Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies

This paper presents an experimental approach to investigate the luminous environment in lightweight fabric structures through field study. Buildings selected for the field study included the Engineering Science Learning Centre at the University of Nottingham and the Clarke Quay in Singapore. By und...

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Main Authors: Lau, Benson, Aziz Masih, Dawa Azad, Ademakinwa, Abdulquadri Adesoji, Low, Siew Woon, Chilton, John
Format: Article
Published: Elsevier 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39362/
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author Lau, Benson
Aziz Masih, Dawa Azad
Ademakinwa, Abdulquadri Adesoji
Low, Siew Woon
Chilton, John
author_facet Lau, Benson
Aziz Masih, Dawa Azad
Ademakinwa, Abdulquadri Adesoji
Low, Siew Woon
Chilton, John
author_sort Lau, Benson
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description This paper presents an experimental approach to investigate the luminous environment in lightweight fabric structures through field study. Buildings selected for the field study included the Engineering Science Learning Centre at the University of Nottingham and the Clarke Quay in Singapore. By undertaking on site monitoring under different sky conditions in the chosen buildings with distinctively different site context, this research project explores how the typical homogeneously lit and rather dull luminous environment in lightweight fabric structure can be improved for enhanced visual interest, visual comfort, and three-dimensional modelling under both sunny and overcast sky conditions. Research data obtained from the subjective appreciation of the internal luminous environments and the quantitative spot measurement and mapping of light are compared and discussed. This study concluded that selective use of transparent and translucent components in the ETFE envelope can offer architectural designers the opportunities to create well balanced, yet dynamic lit scenes. Also by combining single skin ETFE foil and the double or triple layered ETFE cushion and introducing ETFE cushions with different light transmittance to the building envelope can help improve the overall visual and luminous environment and enhance task illumination. The key findings from this research work are applicable to the design of light in lightweight fabric structure in general.
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institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
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spelling nottingham-393622020-05-04T18:08:25Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39362/ Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies Lau, Benson Aziz Masih, Dawa Azad Ademakinwa, Abdulquadri Adesoji Low, Siew Woon Chilton, John This paper presents an experimental approach to investigate the luminous environment in lightweight fabric structures through field study. Buildings selected for the field study included the Engineering Science Learning Centre at the University of Nottingham and the Clarke Quay in Singapore. By undertaking on site monitoring under different sky conditions in the chosen buildings with distinctively different site context, this research project explores how the typical homogeneously lit and rather dull luminous environment in lightweight fabric structure can be improved for enhanced visual interest, visual comfort, and three-dimensional modelling under both sunny and overcast sky conditions. Research data obtained from the subjective appreciation of the internal luminous environments and the quantitative spot measurement and mapping of light are compared and discussed. This study concluded that selective use of transparent and translucent components in the ETFE envelope can offer architectural designers the opportunities to create well balanced, yet dynamic lit scenes. Also by combining single skin ETFE foil and the double or triple layered ETFE cushion and introducing ETFE cushions with different light transmittance to the building envelope can help improve the overall visual and luminous environment and enhance task illumination. The key findings from this research work are applicable to the design of light in lightweight fabric structure in general. Elsevier 2016-10-01 Article PeerReviewed Lau, Benson, Aziz Masih, Dawa Azad, Ademakinwa, Abdulquadri Adesoji, Low, Siew Woon and Chilton, John (2016) Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies. Procedia Engineering, 155 . pp. 479-485. ISSN 1877-7058 Lightweight Fabric Structures; ETFE cushion and foil; Luminous Environment; Field work http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705816321920 doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.051 doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.051
spellingShingle Lightweight Fabric Structures; ETFE cushion and foil; Luminous Environment; Field work
Lau, Benson
Aziz Masih, Dawa Azad
Ademakinwa, Abdulquadri Adesoji
Low, Siew Woon
Chilton, John
Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies
title Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies
title_full Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies
title_fullStr Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies
title_full_unstemmed Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies
title_short Understanding light in lightweight fabric (ETFE foil) structures through field studies
title_sort understanding light in lightweight fabric (etfe foil) structures through field studies
topic Lightweight Fabric Structures; ETFE cushion and foil; Luminous Environment; Field work
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39362/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39362/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39362/