GAUTAM PRADEEP
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ABSTRACT
Responsive architecture is an expanding field of research where designers create building elements that interact and adapt to the needs of building users. Responsive shading devices, a product of this field, are researched in this thesis on their ability to improve the occupants' atmosphere through physical prototypes and digital simulations. Rather than focusing on new construction, this thesis looks toward the retrofit of existing buildings as an enormous opportunity to improve conditions within the existing building stock. This thesis hypothesizes that responsive shade structures designed for multi-objective inputs will result in more significant daylight harvesting and improve internal lighting conditions if it is retrofitted into existing buildings. Hence, the thesis attempts to understand how well retrofit responsive shades balance daylighting goals such as illumination, glare, and views toward the site as design objectives. The shading device put forward as a product of this effort is designed for the climate of Ames, Iowa, and designed for a university architecture studio space oriented towards the South-East.
An initial literature review briefly follows the evolution of responsive facades between 1962 and 2019 to contextualize the current state of research and understand opportunities for improvement and further research. A site analysis of Ames, Iowa, is also conducted to understand the challenges of shading the chosen space. Different shades are designed virtually and documented. The responsive shading devices were modeled in McNeel Rhinoceros 7, and its daylighting performance was simulated using the environmental simulation software Solemma ClimateStudio. The performance of the shades was evaluated for the following goals: horizontal illumination across the work plane, daylight glare probability, and blind occlusion (percentage of view through the window obstructed) in this study. A sample set of point-in-time illuminance readings is collected for different shades, and their state when meeting illuminance targets and how it affects visual comfort in the space is compared using Radiance renders. The performance of select designs is also compared and taken forward to design a novel responsive shade system that emerges as a product of this endeavor. The performance of physical prototypes made using Arduino microcontrollers and micro servos connected to different sensors is also documented. A scale model of the final shade is also made to understand how a virtual model of the same compares to a physical model. The illumination levels within the model are measured using a BH1750 light sensor on different days, and the physical state of the shade is compared to a simulated version of the same.
This thesis offers a novel design of a responsive shade to implement in the climate of Iowa that can operate in a multi-occupant space in a retrofit scenario. Methodologies for comparing and evaluating responsive shades are offered, and more data on the use of physical prototypes to assess the performance of responsive shades and the difference between physical and virtual testing environments is also provided. This thesis also provides lessons learned on how the computer codes that control these shades can impact the working of the shades and provides the Arduino scripts used in the final shades as an example.