Daylight Control System For Windows : How can sun shading for individual offices be designed to prevent glare at the same time preserve daylight and a view out

Daylight is an important factor to offices, but it is not utilized to its full extent today when it comes to the occupant’s comfort and well-being. A big problem with daylight is the glare that wants to be eliminated from these environments. Even if there are a vast variety of products and solutions to prevent the glare, other qualities as daylight and a view out are eliminated or reduced too. As both daylight and a view out provide significant psychological advantages for occupants in office environment, a study of existing daylight control systems and humans comfort preferences was investigated. The investigation was developed and led to a strong concept, an artefact. With the capability to preserve both daylight and a view out, even when glare is prevented. SmartFilm was found as a technique with best control over the material, when it comes to flexibility of choose from transparent to opaque. But this technique is today used more as a privacy system. With the study based on visual comfort preferences, the form and the function behind the material is interpreted differently to allow it to be a daylight control system. Studies shows that the most important characteristic of a view is its horizontal stratification and how it, by dividing the view into three layers: the sky, the city/landscape and the ground, provides with the functions we need for well-being and productivity (see chapter 2). The SmartFilms is therefore integrated in three layers on a window, allowing the user to adjust each sections opacity through a special designed device connected to the SmartFilms. By controlling each section separately, the whole window does not need to be fully covered. The daylight control system will in this way, theoretically, prevent the experienced glare, at the same time provide with daylight and a view out