Abstract :
The importance of natural lighting cannot be overstated, especially when one considers the numerous health benefits and performance enhancements associated with those working or dwelling in well-lit spaces relying predominantly on daylight. Natural lighting, or daylighting, had been the subject of many previous research papers, but with emphasis on the Sky Component (SC) and the Internal Reflected Component (IRC), as the main contributing factors to the total luminance levels inside a given interior space. The third component; External Reflected Component (ERC) had been neglected by most researchers, architects, engineers and scientists, possibly because of its smaller weight in comparison with the other components. In today’s age of high-rise towers and dense urban societies where the number of floors in a given building often reaches the order of 20’s or 30’s, bottom floor levels that are obstructed from natural lighting due to the surrounding tall structures, require further studies. In such cases, where the accessibility to natural lighting from the SC and IRC factors is small, it is important to find ways to maximize the capture and use of the ERC reflected from opposite buildings. This is the core subject of this Research which aims at providing a full analysis of ERC and how it changes with varying parameters which in turn provides a much-needed better understanding of how it performs under varying conditions, especially under clear skies. Computer simulations will be carried out in sequence and results will be recorded and analyzed to find trends and establish logical patterns of how ERC changes. The study will then provide an analysis of the Egyptian Building Code to determine whether daylighting was considered in its numerous equations and stipulations that regulate development and construction activities. This includes maximum building height requirements, fenestration design and dimensions, and internal lighting-service channels in urban settings.
