Parametric analysis of natural lighting and sun protection in twisted buildings

Abstract This paper aims to analyse how parametric modelling (PM) and computer simulations can assist in the evaluation of the performance of natural lighting and the insolation of non-orthogonal buildings during the design process. In order to compare different percentages of transparency of the facade windows, as well as different types of sun protection to assess natural lighting inside a model building, and the incidence of solar radiation on the facade, 6 experiments were performed in the Rhinoceros program with the Grasshopper, Ladybug and Honeybee plug-ins. The present study focuses solely on the analysis of the relationship between the shape of the openings and the solar protections on the performance of natural lighting and the incidence of sunlight. The results showed that the building's torsion does not contribute to better levels of natural lighting inside, making certain areas of the facade more exposed to solar radiation, while other areas were more protected due to self-shading. The original contribution of this paper is the application of parametric modelling and simulation in the design process and as a means to evaluate the performance of twisted buildings.