Methodology for visual comfort analysis in intermediate open spaces of residential areas, case study: Nagpur, India

ABSTRACT

Researchers often use daylight and glare analysis to measure visual comfort for daytime inside a built space. However, residential environments include both built and unbuilt spaces. Recently, unbuilt open spaces like courts are gaining equal importance in architectural designs. The literature review revealed very little research on visual comfort analysis in these intermediate open spaces. Therefore, this study proposes a method to analyze visual comfort in identified intermediate open-to-sky courts of clustered residential development. First, by conducting the point-in-time analysis, the study compares field measurements against simulation results to validate the software’s ability to simulate accurate daylight and glare values in these courts. Later, the study analyses visual comfort in identified courts by conducting an annual glare analysis using the calibrated simulation model. The outcome confirms the use of annual and point-in-time glare analysis for visual comfort analysis in courts of residential areas. The results exhibited visually uncomfortable views at the corresponding time. Additionally, simulation experiments highlight the importance of such spaces’ shape, size, and orientation in visual comfort analysis. These outcomes will help future visual comfort research of intermediate open spaces in low to mid-rise residential environments with tropical climatic conditions.

KEYWORDS:

• Residential open spaces
• visual comfort
• daylight
• discomfort glare
• unbuilt spaces
• annual glare analysis

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India, and its facilities. The authors would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Tanushree Kamble and Dr. Vishal Chettry, Ar. Aditi Chivate, and Ar. Reshu Gupta in the structuring of the research work. This research work is a part of a full-time Ph.D. program at the Department of Architecture and Planning, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India.

Authors’ contributions

All Authors have contributed sufficiently to the scientific work and therefore share collective responsibility and accountability for the results.

Availability of data and material

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).