Courtyards: Optimum use as means of providing Daylight into Adjacent Zones

The aim of the study is to investigate daylighting performance in spaces adjacent to courtyards in the climatic conditions of the UAE (latitude 25°N longitude 55°E). Two cases were simulated mainly to understand how the space generally performed in terms of lighting performance. The two cases comprised of the same universal adjacent space but in one case the courtyard size was doubled while maintaining the same height for both cases. The Desktop RADIANCE 2.0 program (DR) was used to evaluate the lighting performance of the adjacent space under clear sky conditions. Horizontal illuminance levels, diversity and uniformity of illuminance, and Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA) were the lighting parameters used. These parameters were compared to the standard values or recommended ranges specified in lighting codes and handbooks such as the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). The study revealed that although both models provided sufficient amount of illuminance level into the space it failed in the other aspect of diversity and uniformity, some suggestions were highlighted to be tested at a later stage.