Focus - Day Lighting

Focus - Day Lighting

I have narrowed down some ideas on how to incorporate day lighting into the building. Since the building is 75% windows on the perimeter it is already great for day lighting, but the challenge will be to block the day light. I will pop up the roof in two places and create two atriums with windows covering the north face. This will allow more light into the center of the building. I will use fiber optic daylighting to create emphasis in the lobby.

Focus - Day Lighting

Researching day lighting has been exciting and informational. I really like the way fiber optic day lighting looks. The cables routed through walls or ceilings are bent around obstructions creating a dynamic and networked look. The cables draw day light down into the building during the day, then at night the fiber optics work in reverse lighting the interior with power provided by integrated solar-charged battery packs. In the image above, the Edgar Towers in Manhattan used fiber optic day lighting.

To reach the central core of the building I may use clerestory windows in the hallways and sloped ceilings on the second level. With the use of skylights, all the existing windows and fiber optic day lighting, I believe I can adequately use natural sunlight to light the inside of the building.

Focus - Day Lighting

The focus for Green Sphere Wellness Center is lighting with an emphasis on day lighting and certain concerns associated with day lighting such as: thermal comfort and ventilation, acoustics, and harvesting solar energy. I have briefly researched a product that helps with acoustics and thermal comfort called aerogel which also helps with glare because it diffuses direct sunlight. It's best feature is it's thermal insulation and due to it's tenuous structure it has incredible sound control applications. Energy efficiency lends itself to being a sustainable product. I may use it for skylights 25' from the existing perimeter windows on the roof. I will continue to research other products and applications for effective day lighting.