Volumetric Study of Reflected Glare from Glass Curtain Walls of Buildings

Abstract

A computer-aided visualization is presented of the reflected glare from glass-curtain-wall buildings. The simulation uses a 1 × 1 × 1 cube to define the volume and the horizontal area that is covered by reflections. A reflection volume (RV) of a building is a three-dimensional polyhedron that is swept by reflected glare. This study simulates RV at three local regions, with latitudes and longitudes of (25.0, 121.5), (24.2, 120.7), and (22.1, 120.5). The RV is smaller at the summer solstice than at the spring or autumn equinox. The shape of the RV can be changed to meet the dimensions or proportions of a building. A designer can access the database provided by this study, select a set of RVs, perform modifications, conduct Boolean operations, and determine the boundary of the reflection area. A user can select the RV that matches the latitude and longitude of a design project and conduct an intersection with surrounding buildings in order to visualize the parts of the building that will be affected.