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Optimisation of daylight admission through window is crucial for alleviating glare while maintaining useful daylight levels in order to enhance occupants' health, visual comfort and moderating lighting energy consumption. Amongst various solutions, fixed external shade is an affordable solution for housing spaces that need to be sophisticatedly designed, especially during the period of increasing home spaces as working environments. In the humid subtropical region, daylight control plays an important role in indoor comfort, particularly with areas with a high window to wall ratio (WWR). Due to the insufficient amount of such study on non-office spaces in Australia, shading-related standards are not addressed in Australian building codes.

The chosen methodology for the research is a quantitative data collection and analysis through field measurement and simulation simultaneously. The first step is a multi-objective optimisation of shading elements through a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) on parametric modelling via Rhino3D CAD and simulation engines (DIVA and ClimateStudio). In the second phase, the Pareto front solutions are validated by experimental measurements within a room with a single north-facing window (the most probable for the daytime glare in Sydney) for the seven most common local window configurations.

Through the simulation of ten genes, 1,560 values and 2.4 × 1,019 of search space, this study found an optimum shade for each local common window layout, resulted in +22% in (UDI) and −16% in views with discomfort glare on average. Moreover, an all-purpose polygonal shade showed an average of 4.6% increase in UDI and a 5.83% decrease in the percentage of views with discomfort glare.

The findings are subject to the room dimensions, window dimensions and layouts, and orientation of windows for selected residential buildings in Sydney.

The study contributes to the development of highly accurate fixed external shading systems with rectangular and tapered-form external shapes. A real-time measurement by luminance-metre sensors and HQ cameras located at six eye levels is conducted to corroborate simulation results of the visual comfort.

The fundamental aim of the study is to investigate the implications of labor housing designs in Dubai, with a focus on courtyards and the governing building regulations, on daylight performance as an underlying factor impacting laborers’ indoor environmental quality. Several studies shed light on the subject of labor camps and labor migration in Dubai, but few have focused on the subject from the perspective of the environmental performance of these camps. A model that represents one of the labor camps was built using Rhinoceros 7.0 and Grasshopper software packages. Annual daylighting and glare simulations were carried out using the lighting modeling engine RADIANCE 5.0 in conjunction with the “ClimateStudio”.

The construction sector has emerged as a significant economic development driver, attracting a diverse labor force from a variety of countries to Dubai. As a result, Dubai authorities have implemented several measures to ensure the provision of suitable housing facilities for its labor force. These measures contribute to the reduction of energy costs in labor housing by encouraging the use of renewable energy. While several studies shed light on the subject of labor camps and labor migration in Dubai, few have focused on the subject from the perspective of the environmental performance of these camps.

The study provided statistical evidence that the current regulations governing courtyards in labor housing resulted in significant changes in daylight levels across different floor levels of the labor housing units. It is suggested that both 2:3 and 3:4 Court Width-to-Height ratios would further contribute to a more consistent daylight Illuminance with marginal statistical differences between floor levels (p > 0.05). The 3:4 ratio, on the other hand, offers a consistent distribution across all floor levels in the North and South with negligible variances, although weakly significant differences can be yet expected between the first and fourth floors in the East and West orientations (p < 0.05). The results of Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) suggest excessive solar incidence and a high probability of glare, which remains a problem that must be addressed under the governing building regulations.

This study could serve as a framework for analyzing and contrasting the findings of other studies on labor accommodation, notably in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Such an approach has the potential to enhance living conditions in labor accommodations in Dubai and other areas. It is necessary to meet people' physical and psychological well-being while also addressing sustainability and regulatory compliance.

The aim of this paper is to present a parametric design method to generate optimum adaptive facades regarding occupants' comfort and building energy criteria. According to the literature review, the following questions have arisen to address the research gaps: Is it possible to have the outside view throughout the whole year without discomfort glare by utilising adaptive solar facades (ASFs)? How can architects integrate both view quality and quantity into ASF design? What is the impact of dynamic vertical shading systems mounted on south facades on the outside view, occupants' visual comfort and operational energy? How can we evaluate the view quantity through multi-layer shading systems?

In recent years, there is a surge in demand for fully glazed buildings, motivating both architects and scholars to explore novel ideas for designing adaptive solar facades. Nevertheless, the view performance of such systems has not been fully explored especially when it comes to the effect of dynamic vertical shading systems mounted on south facades. This fact clarifies the need to conduct more research in this field by taking into account the window view and natural light. Consequently, a simulation research is carried out to investigate the impact of a dynamic shading system with three vertical slats used on the south facade of a single office room located in Tehran, on both view quality and quantity, visual comfort and operational energy. The research attempts to reach a balance between the occupant's requirements and building energy criteria through a multi-objective optimisation. The distinctive feature of the proposed method is generating some optimum shading which could only cover the essential parts of the window area. It was detected from the simulation results that the usage of a dynamic vertical shading system with multi slats for south facades compared to common Venetian blinds can firstly, provide four times more view quantity. Secondly, the view quality is significantly improved through enabling occupants to enjoy the sky layer the entire year. Finally, twice more operational energy can be saved while more natural light can enter the indoor environment without glare. The final outcome of this research contributes toward designing high-performance adaptive solar facades.

This paper proposes a new metric to evaluate the view quantity through a multi-layer shading system. The proposed method makes it clear that the usage of dynamic vertical shading systems with multi-layers mounted on south facades can bring many benefits to both occupants and building energy criteria. The proposed method could (1) provide four times more view quantity; (2) improve view quality by enabling occupants to watch the sky layer throughout the whole year; (3) slash the operational energy by twice; (4) keep the daylight glare probability (DGP) value in the imperceptible range.

The research limitations that should be acknowledged are ignoring the impact of the adjacent building on sunlight reflection, which could cause discomfort glare issues. Another point regarding the limitations of the proposed optimisation method is the impact of vertical shading systems on users' visual interests. A field study ought to be conducted to determine which one could provide the more desirable outside view: a vertical or horizontal the view. Research on the view performance of ASFs, especially their impact on the quality of view, is sorely lacking.

This paper (1) analyses the performance of dynamic vertical shadings on south facades; (2) evaluates outside view through multi-layer shading systems; and (3) integrates both view quality and quantity into designing adaptive solar facades.

The paper aims to investigate the comfort-related performances of an innovative solar shading solution based on a new composite patented material that consists of a cement-based matrix coupled with a stretchable three-dimensional textile. The paper’s aim is, through a performance-based generative design approach, to develop a high-performance static shading system able to guarantee adequate daylit spaces, a connection with the outdoors and a glare-free environment in the view of a holistic and occupant-centric daylight assessment.

The paper describes the design and simulation process of a complex static shading system for digital manufacturing purposes. Initially, the optical material properties were characterized to calibrate radiance-based simulations. The developed models were then implemented in a multi-objective genetic optimization algorithm to improve the shading geometries, and their performance was assessed and compared with traditional external louvres and overhangs.

The system developed demonstrates, for a reference office space located in Milan (Italy), the potential of increasing useful daylight illuminance by 35% with a reduced glare of up to 70%–80% while providing better uniformity and connection with the outdoors as a result of a topological optimization of the shape and position of the openings.

The paper presents the innovative nature of a new composite material that, coupled with the proposed performance-based optimization process, enables the fabrication of optimized shading/cladding surfaces with complex geometries whose formability does not require ad hoc formworks, making the process fast and economic.

The modular dynamic façade (MDF) concept could be an approach in a comfort-centric design through proper integration with energy-efficient buildings. This study focuses on obtaining and/or calculating an efficient angle of the MDF, which would lead to the optimum performance in daylight availability and energy consumption in a single south-faced official space located in the hot-arid climate of Yazd, Iran.

The methodology consists of three fundamental parts: (1) based on previous related studies, a diamond-based dynamic skin façade was applied to a south-faced office building in a hot-arid climate; (2) the daylighting and energy performance of the model were simulated annually; and (3) the data obtained from the simulation were compared to reach the optimum angle of the MDF.

The results showed that when the angle of the MDF openings was set at 30°, it could decrease energy consumption by 41.32% annually, while daylight simulation pointed that the space experienced the minimum possible glare at this angle. Therefore, the angle of 30° was established as the optimum angle, which could be the basis for future investment in responsive building envelopes.

This angular study simultaneously assesses the daylight availability, visual comfort and energy consumption on a MDF in a hot-arid climate.

The aim is to holistically assess the environmental performance of windows and analyse how their design and characteristics contribute to the overall performance of the building/space. This study focuses on the performance of windows in patient rooms hosting less mobile people.

This study investigates the life cycle environmental impacts of different glazing types, window frames and fire safety doors at the product level. This article also presents a building-integrated environmental analysis of patient rooms that considers the multiple functionalities of windows by incorporating dynamic energy analysis, comfort and daylighting performance with a life cycle assessment (LCA) study.

The results indicate that the amount of flat glass is the main contributor to the environmental impacts of the glazing units. As for the patient rooms, global warming shows the most significant contribution to the environmental costs, followed by human toxicity, particulate matter formation and eutrophication. The key drivers for these impacts are production processes and operational energy use. This study highlights the significance of evaluating a wide range of criteria for assessing the performance of windows.

An integrated assessment approach is used to investigate the influence of windows on environmental performance by considering the link between window/design parameters and their effects on energy use/costs, daylighting, comfort and environmental impacts. The embodied impacts of different building elements and the influence of various design parameters on environmental performance are assessed and compared. The environmental costs are expressed as an external environmental cost (euro).

This paper aims to investigate the optimization of window and shading designs to reduce the building energy consumption of a standard office room while improving occupants' comfort in Tehran and Auckland.

The NSGA-II algorithm, as a multi-objective optimization method, is applied in this study. First, a comparison of the effects of each variable on all objectives in both cities is conducted. Afterwards, the optimal solutions and the most undesirable scenarios for each city are presented for architects and decision-makers to select or avoid.

The results indicate that, in both cities, the number of slats and their distance from the wall are the most influential variables for shading configurations. Additionally, occupants' thermal comfort in Auckland is much better than in Tehran, while the latter city can receive more daylight. Furthermore, the annual energy use in Tehran can be significantly reduced by using a proper shading device and window-to-wall ratio (WWR), while building energy consumption, especially heating, is negligible in Auckland.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that compares the differences in window and shading design between two cities, Tehran and Auckland, with similar latitudes but located in different hemispheres. The outcomes of this study can benefit two groups: firstly, architects and decision-makers can choose an appropriate WWR and shading to enhance building energy efficiency and occupants' comfort. Secondly, researchers who want to study window and shading systems can implement this approach for different climates.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the approximate window-to-wall ratio (WWR), window width-to-height ratio (WHR) and sill level for a room in Rasht–Gilan province and to present an optimal window in each of the WWR ranges providing the minimum energy consumption by integrating artificial lighting and thermal analyses, whilst maintaining internal comfort conditions using dynamic evaluation.

The process of modelling has four main steps: 1 – defining the building's features and requirements, 2 – validating input weather file data by on-site measurement, 3 – determining input parameters for the lighting and thermal analysis and 4 – clarifying variable parameters and fitness function for the optimization algorithm. Also, the survey study is performed in a daylit office room, in which 30 employees are employed to answer the questions in three different times of a day. In this process, the impact of daylight on their visual comfort is surveyed in 1,350 different illuminance levels which are manually recorded.

The range of useful daylight illuminance (UDI) values is determined as 200–1,000 lux. The optimum range of WWRs in the case study is 15%–25%. Also, due to the appropriate window height, electric lighting could be decreased by 40%.

Thermal and lighting performance in buildings is the relation of facade characteristics to environmental sustainability. Recent studies focussed on optimizing WWR and window characteristics considering thermal comfort and energy analyses. However, architects need freedom for designing façade and making decisions in their first sketches. Thus a guideline for optimum window conditions in each WWR is required. Also, considering occupants' behaviour in practical buildings, the visual comfort investigation is a gap in WWR optimization.

University students spend a considerable amount of time in dorm rooms, where their environmental condition affects residents' health, well-being, sleep quality and the associated performance. Accordingly, this study aims to run an initial assessment of the environmental quality of two dormitory buildings in Tehran, using field studies and computational simulation, and then provide feasible optimized improvement strategies. The possible correlation between architectural elements and the environmental quality and the impact of proposed solutions on the annual energy use of these spaces are also discussed.

Field studies and computational simulation.

Results indicate that applied strategies, including shadings, reflectors, thermal and acoustic insulations, inlet vents and ceiling fans, can boost different aspects of the thermal condition, ventilation, acoustics and visual comfort by 21.77, 55.96, 20.69 and 50.37%, respectively. Accordingly, an acceptable comfort level can simply be achieved at a low cost by installing or replacing a few construction elements in dorm rooms. Nevertheless, a systematic architectural design can offer healthy spaces. For instance, south-facing rooms with large windows provide a higher level of thermal comfort and daylight quality.

This study shows that an acceptable level of IEQ can be achieved in dorm rooms by applying simple retrofit strategies. Moreover, energy consumption of dormitories can be significantly reduced using these solutions. However, the efficiency of the strategies in comparison to their economic aspects should be discussed, and results need to be further validated in real conditions. It is also recommended that a more extensive range of dormitory room typologies be studied in future studies. The results of this study are limited to the study context and so they can only be applied in case studies with similar use and climatic condition.

While many studies have explored the environmental quality of dormitories in different climatic conditions, no significant work has been found in Iran, Tehran investigating feasible optimized improvement strategies responding to all IEQ aspects of acoustics, thermal comfort, air and visual quality. Accordingly, this study makes an initial assessment of IEQ factors in a typical dormitory complex, and then develops practical retrofit strategies to bring the environmental condition of these spaces close to the suggested standards.

To significantly adopt and improve indoor energy efficiency in building infrastructure in developing countries can be a challenging venture. Thus, this study aimed to assess the satisfaction of indoor environmental quality and its effect on energy use intensity and efficient among student housing.

The study is quantitative and hinged on the contrast theory. A survey of 1,078 student residents living in purpose-built student housing was contacted. Using Post-Occupancy Evaluation and Multiple Linear Regression, critical variables such as thermal comfort, visual comfort and indoor air quality and 21 indicators were assessed. Data on annual energy consumption and total square metre of the indoor area were utilised to assess energy use intensity.

The study found a direct relationship between satisfaction with indoor environmental quality and energy use intensity. The study showed that students were more satisfied with thermal comfort conditions than visual and indoor air quality. Overall, these indicators contributed to 75.9% kWh/m² minimum and 43.2% kWh/m² maximum energy use intensity in student housing in Ghana. High occupancy and small useable space in student housing resulted in high energy use intensity.

Inclusions of sustainable designs and installation of smart mechanical systems are feedback to student housing designers. Again, adaptation to retrofitting ideas can facilitate energy efficiency in the current state of student housing in Ghana.

Earlier studies have argued for and against the satisfaction of indoor environmental quality in student housing. However, these studies have neglected to examine the impact on energy use intensity. This is novel because the assessment of energy use intensity in this study has a positive influence on active design incorporation among student housing.