Zhenyang Zhang, Béla Steiner, Caleb Amanfu, Rakesh Patel – Daylighting innovations: semi-transparent brilliance

Nomination Dutch Daylight Student Award 2024
Project type: Design

Daylighting innovations: semi-transparent brilliance

Zhenyang designed an innovative shading system that not only controls light but also enhances the brilliance of indoor spaces. After prototyping and testing the system in a scale model, he demonstrated how shading can be used not just to limit sunlight but to create dynamic and visually engaging indoor lighting experiences.

• Topic: design of novel shading system that also provides brilliance
• Method: prototype and testing of the system in a scale model
• Impact: shading system the increase the dynamism/brilliance of daylight in indoor spaces rather than limiting it

Using daylight in buildings and interior design offers numerous benefits for the environment, people’s well-being, and perception. Environmentally, it reduces the need for artificial lights, saving energy and promoting sustainability (Sharp et al., 2014). Studies indicate that exposure to natural light can boost mood and satisfaction (Morales-Bravo & Navarrete‐Hernandez, 2022) while aligning with our body’s internal clock for better sleep patterns. Moreover, it enhances the aesthetic appeal of spaces, creating visually pleasing environments (Energy, 2023). Integrating daylight into architecture is crucial for promoting healthier and more eco-friendly spaces.

However, using daylight poses challenges. Its fluctuations throughout the day and seasons can create uneven lighting (Stanpro, 2021; Chirarattananon, 2003). Glare, or excessive brightness, can disrupt comfort and functionality. Overheating from sun exposure necessitates temperature control strategies (Stanpro, 2021). Additionally, the shifting color of daylight complicates maintaining consistent colors in a space (Chirarattananon, 2003). Despite these hurdles, thoughtful design can optimize daylight’s benefits while mitigating its drawbacks.

Our concept consists of a roofing solution which would utilise daylight to a high extent and be able to introduce the so-called “play of brilliance” (Kelly, 1952; Ganslandt & Hofmann, 1992) or shortly brilliance into a rather mundane looking space, e.g. the hall / canteen of our faculty. Semitransparent mirrors play a crucial role, allowing modulation of daylight to meet user needs and infuse brilliance into the space.
The perceived transparency or reflectance of these mirrors depends on illumination levels on both sides (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-way_mirror). From the side with the lower illumination the glass will appear transparent. To use these mirrors to the best of their properties, we have devised a mechanism which will tilt the mirror panels at different angles to modulate the level and pattern of daylight entering the space. This is done using two railings that would act as a pivot for the mirror panels to tilt and change their direction.

To introduce a brilliance effect in the space below the proposed concept, various interventions were explored. One approach involved cutting the panels into different shapes to project a brilliance effect onto the space. Another method considered was introducing bumps and irregularities on the mirror panel surface to achieve the desired brilliance effect. Additionally, an intervention was explored wherein patterns were cut out from the reflective/transparent foil layer of the mirror panels to produce the desired brilliance effect. These interventions were simulated using rendering software, Keyshot, to assess their impact. To validate our concept, we rendered the scene using Keyshot software, see appendices for the renderings. To test the ventilation system of our concept, we modeled the roof with vents structure (see appendix) in SolidWorks and conducted thermal and airflow simulations using the SolidWorks Flow Simulation plugin.
This shows the air flows out of the roof through the vents, which in turn brings down the temperature of the roof and prevents heat build up as a ‘hot pocket’ between the roof structure and the mirror panels.