Category

Region

From Specular to Diffuse

From Specular to Diffuse

Category
Daylight in buildings - Region 3: The Americas

Students
Alejandro César Valdés Marín
Yenneir Pérez Betancourt

Teacher
Abel Ernesto Tablada de la Torre

School
Technological University of Havana

Country
Cuba

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The intervention area has a high rate of population aging. Thus, it is essential to create new urban-architectural spaces which are more inclusive and therefore, contribute to the social and economic integration of the elderly. There is no doubt that the quality of daylight is an important aspect to be taken into account when designing for this age group for its impact on accessibility and safety. Therefore, architectural and engineering solutions to avoid visual fatigue due to the occurrence of glare and dark spots should be found. The project is located on an iconic and popular seaside avenue and promenade in a compact area with high heritage values. The median lot, with elongated and narrow dimensions (12m wide x 48m long), connects the avenue with its parallel road. A building is conceived with an exterior that adapts to the context and respects the urban regulations: continuous portal on the façade and loggia on the second level. The project seeks to create spaces with a program dedicated primarily to elderly and not found in this area. A fully public ground floor with commercial and exhibition spaces, a semi-public second level with craft and art workshops for seniors and a private third level just for this group with a wellness area are conceived. In this context it is essential to make maximum use of the existing space and the available daylight. Two side patios are created that function as ventilation and lighting ducts, using the reflection and diffusion of light to illuminate the interior spaces. The side patios become wider as the height of the building decreases in order to allow more light to reach the lower levels. The building is composed of four central structural elements that capture natural light on the roofs and distribute it to all levels through skylights located in the center of each structural element. This conducts are composed of a diffuser material on the exterior to illuminate the space without creating excess light, a system of small mirrors inside the duct that reflect the light and move it. It also has transparent rings located in the upper zone of the skylights on each level acting as natural lamps to provide higher lighting levels. In the case of the side patios, direct light is reflected through shining layers located in the outside walls and in fixed carpentry elements in a specular manner. These fixed elements are polarized glass and therefore reflect the light on the outside without causing glare inside the spaces, allowing natural light to enter, although to a lesser extent, so they are located in the areas where the skylight cover most of them. In the ground floor are panels located under the fixed windows that have keep the space enlightened avoiding the direct light of the reflectors. In addition, two large tapestries are designed on the party walls. They are composed of strips that create layers with different finishes, each with a specific function. Reflective material moves the light through vertical stripes in the side patios to the lower levels, diffuser material is used to homogenize and soften the natural light inside the spaces, and vegetation is used to create cooler and more welcoming lighting environments, as well as to avoid the effects of glare that may occur in the space.