Serrated and Finned Glazed Facades’ Impact on the User’s Visual Comfort

Abstract

The spatial modification of the glazed façade is a part of the overall façade’s creation scheme. Despite the important aesthetical function, serrated and finned facades are also seen as an important tool of daylight management in buildings, especially when façade is partially glazed and partially opaque. This allows guiding scattered daylight deep into the room, simultaneously reducing the impact of direct solar radiation. The presented paper analyses the impact of different geometries of half-glazed (with shading elements) finned and serrated facades on the user’s visual comfort (daylight factor and summer solar exposure). The analyzed façades are of different geometry and south-facing located in 50° latitude in Wroclaw. The calculations were done using the De Luminæ software (DL-Light platform) with SketchUp. The analysis allowed to identify – for different typologies of serrated façade – the risks of glare and overheating and the potential need for sunlight protection. The software also helps to the position shading surfaces to control the potential glare.