Performance of combined daylighting strategies in varied sky conditions: post occupancy evaluation of lecture rooms in a tropical climate

Abstract

Due to the inadequate attention given to daylighting in lecture rooms in tropical wet and dry climate, this study, using field measurement, evaluates combined daylighting strategies in three lecture rooms labelled LLH, BMS and ANB with distinct bilateral glass louvre windows, window floor ratio, orientation and shading strategies. It determines the difference in illuminance in varied sky conditions, and the relationship between the strategies. Results revealed that under the clear sky condition, combined strategies in LLH and BMS rooms were effective in illuminance performance except during evening hours while the one in ANB was ineffective. Both rooms recorded poor daylight uniformity. Similar performance was obtained under overcast sky but they produced effective daylight uniformity. An effective daylighting was obtained throughout the process in the intermediate sky condition, however, the strategy in ANB room was ineffective in the evening hours. Only ANB room had an effective daylight uniformity in the intermediate sky. The strategy in LLH room had a strong positive relationship with BMS’s. The strategy in LLH had a weak positive correlation with ANB’s, but ANB’s strategy had strong positive correlation with BMS’s. Overall, the study contributes to the performance of combined daylighting strategies in tropical wet and dry climate.