Daylighting Research
From 2004-2009, Theodorson founded and then directed the Betterbricks Daylighting and Integrated Design Lab (IDL) at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute on the WSU Spokane campus. Working in collaboration with labs at University of Oregon, University of Washington, University of Idaho, and Montana State University, the IDL engaged in applied research and project based education to promote high performance building practices in the Inland Northwest. The WSU lab focused on architectural daylighting strategies, offering education, design analysis, and post-occupancy research to architecture firms with commercial projects in the Inland Northwest. In total, the IDL consulted on more than 20 projects over five years, utilizing architecture and interior design students as research assistants.
ABSTRACT: A post occupancy field study of daylit classrooms in three new elementary schools identifies perceptual and behavioural dimensions that impact the success of sidelighting strategies. The research utilizes multiple methods including observation, measurement, and teacher surveys to uncover a balance of quantitative and qualitative attributes. The emergent theme is that despite apparent issues associated with daylight variability and control, teachers are enthusiastic about the asset of natural light and views. Better interior management of the daylight source has the potential to improve the quality of the luminous environment and increase energy savings. Daylighting strategies should be considered within the context of orientation and end-user interactions.
Theodorson, J. and Day, J. (2011). Architecture and Sustainable Development, Proceedings of PLEA — Passive and Low Energy Architecture Effectiveness of Dynamic Daylighting: Post Occupancy Evaluation of a Higher Ed Building. 27th International Conference, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.:
ABSTRACT The resurgence of interest in daylighting in support of both energy efficiency and human factors presents the need to study daylit buildings within the context of occupation. This paper studies the effectiveness of a “state of the art” LEED Gold higher education classroom building in the US Inland Northwest. The design earned both the EQ 8.1 and EQ 8.2 credits for daylighting by employing a variety of strategies including sidelighting with automated shades in a double ventilated facade and toplighting in light wells for interior spaces. The research includes predictive performance, post occupancy field measurements, and a user survey.Field measures document daylight variability and product performance. The user survey probes issues of satisfaction with interior conditions and behaviours around system operations; it is adapted from IEA SHC Task 21 (1999). By triangulating physical evidence and occupant experience, a multi-faceted understanding of daylighting effectiveness emerges.
ABSTRACT: Daylight has the potential to positively impact occupants and reduce energy consumption in buildings if utilized correctly (Edwards & Torcellini, 2002). However, unintended negative outcomes can arise from unsuccessful daylighting schemes. Common issues, such as glare and heat gain, are important architectural considerations in design of the building envelope, but less studied are corresponding interior design considerations (such as furniture layout and access to controls) and associated occupant interactions and appraisals. The purpose of the current study is to expose some of the key issues related to the occupant use of daylight and daylight control in perimeter offices, to discuss the contributing design process factors, and to suggest possible improvements to the design process including an increased role for interior designers. The research methodology followed a case study approach and included post-occupancy evaluation (POE) questionnaires, interviews, and observations of a single higher education building with intentionally daylit perimeter offices. We discovered that the building in question was passed between three separate design teams throughout the design process, which may have contributed to the lack of integration between the architectural daylight design and the interior furniture and daylighting control fit-out. More than 50% of total respondents (n = 35) reported obstructed blind controls due to poor furniture design and layout. Of these, nearly 60% of occupants modified their office environment to gain access to blind controls. Ultimately, findings of this study demonstrate the importance of an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to daylighting design, one that considers both the specific building context and the human response.
Theodorson, J. and Bunker, R. (2008) Daylighting School Classrooms: A Field Report. Interior Design Educators Council National / International Conference Proceedings. Montreal, Canada.
ABSTRACT: The classroom window in the early 20th century school was generously sized, designed to function as the “principle source of illumination for the school” (Wu and Ng, 2003, p. 13). By 1950, electric lighting had assumed the job of providing illumination, consequently diminishing the size and value of the window. In the 1970’s, educational theorists deemed the outside world a distraction to the learning process (Holland, 2004, p. 355). Accordingly, architects turned the spatial focus inward and nearly eliminated the window in the classroom. In response to the last energy crisis, schools were designed with tight envelopes, producing small, heavily tinted apertures. Ironically, the evolution of the classroom window has completed a full circle; today’s schools are once again being shaped to provide abundant light and views for the classrooms. The current movement is driven by research that supports the premise that a classroom with good daylighting and pleasant views positively affects student health and performance (Kuller & Lindsten, 1992; Heschong Mahone Group, 1999, 2001, 2003; Erwine & Heschong, 2002). Furthermore, there is the potential to save energy: “Employed correctly, daylighting can dramatically cut electric lighting, energy, and maintenance costs, even in cloudy or northern latitudes.”(Benya, 2001, p. 2).
This paper presents a post occupancy study of three new elementary schools that intentionally employ the classroom window for daylighting and views. The schools, completed in 2006, provide an interesting comparative opportunity, as they were designed by three different architecture firms. The owner emphasized “high performance design” and encouraged compliance with a draft sustainability protocol that required daylighting in 50% of teaching spaces. This research documents and evaluates the daylighting strategies within the context of occupation. The intent is to use empirical evidence to better understand the issues of a daylit classroom and to suggest modifications to improve operations.
This work is significant to Interior Design as it underlines the importance of fieldwork in fine-tuning occupancy patterns to achieve design goals. Additionally, it provides an interiors and end-user perspective to the current design dialogue around daylighting in schools. When the architect, interior designer, and engineer work together as a team, the entire environment can better support the daylighting scheme (Winsor, 2001, p. 43).
A faculty-student team collaboratively designed and executed the methodology, which involves both fieldwork and teacher surveys. Field data was collected over spring break with the assumption the classrooms had been left “as is” for the week. Researchers used hand-held tools to measure the luminous environment (illuminance, color temperature, luminance) under a variety of lighting conditions. The spaces were photographed with HDR techniques and observations were noted on control systems, interior shade positions, and spatial organizations. Shortly after the fieldwork was completed, teachers were given an anonymous survey, designed to gather information on satisfaction and behaviors. All the data was compiled in Excel for descriptive statistics analysis. In addition, the data is visually analyzed with “light maps” constructed from field measurements and false color renderings produced from the HDR photography.
ABSTRACT: Twenty-first century energy concerns related to climate change and fossil fuel depletion have triggered a transformation in how buildings are conceived and executed. New paradigms emphasize integrated perspectives and collaborative processes as a means to achieve high performance/low-energy buildings. The human side of the energy equation is identified as an emergent area of practice; this is supported by literature indicating value in considering issues such as behaviors and comfort. This paper argues that interior design’s interdisciplinary foundations—design of the near environment, environment-behavioral sciences, and interior building systems—uniquely position the discipline to develop a role around human factors in energy consumption in buildings. The argument is developed by examining integrated design practice frameworks that encourage collaborative teamwork, inclusive of the end user, and that emphasize predesign efforts that are decisive in determining the energy profile of a building. Daylighting design serves as a narrative to establish a conceptual orientation and method of practice; specific examples and research demonstrate instances throughout the design process where an occupant-centered focus makes important contributions to overall design intent. Implications to the profession and practice include a human-centered approach to sustainable design, and expanded areas of research and practice.