Hong Soo Lim

Predicted Performance of Shading Devices for Healthy Visual Environment

The main purpose of using a shading device is usually to prevent excessive sunlight from delivering into the building and to distribute daylight entering a building more evenly in space. However, in the design of a vertical fenestration system, there are a variety of considerations related to the building type and daylighting potentials such as: latitude, climatic characteristics, the position of the sun and outdoor obstructions. To enhance the performance of sun lighting control, a shading device should play a more efficient role according to the building shape and orientation. This paper examines the method designed to improve both the indoor natural illuminance and open view for a better visual environment. The main aim of the proposed approach is to provide a simplified calculation for the several conditions of shading device shapes based on the computer simulation analysis. The proposed method was conducted by dividing the internal illuminance into four types of the shading device systems due to the direct sun radiations. This was calculated by a Desktop Radiance program. The room dimensions were based on a unit module of apartments of 6 m (width) × 6.9 m (depth) × 2.7 m (height) with a window measuring 4.5 m × 2.43 m. The variables considered were: a basic horizontal louver, a blind system and a proposed experimental shading device.

Spectral Characteristics of UV Light Existing in Indoor Visual Environment

This paper deals with the spectral characteristics of ultraviolet (UV) ray in an architectural environment. Visual quality is one of the most important factors in the design of interior environment of building, conferring the necessary mood suitable to the built environment for the occupants’ required functions. Visual environment can also have an impact on the healthy status of the human beings affecting both the mental and physical wellbeing of the occupants. As a natural resource of lighting, daylight arrives on the surface of the earth as one of the electric waves composed of UV, visual and infrared rays. Visual ray plays a significant role in the formulation of the visual environment due to its superior sensitivity on human acuity. However, the UV rays being the more energetic ones would penetrate into built environments and they can be very harmful for the occupants. The spectral characteristics and intensities of UV rays can be affected by architectural features, such as the incident angles and locations of the measurement. This study investigated the impact of time on the measurement of the spectral characteristics of UV rays. Other factors such as the distance from the window and the incidence direction were also included in the study. The results were expressed in terms of distribution and intensity of the wavelength. The correlation among UV intensity, distance, time and direction was also established by the study.

Overall Environmental Modelling of Newly Designed Curtain Wall Façade Configurations

There has been a rapidly growing interest among contemporary architects in recent years in the innovative use of curtain walls as a building enclosure. A curtain wall is a glass and metal skin that wraps the entire building in a continuous, transparent layer. This modern design provides a relatively desirable environment for the occupants. The glass façade allows light and diffused views into the surroundings during the day and can become a glowing and aesthetically pleasing aspect of the skyline at night. The key visual features of curtain walls are the glazing appearance and sightlines, but the window selection plays a key role in determining the overall buildings environmental performance. The complex layering of glass should be strategic as well as artistic, balancing light and shade to optimize light and minimize heat gain. Recently, a series of curtain wall system have been developed with an emphasis on the technical issues, such as structural stability, energy efficiency, sustainable strategies, daylighting, and materials. This design case project explores in depth the overall environmental performance of the leading-edge curtain wall assemblies using computer programs such as Virtual Environment and Radiance, which allow estimation of total U-values and helps predict daylighting performance.

The Relation of Meteorological Elements with AOD for Building Energy Consumption

This study presents statistical relationships between various meteorological elements in Seoul city. It also discusses the vitality of the obtained relationship on the modelling of building energy consumption. The data utilized in statistical evaluations was obtained from the archives of the Korean Meteorological Agency (KMA) for a period of four years. Another set of data was derived from state-of-the-art equations. The used elements aside from aerosols are used for analysis in building energy simulations. For each weather element in the study, frequency and a monthly average are presented. Furthermore, statistical correlations are presented: solar radiation and temperature, solar radiation and sky cover, and solar radiation and aerosol optical depth (AOD). The results indicate that the common assumption of a direct relationship between temperature and solar radiation is rather incorrect. In addition, whereas high solar altitudes are usually associated with high levels of solar radiation, the obtained results indicate a relatively weak relationship between the two variables ( = 0.463). The obtained results are proof that the effect of meteorological elements on, say, a building is not a single direct effect from a single variable but rather a combination of relationships between variables, which then produce a single effect.

Impact of Different Placements of Shading Device on Building Thermal Performance

In America, the method of receiving the certification for environmental architecture through renovation is activated but in South Korea, it is difficult to find except for the minor renovations occurred to change the previous construction material built in early 2000. It is more efficient to raise the value of an old building by putting over a double skin facade on the outside to make the building more energy efficient than to build a new building. Thus, in this study the energy efficiency of the shading device, the most frequently used composition in designing the double skin facade, is evaluated. Also, the energy efficiency of the typical horizontal blind and the shading device with V-shape slat were compared and used to evaluate the cooling and heating load according to the position changes.