Daylight performance in sport research laboratory under tropical sky conditions

Abstract

ASEAN users are different with European, American or either typical Asian. ASEAN live under tropical climate with different behaviours, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Adidas Sport Research Laboratory is set up mainly for performance footwear engineers to undergo the shoe testing involved with all performance footwear, mainly focus on ASEAN's popular sport, such as: basketball, jogging, running, cycling, and hiking. The aim of this research is to maximize the use of natural daylighting where architectural aspects of atrium is explored. Active space is created through daylighting conditions that may positively stimulate activities. Physical methods and virtual methods are assessed by computer simulations with integration of modelling tools and data manipulation. The simulation result is synthesized into architectural design strategies for future references. From the simulations it can established that by allowing light reaches further down into an atrium, the reflective component of the atrium wall becomes the aiding component to increase the illuminance of work plane adjacent to the atrium. It is therefore crucial to use high reflective, light coloured surfaces within the atrium. While going up nearer to the fenestration system, the control of the diffuse daylight through the roof become crucial element to control the illuminance of the work plane at the upper floor. The research outcome helped in the design thesis where the sawtooth roof and external light shelf is used to induce optimum natural daylight from the fenestration system until the floor of the atrium.