This paper analyses the influence of different perforated solar screens (PSS) in annual daylight conditions expressed using climate-based daylight metrics. The PSS design require parametric studies that are often complex and time consuming due to a large number of simulations. Hence, a new methodology is proposed to optimize PSS design by applying Design of Experiments using Orthogonal Arrays (DOA). A case study from the DOA perspective has been conducted, which involves an office space in Seville, Spain. The goal is to assess the effect of the following PSS design variables in daylighting performance: perforation percentage, matrix, shape and orientation. DOA results reveal that optimized PSS can increase daylit area by 33% and reduce over lit area by 35%, compared with reference models with no PSS. DOA method reduces the number of simulations from the 256 required to 16, so it could save time during the initial stages of building design.

This work implements parametric tools to optimize the environmental design of urban adaptive shadings through multiobjective evolutionary algorithms that look for solutions of dynamic (time-changing) structures used in open public spaces. The proposal is located in Malecon Cancun Tajamar in the southeast part of Mexico, and the main objective is to enhance the thermal comfort of users as well as to become part of the social dynamics of the place reinforcing identity through appropriation. The proposed workflow includes four steps: (1) geometric modelling by parametric modelling tools; (2) simulation of environmental parameters by using BPS tools; (3) shape optimization by using an evolutionary algorithm; and (4) environmental verification of the results. The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was used to assess the outdoor thermal comfort derived from the dynamic shadings. The results showed a significant improvement in the thermal comfort with absolute UTCI differences of 3.9, 7.4, and 3.1 °C at 8, 12, and 16 h, respectively, during the summer; and absolute differences of 1.4, 3.5, and 2 °C at 8, 12, and 16 h, respectively, during the winter. The proposed workflow can help to guide the early design process of dynamic shadings by finding optimal solutions that enhance outdoor thermal comfort.

New design tools have enabled architects to explore complex geometries for building envelopes. Perforated Screens (PS) have gained popularity but their design is still intuitive, often focused on aesthetic and morphological criteria. Yet, there is a lack of guidelines or quantitative standards for designing optimal PS, in terms of their daylight provision, views outside, solar shading or energy performance. Since PS can greatly influence the interior conditions, it is essential to understand the effect of screen parameters, such as thickness, perforation percentage, separation distance, and others that are often manipulated by designers. This paper analyses the daylighting and shading performance of thick PS in office buildings. Five design parameters were simultaneously tested in terms of the annual daylight and solar irradiance contribution. Simulations were performed with DIVA-for-Grasshopper and the following metrics were accounted: useful daylight illuminance, actual daylight availability, and shading coefficients. Three orthogonal arrays allowed the selection of 64 PS configurations as representatives. The overall average of every metric was used as an approach to select all factors having a mean significantly different. The mean values were then established as ‘Preferable’ targets. Finally, design guidelines to plan thick PS used in front of South, East, and West glazed façades, in a Mediterranean climate, were proposed. The results highlighted the importance of selecting appropriate values for every design parameter to enhance the integrated performance of thick PS. Header of solarlits.com