Natural Light in Civic Spaces: A study of the Law Court of Antwerp, Belgium

Abstract

Energy-conscious design as a concept can become devalued if natural lighting is not convincing. In fact, day lighting can address both quantitative (provision of task luminance, savings in artificial lighting, passive heat gain) and qualitative (indication of spaces' mood, time/duration of exposure, metabolic rhythms) factors of a sustainable design. This paper evaluates the performance characteristics of applied strategies to meet the quantitative responsibilities of natural lighting in the Law court of Antwerp, constructed with environmentally friendly approach. On the basis of observations and archival documents, the results show that the applied strategies e.g. window, atrium and roof light for enhancement of day light penetration and distribution, besides usage of shading devices e.g. brise soleil and overhangs for protecting the spaces from intense sunlight have both advantages and disadvantages. Further, the potentials to relieve the deficiencies are discussed.