Abstract

The chapter discusses the optimization of daylighting strategies to achieve visual comfort in side-lit office spaces. Glazed facades are commonly used in the design of office buildings, where direct sunlight causes visual glare, and the prolonged use of dynamic user-operated shading devices reduces daylighting and blocks the view outside. Visual comfort at the use stage depends on early design decisions appropriate to each context to maximize uniform daylight indoors and control glare risk. This may be a challenge in extensive territories with great variability of prevalent skies and daylight availability. The research was carried out in an experimental office space prototype, analyzing daylight strategies in three Chilean cities with different climate conditions. They were evaluated using the climate-based daylight modeling method and validated with the dynamic daylighting metrics in sustainable codes. The chapter provides a selection of daylighting strategies suitable for different climates. It illustrates the daylight performance regarding illumination level and the potential glare control to achieve visual comfort for the occupants.