solar heat gain against the daylight penetration. This balance is critical for the reduction of the electrical energy load of the building, whilst maintaining a high level of comfort for the occupants. In the tropics modifications to atrium building designs are necessary to diminish high elevation direct solar heat gain. Traditionally, shading the window apertures or lowering the transmission through the glazing was used. These solutions limit the view and reduce the light level. The use of angular selective glazing upon atria allows the rejection of high elevation direct sunlight whilst redirecting and therefore improving low elevation skylight penetration. Tilted angular selective glazing used upon adjoining spaces to atria help vertical light in the atrium well to be redirected horizontally deep into the space. These effects reduce overheating which would normally restrict the use of atria in warmer environments as well as improve illumination penetration into adjoining spaces. The research showed that under clear sky conditions the modified glazing gave a lower temperature in the middle of the day within the atrium well. A more even distribution of illuminance across the course of the day was found and a higher level of illuminance was achieved within the well and its adjoining spaces under clear skies. These effects were simulated using computer algorithms. The algorithms were verified by field data collected from the QUT Daylighting Research Test Building located at the Brisbane Airport Bureau of Meteorology site where two simultaneously monitored model (1:10 scale) atriums were studied for several months.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/264773 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Mabb, John Ashley |
| Publisher | Queensland University of Technology |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Copyright John Ashley Mabb |
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