Daylighting design validation and optimisation of tropical school classrooms with asymmetrical bilateral opening typology

Abstract

Daylighting is an essential factor in the design and operation of buildings, including schools. School buildings shall therefore be designed and constructed by considering climate variability that may affect daylighting performance. In some cases, such as in Indonesia, school classrooms are typically designed with symmetrical bilateral openings. However, recent literature suggests that such an opening typology may not necessarily lead to optimal daylight performance. This study investigated the potential of applying asymmetrical bilateral opening in tropical school classrooms by conducting validation with scale models and optimisation with climate-based daylight simulation. The window-to-wall ratio and external horizontal shading depth and elevation on opposing façades of the building model were considered input variables. Computational daylight simulation with Radiance (RAD) through the interface of Honeybee Plus (HB [+]) and optimisation using genetic algorithms (GA) were utilised to calculate annual daylight metrics (aUDI250-750lx, aUDI100-3000lx, sDA300/50% and ASE1000,250) and glare indices (DGP) under the climate of two Indonesian cities. Based on the optimisation, the recommended solutions are indeed in favour of asymmetrical opening configurations. These findings are crucial to improving the practice of designing tropical school classrooms with asymmetrical bilateral openings.