The research objective of this Small Grant for Exploratory Research award is to prototype and validate an interactive daylighting tool that allows architects to explore alternative designs and new technologies to improve the sustainability of their buildings. Our hybrid global illumination rendering method combining radiosity and shadow volumes will be seamlessly incorporated into the early stages of design. We envision our tool as a plug-in to popular modeling packages used by experienced designers, who are knowledgeable but not necessarily experts in daylighting technology or advanced graphical simulations. We hypothesize that use of our rendering and visualization software will make the architectural design process more effective, creative, and satisfying and lead to more energy-efficient building designs. We will design and carry out a preliminary user study to test this hypothesis. Our framework will be compared with current design practice by measuring the breadth of designs considered as well as the efficiency of the final design.
If successful, the results of this research will demonstrate the effective use of interactive global illumination algorithms and temporal maps for architectural design, including the use of non-intuitive complex specular window materials. The new tool will be used in architectural design studios and workshops to enhance creative thinking and broaden the number of criteria that can be considered and balanced during design. The project will engage graduate and undergraduate students in computer science, building technology, and architectural design. If successful, our system will improve the architect's ability to make effective use of daylighting and reduce the need for supplemental electric lighting, reducing consumption of non-renewable energy resources. The same framework can be applied to other design problems that require complex physical simulation and visualization, including passive solar heating and cooling, acoustics, aerodynamic building envelopes, and general (non-architectural) design scenarios.
