Levente Filetoth, architect, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Building Energetics and Services, lfiletoth@members. ises. org

The “Skylight-Dimensioning Method” is a common, existing method, suitable to calculate the area of the transparent surfaces of skylights with restricted geometrical characteristics. I have defined the illumination efficiency of skylights with various characteristics with the help of model measurements in the artificial sky and extended the existing method. The extended method is able to follow skylights without any geometric restrictions. The final output of this recent research provides several theses on various fields of the daylighting research, ready to be implemented for the practice in form of design aids and computer software tools to improve the quality of our built environment incorporating renewable energy.

Daylighting Design

Daylighting design — as an aspect of the overall architectural design — should be developed in an efficient, energy-conscious manner, while also fulfilling all functional — and other related requirements. Therefore — the conceptual architectural design decisions and later the design development evaluations should be supported by — and based on the results of the connecting scientific research fields.

The ultimate goal of daylighting design is to ensure adequate and comfortable illumination environment in the interior space. According to the current practice, daylighting dimensioning has two major tasks to complete:

• first of all the geometry of the day­lighting system has to be designed and it must be in integration with the overall

building,

• the next step is to define the area and other characteristics of the transparent surfaces of the selected daylighting system.

The architectural design of the daylighting system and its integration with the building itself are both important aspects of the overall daylighting design, since all these design decisions at the stage of the conceptual design phase will crucially effect the final daylighting characteristics and overall daylighting performance of the actual building. The architect is in charge of all the conceptual architectural design evaluations and decisions at this stage of the design project. However — most probably due to the complex and sophisticated issues and problems — there are no specific (or there are only partial) demands on daylighting design in the present regulations and in the practice.

Due to the lack of regulations and requirements the only accessible goal at the conceptual stage of the project should be to consider all the "known” inherences of daylighting design when bringing design decisions about the overall geometry and positioning of the daylighting system. For instance it is important to "know” that in case of an exhibition space it is not necessarily the best idea to design side illumination (side windows).