2024 - SUNBLEACH

SUNBLEACH

A global issue in building design is the very low daylighting conditions that affect spaces with a south or north-facing façade, depending on the hemisphere. Although the sun reaches its highest point at noon, it moves closer to the equator; therefore, south and north façades do not receive direct sunlight in the southern and northern hemispheres, respectively.

Human beings spend a large part of the day indoors, which could have a negative impact on health when they are mainly exposed to low levels of diffuse natural light through most of the day. Increasing the amount of daylight access throughout the day helps regulate our sleep cycles, heart rhythms, and even affects moods and productivity.

This is why implementing new strategies in construction that increase the entry of daylight is very important. Therefore, this project aims to add a daylighting boosting system for southern façades in Chile that can be coupled to existing mid-rise buildings.

The project offers a solution that improves users’ well-being and lighting comfort in existing buildings. By increasing daylighting levels, the need for auxiliary artificial lighting systems is reduced, thus reducing energy consumption and contributing to a more sustainable future and architecture. It is implementable in mid-rise residential buildings of up to six floors, due to solar tube diameter restrictions.

The original design of the existing building does not affect the feasibility of this solution installation; therefore, it can be implemented anywhere. It is ideal for block-type buildings, as they often meet the height requirements and usually have one of their façades facing towards the south (in the southern hemisphere).

It consists of installing a system composed of Velux solar tubes on the unfavorable façade of buildings. These will harvest sunlight and direct it downwards along the façade of the building. Light will be channeled into transparent window frames, attached to existing windows, which are designed with a chlorinated water fill that, due to its properties, will increase the level of light and disperse it, maximizing light spreading to the interior of the spaces where it is installed.