The Effect of Atrium Roof Forms on the Day Light Performance of Atrium and Adjoining Spaces: An Analytical Study

Daylight is a key component of a sustainable environmental approach to the building design. An atrium is a major source which allows the maximum daylight to come inside the deep plan building which reduces the demand of artificial light hence leads to an energy efficient building design. However, direct sunlight is problematic because of a source of glare which increases the thermal heat gain inside the building. The key atrium components are the roof fenestration system, the geometry of the atrium well, the reflectance of the well's surfaces and the daylight levels achieved in spaces adjacent to the well. This paper describes the various atrium roof forms and its performance by simulating different types of atrium roof 3D model. Day lighting analysis was done using Climate Studio tool with Rhinoceros 3D 7.0. Built on Energy Plus and a novel RADIANCE-based path tracing technology.