Daylight provision to the indoor space is affected by different building elements that cannot be fully controlled by the users, such as the window size of a space. The dimensions of the fenestration not only affect the lighting levels, but they also affect how the space is perceived by its users. The present study examines three different window sizes via virtual reality, to study how they affect the perception of both a small and a large space at high latitudes. Additionally, two context scenarios (socializing and working), as well as three different sky types (overcast sky and clear skies with either high or low sun angle) were evaluated. The experimental study applied a mixed design with within-subjects and between-subjects factors. A total of 150 participants evaluated the scenes using a Likert-type scale to rate eight different subjective attributes. The statistical results showed that both window size and space type significantly affect the participants’ spatial perception, as well as their satisfaction with the amount of outside view. Larger windows led to more positively evaluated spaces for all studied attributes. Moreover, a significant interaction was found between window size and type of space for the satisfaction with the amount of view in the space, indicating that the window size was dependent on the type of space in which the windows are located. Specifically, the window sizes were rated higher in the small space than in the large space for the evaluation of amount of view. The findings show that window size affects how people perceive a space, and additionally, that other spatial features, such as space type, affect window size preferences.

Window views that provide visual connections to the outdoors have been shown to have multiple positive effects on occupants (Heschong 2021). These effects include improved health, well-being (Beute...

This paper describes a study about factors impacting the perceived quality of the view out of the office window that was carried out in Trondheim, Norway, in 2013. A total of 106 subjects were visited in their respective working environments. The subjects were asked to evaluate the quality of the view from their typical working (sitting) position on a four-point scale: not satisfactory, satisfactory, good, excellent. The view was documented by taking pictures from the subject's eye position in the direction of the window(s). A regression analysis shows that the view quality evaluated by subjects is best predicted by the view distance, the number of view layers, the quality of the landscape/elements and the composition of the view. The view width, the extent of greenery in the view, the presence of water, the weather conditions, or gender and age were not found to contribute additionally to the perceived view quality.

This paper is a literature study of daylight transport systems aiming at selecting the most appropriate ones for application at high latitudes. It is limited to the systems that transport light at a long distance from the façade and distribute it either in the building core or at a rear place in a room adjacent to the façade. The literature is spanning from the 80s’ to the present. It covers the theoretical background and development of the systems from their infancy, through technical development of the design elements and to the adaptation of the systems to different climatic conditions. Since the most literature comes from equatorial and tropical climate, a short contextualization with high latitudes climate is included. Findings are systematized and presented in tables for easier comparison of efficiency, visual comfort, design efficacy, maintenance need, cost and/or availability on the market, and energy-saving potential in different climates. Conclusions confirm that the daylight condition at the location is the main prerequisite when deciding on the type of collector while the building structure and room functionality are the basis for choosing the type of the transport element. Finally, the distribution element showed to be the key factor when discussing applicability in a functional space where the final success depends on human acceptance. This paper can be useful to get an overview of performance characteristics and application preferences of different daylight transport systems or just their components in daylight conditions at high latitudes. Header of solarlits.com

Transforming historical listed buildings into workplaces is a serious challenge, particularly for buildings with relatively small windows in the façades, which determine scarce daylighting indoors. This paper studied how daylighting can be significantly increased in a case-study historical building through rooflighting systems, as the façade cannot be modified. The case-study was a historic and iconic warehouse built-in 1681 in Trondheim, Norway. The optimized configuration was analyzed in terms of daylight amount and view analysis, according to EN 17037 and to LEED v4.1 protocol. A critical evaluation of the actual applicability of the optimized Scenario in the real building was carried out along with the constructors. A 3D model was built in Rhinoceros, and daylighting simulations of the base-case (the building in the existing configuration) and for 6 alternative Scenarios were run through Climate Studio. The following metrics were calculated: Daylight Factor (DF), Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA), Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE), and views. An optimized configuration was eventually identified through the Galapagos component in Grasshopper, with an average DF value of 2.7% (against 0.9% in the base-case configuration), higher than the target DF_m of 2.4% for Norway), and a sDA value of 50.2% (14.2% in base-case configuration).