See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/319417816

Enhancing outdoor shading without diminishing indoor daylight integration:

simulations from Colombo, Sri Lanka

Conference Paper · July 2017

CITATIONS READS

0 175

3 authors:

Nusrath Maharoof Narein Perera

Glasgow Caledonian University University of Moratuwa
1 PUBLICATION 0 CITATIONS 29 PUBLICATIONS 144 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

R. Emmanuel
Glasgow Caledonian University
130 PUBLICATIONS 2,482 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

The influence of urban design on microclimate and thermal comfort around buildings View project

Mapeamento de possíveis estratégias adaptativas face ao superaquecimento urbano na região de Glasgow & Clyde Valley (GCV) View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Narein Perera on 05 September 2017.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Enhancing outdoor shading without diminishing indoor daylight integration:
simulations from Colombo, Sri Lanka

Nusrath Maharoof1, Narein Perera2 and Rohinton Emmanuel1

1
School of Engineering and Built Environment, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK,
[email protected], [email protected]
2
Department of Architecture, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, [email protected]

Abstract:
The new development proposals for Colombo, Sri Lanka, advocate high density developments with high Floor
Area Ratios. Literature suggests the relationship between the “In” and “Out” plays an important role in energy
efficiency targets in an urban setting. The study attempts to identify the probable impact of shade created by
urban canyons towards energy efficiency, via daylight integration and reduction of cooling loads.
Using ‘Autodesk Ecotect Analysis’ the study assesses the impacts of the common types of urban canyon
geometries and a representative building typology, in Colombo. Parameters representing the urban canyon, the
form and the building envelope were modelled for Shade, Daylight Factor (DF), Cooling Load and Predicted Mean
Vote.
Statistical analysis of the results indicate that only 34% of the outdoor shade was attributable to the selected
parameters while 89% of canyon parameters influenced Daylight Factor. However shade on facade did not have
a significant correlation with the Daylight Factor. This could be used as an advantage to minimize cooling load
(with maximal shading) without compromising daylight availability. Energy efficient buildings in the tropics could
thus aim for an integrated approach in managing indoor and outdoor climates.

Keywords: Urban Morphology, Outdoor Shading, Daylight Integration, Autodesk Ecotect Analysis, tropics

Introduction
Climatic issues caused by urbanization filter down from macro to micro climatic scales. This is
causing growing concerns for energy efficient cities and a deeper understanding of the
relationships that exist between buildings and its micro climate. In most cases stakeholders
tend to address energy demands of buildings in isolation. However Futcher et al (2013, 2014)
argue that high rise buildings do not always make good neighbours. Thus buildings in urban
context cannot be considered in isolation. Ng (2003) stresses that “finding ways optimize the
natural agent without compromising development density is a task for architects and
engineers.” “Geometry of urban canyons is a key factor in energy use in buildings” (Sattrup
and Strømann-Andersen, 2011) The reflectivity of urban canyons as well as the sky view play
an important, previously underestimated role, which needs to be taken into account when
designing low-energy, daylight integrated buildings in dense cities. The present study explores
the possibility of such an approach in a tropical setting (Colombo, Sri Lanka).
Linking ‘In’ and ‘Out’
Sattrup and Strømann-Andersen (2011) and Futcher et al. (2013) identify the urban canyon
as one of the most significant morphological features in an urban environment where energy
exchanges take place between the ‘in ‘and ‘out’. Ho, Ren and Ng (2009) summarize key urban
morphological parameters identified by various studies as
1. Density / compactness / Ground coverage ratio
2. H/W ratio
3. SVF
4. Orientation
5. LCZ classification

These parameters have been identified to influence outdoor shade, wind flow at street
Level, daylight integration and indoor thermal comfort (Emmanuel, 2010; Dogan, et al.,2012;
Iversen, 2013; Ng et al., 2005; Iversen et al., 2011; Kesten, D. et al., 2010; Sattrup, et al. 2011)
Literature suggest that the employment of ‘shadow umbrella’ (Emmanuel 2005, 2007),
as a feasible method to optimize the outdoor urban form in a tropical city such as Colombo.
At the same time it was highlighted shade could also enable to reduce indoor cooling loads.
Even though daylight was also found to be a major contributor towards energy efficiency;
(Iversen et al., 2011; Kandar et al., 2011) it has been stressed that highly-obstructed urban
areas are often deprived of useful daylight and solar gains (Futcher, 2014; Ng, 2003, 2010).
Therefore it was concluded that an optimal architectural design would require lighting and
the cooling systems to work in concert through intelligent control of the urban form.

Figure 1 Issues of urban form in the tropics

Many studies have attempted to identify the complex relationships between ‘in’ and
‘out’ with regard to daylight integration. The simulation based study using Autodesk Ecotect
2011 for a Greek city context by Tsirigoti, et al. (2013) found that the average illumination
values of spaces increase as the floor elevation increases. At the same time the relatively
narrower, inner uncovered space of the urban block (inner court), as well as the larger plan
depth contribute in the creation of unfavourable daylight conditions. Thus it was concluded
that form parameters, such as distances between buildings, road widths and building heights
largely effected day lighting in dense urban tissues. Similarly the study by Sabry et al., (2010)
involved investigating the daylighting performance of a hypothetical living room facing a
neighbouring building. the illuminance levels of three points in the room were measured in
different seasons for different window orientations, during different times of the day.
Radiance was used as simulation software. Outcomes showed a significant difference in
daylighting performance when increasing the distance of the obstruction, even though the
sky view angle was kept consistent.
These findings are supported by Sattrup, et al. (2011) and Iversen (2013) who develop
frameworks that establish a holistic view and an integrated approach for thermal, artificial
light and energy analysis.
Based on the literature; the framework developed to test this hypothesis was composed
of SVF, Orientation, Height to width ratio, Floor Level and Façade Orientation as canyon
parameters (independent variables) while shade on façade, Daylight Factor, Cooling Load and
PMV were considered the affected loads / factors (dependent variables).

The focus area – case of Colombo

The zoning plan for Colombo 2020 proposed by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) of
Sri Lanka and a LCZ study by Perera (2015) was used to identify the most critical urban fabric
in Colombo. The study was then narrowed down to a representative plot form Colombo 3
area which was observed to be a fast developing area with relatively large number of office
buildings.

Figure 2 Urban canyons identified in the representative plot

The typical urban canyon typologies were then modelled based on the physical mapping
of canyons and buildings in the selected representative plot. The base cases for simulation
were defined based on three common H: W ratios and two orientations found in the area.
Two of these represent the existing case while one represents the future case.

Figure 3 the three representative cases identified for the study

Apart from the above parameters the simulation was be based on the following
parameters of a typical building found in the selected area of study.
 Figure 4. Representative room layout

Table 1. Representative building parameters

Geographic location of Colombo 3, Sri Lanka Building parameters
Latitude 6.9006° N Function Air conditioned Office
Longitude 79.8533° E Operating time 8am-6pm Mon-fri
Month March Height / floors 32m, 8 floors
Sky condition CIE Overcast dimensions 20m x 10m x 4m
Outdoor Lux level 11000Lux frontage 20m
F-F Height 4m
Street condition Windows
width 8m, 15m, 32m WWR 50%
Single Glazed Alum
Material / reflectance Frame
orientation N – S and E-W
1.74
Sill height 700mm
External obstructions Internal surfaces
Plaster Insulation
Height / floors 32m, 8 floors ceiling
Suspended
Materials Brick/Plaster walls Brick Plaster
WWR 50% floor Concrete Slab
Window martial Tinted glass Working plane height 700mm

Research design
Data for 36 cases derived from 2 street orientations, 4 façade orientations, 3 floor levels and
3 H: W ratios were simulated based on the process diagram given below.

Figure 5. The research process

Data and analysis
Data on sky view factor, shade on façade, daylight factor and monthly cooling load were
obtained for each case based on the following diagrams and values obtained using Ecotect
software.

Figure 4. Example of diagrammatic data collected for a case study using Ecotect

IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science) version 24 was utilized for analysing
the above data. The software was selected as it is a widely used package “that addresses the
entire analytical process, from planning to data collection to analysis, reporting and
deployment.” (IBM, 2016)

Summary of key findings

Only 34% of the outdoor shade within the selected canyons was attributed to the selected
parameters. Only street orientation and façade orientation had a statistically significant
correlation with the amount of shade on façade. This shows that the impact of location and
solar angles pay a more significant role in creating outdoor shade in a tropical country.
However 89% of variation in the DF can be attributed to canyon parameters selected in the
study. This was due to the statistically significant correlations with the DF shown by Floor level
and SVF. Thus it was noted that DF in the canyon is more dependent on indirect sources of
light such as the illumination of sky dome and light reflected from external obstructions.
Regardless of amount of shade, all cases selected in the study met the desired amount
of daylight identified by regulations. The fact that outdoor shading has insignificant influence
on indoor daylight could be advantageous in reducing cooling load as it enables to minimize
cooling load (with maximal shading) without compromising the daylight availability. However
the correlations between DF and PMV as well as Cooling load and PMV suggest that the
occupant comfort aspects cannot be ignored during this process
 Table 2 correlations between DF and PMV and Cooling load and PMV
Shade DF PMV Cooling load

Shade Pearson 1 -.251 -.123 -.340*

Correlation

Sig. (2-tailed) .139 .475 .043

N 36 36 36 36

DF Pearson -.251 1 .416* .143

Correlation

Sig. (2-tailed) .139 .012 .404

N 36 36 36 36

PMV Pearson -.123 .416* 1 .629**

Correlation

Sig. (2-tailed) .475 .012 .000

N 36 36 36 36

Cooling Load Pearson -.340* .143 .629** 1

Correlation

Sig. (2-tailed) .043 .404 .000

N 36 36 36 36

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Implications to theory and practice

Uniform building heights within an urban plot tends to limit the SVF of each building and limit
daylight integration. The current development proposals adopt a system of defining the
building heights proportionate to the floor area. This enables to create variance in building
heights. This method is more effective than introducing standard light planes as it enables
maximizing the usable floor space as well as to ensure all buildings get the desired light levels.
The results also indicate that it is important to consider the indirect light sources such
as light reflected from external obstructions in order to get a better understanding of the
amount of daylight entering a building in the tropics. Therefore determination of the sky
condition and the nature of the surroundings towards daylight integrations should be taken
into account at the initial stages of design to ensure that the building designed would meet
the desired levels of daylight and comfort. The present lighting regulations do not
acknowledge the importance of creating shade in outdoor spaces and buildings. However the
present results reveal that introduction of shading guidelines could not only create
comfortable streets for the public but also greatly enhance comfort levels of the occupants
inside the buildings as well as significantly reduce the cooling loads of buildings in tropical
urban canyons, without a daylight penalty.
The current regulations for buildable area such as plot coverage, road frontage and
setbacks are defined by ‘zones’ identified in the development proposals. However the results
indicate the orientations of the streets and the façade orientations should also be considered
as they have a significant impact on the solar exposure and solar angles thereby enabling
planners and architects to identify the best situations to promote shading and reduce energy
loads. Obtained DF values reveal that all cases meet the desired amount of daylight. Therefore
it is more important to focus on improving the quality of daylight through the reduction of
cooling loads and achieving better PMVs. The results also indicate that floor level and SVF are
more important to daylight availability within the canyons rather than H: W ratios. Thus in
the case of having more than the desired levels of daylight especially in the upper floors it
would be important to consider methods of mitigating glare and heat gain through reduced
WWR’s, using anti-reflective and low E glass as well as the introduction of shading devices in
appropriate directions.

Concluding remarks
Even though the study focused on identifying the relationships that exist between outdoor
shade and daylight integration is was found that there was no significant correlation between
the two aspects. Yet shade did have significant impact on the cooling load and the PMV. Thus
the non-significance of outdoor shading towards indoor daylight availability could be used to
prioritise a design focus on reducing cooling load (with maximal shading) without
compromising too much on the daylight availability.
Thus it can be seen that there lies a complex relationship between the urban canyon
and the individual buildings. The system does not behave as a one way flow of energy from
in to out or vice versa. Therefore it is the responsibility of planners and designers to consider
a more holistic approach on the influence of urban geometry towards indoor and outdoor
energy efficiency.

References
Iversen, A., Nielsen, T.R. and Svendsen, T.R., 2011. lluminance level in the urban fabric and in the room,
Indoor and Built Environment, pp. 456-463.
Dogan, T., Reinhart, C. and Michalatos, P., 2012. URBAN DAYLIGHT SIMULATION : CALCULATING THE
DAYLIT AREA OF URBAN DESIGNS. Madison, Wisconsin, Fifth National Conference of IBPSA-USA, pp. 613- 620.
Emmanuel, R., Rosenlund, H. and Johansson, E., 2007. Urban shading – a design option for the tropics? A
study in Colombo, Sri Lanka. International Journal of Climatology, 27, p. 1995–2004.
Emmanuel, R., 2005. Thermal Comfort Implications of Urbanization in a Warm-Humid City: The Colombo
Metropolitan Region (CMR), Sri Lanka, Building and Environment, 40, pp. 1591-1601.
Emmanuel, R., 2010. Linking the ‘in’ and ‘out:’ new comfort goals for the rapidly urbanizing equatorial
tropical megacities in a changing climate. Windsor, Adapting to change: new thinking on comfort, Network for
Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings (NCEUB).
Futcher, J., and Mills, G., 2014. shadowlands. CIBSE Journal, 2014:07, pp. 28-30.
Futcher, J., Kershaw, T. and Mills, G. , 2013. Urban form and function as building performance parameters.
Building and Environment, pp. 112 - 123. .
Futcher, J., 2014. Shadowlands - tall buildings and energy efficiency in London. CIBSE Journal.
Ho, Justin CK., Ren,Chao. and Ng, Edward, 2009. A review of studies on the relationship between urban
morphology and urban climate towards better urban planning design in (sub)tropical regions. ICUC9 - 9th
International Conference on Urban Climate jointly with 12th Symposium on the Urban Environmeny.
IBM, 2016. IBM SPSS Statistics. [Online]
Available at: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/spss/products/statistics/
Iversen, A., 2013. Development of a simple framework to evaluate daylight conditions in urban buildings
in the early stages of design, s.l.: DTU Civil Engineering.
Kesten, D. et al., 2010. A Method to Quantify the Energy Performance in Urban Quarters. Journal on
Indoor air quality, ventilation and energy conservation in buildings, Vol 18:1-2, pp. pp100-111.
Mohd Zin Kandar, et al., 2011. Investigating Daylight Quality In Malaysian Government Office Buildings
Through Daylight Factor and Surface Luminance. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology,
International Journal of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction and Architectural Engineering, pp. 589-594.
Ng, E. et al., 2005. Defining standard skies for Hong Kong. Building and Environment, 42, p. 866–876.
 Ng, E., 2003. Studies on daylight design and regulation of highdensity residential housing in HongKong.
Lighting Res. Technol. 35,2, p. 127–139.
Perera, N.G.R., 2015. Climate-Sensitive Urban Public Space: A Sustainable Approach to Urban Heat Island
Mitigation in Colombo, Sri Lanka. PhD Thesis. University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
Sabry, H., Sherif, A., Shawky, S. and Rakha, T., 2010. Assessing the Effect of External Obstruction
Parameters on Indoor Daylighting Performance in Desert Clear Sky Conditions. Hong Kong, China, s.n.
Sattrup, P. A. and Strømann-Andersen, J., 2011. A methodological study of environmental simulation in
architecture and engineering: Integrating daylight and thermal performance across the urban and building scales.
Boston, SimAUD, pp. 115-123.
Tsirigoti, D., Aikaterini, T. and Bika, D., 2013. Urban Form and Daylighting: Examining daylighting
conditions with regard to building block typologies. Portugal SB13 - Contribution of Sustainable Building to Meet
EU 20-20-20 Targets, pp. 279 - 286.

View publication stats