Visual Comfort in Outdoor Galleries: Glare vs. Access to Outdoor Views. Case Study: Shading Network
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Abstract
View quality and the luminous performance of shading devices have been studied mainly in indoor environments, but they have not yet been jointly examined in semi-open galleries. This work evaluates glare and the quality of the outdoor view of a camouflage net shading system with 75% coverage. A semi-controlled experiment was conducted in a northwest-oriented residential gallery with views to the Andes Mountains, in Mendoza, Argentina. 20 participants evaluated this net under three conditions: no shading, net deployed, and net folded. Photometric measurements were taken and a questionnaire on visual comfort was conducted. Results showed that the use of the net significantly reduced glare and improved thermal comfort, although it reduced the outdoor view’s quality. These findings highlight the challenge involved in achieving a balance between view quality and glare control.
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