Glare in education facilities with openwork façade walls

Abstract

Openwork walls are common in buildings located in warm weather settings. It is a relatively cheap strategy to favor natural ventilation and sun control. In spite of the benefits of including natural light in educational facilities, there are only a few studies characterizing classrooms with openwork façade walls from the point of view of visual comfort. This research is aimed at reviewing the performance, in terms of the glare likelihood and the access of natural light, in hypothetical education contexts with openwork façade walls, and located in Cali (lat. 3°26’, long. -76°31’ and. 995 m.a.s.l.), Colombia. To achieve this, computer simulations with the Diva for Rhino plugin were done. The evidence suggests the potential of using perforated surfaces in educational facilities in geographical locations with hot weather.