Happy Valentines Day! Sorry I've been bad about posting updates this semester. I had a meeting with my thesis adviser today and I presented what I had done so far, which included showing new iterations I had done. There are three main things that I need to do for next time: 1) find the cost per square foot for office spaces in Chicago, 2) I need to test my different iterations in 3ds Max and make changes based on what the facade schemes are actually doing and what I want to happen, and 3) I need to double check the height of the floors in the Sears Tower to make sure of the floor to ceiling height. Out of those three, the most important one is to test the schemes and make according changes.

Hi all, sorry I didn't post anything yesterday. I was importing a Rhino model of a section of Chicago into 3ds Max, which took quite a bit of time. Now I have the Sears Tower and two blocks on either side of it in 3ds Max. I also had a meeting with my thesis adviser today and in order to continue forward, I have to start testing daylighting conditions in 3ds Max, play around with Grasshopper plugin for Rhino, and start developing a way to display the information that I gather. To start off I am going to document the existing daylighting conditions and play with how to change those conditions sectionally. .  

Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I had my first thesis review today (my presentation is here) so the past few days have been a bit crazy. For today I had some references to my work last semester, which dealt with day-lighting and offices, and some new stuff. I came up with three different schemes to show my professors, overall I think my review went well, I definitely got some good feedback and my professors are excited by my project. I just need to think more critically about what kind of light I want, the quality of that light, which spaces I want influenced by that light, how deep the day-lighting system is going to be, and I should add empirical data to my drawings. To do some of this I am learning how to use 3ds Max and how to use the program to get day-light information for each scheme and the Sears Tower for specific times of the day and year.

Hello all, I have been working on a series of day-lighting systems for my review next week. So far I have two ideas and am developing another.

The top scheme is influences by the Duke Convention Center in Cincinnati, and is a basic day-lighting system that can slide open when the sun isn't intense. The second scheme (bottom) is based on my research from last semester, especially the idea of the mechanical iris and the fact that some plants open and close in response to the sun. This system opens and closes in response to the intensity of the sun, when the system is open it also has the ability to collect sunlight.

I am now making physical models of these schemes to test them in response to actual sunlight.

Since I last posted, I have been looking at solar shading strategies, specifically for North and West facing facades. I have also looked at how daylight is measured, in terms of foot-candles, and how that can apply to buildings physically. This would mean looking at how many foot-candles (fc) the different programs in an office require, how many fc the sun provides in clear and overcast days, and how much light gets into the building with no shading at all.

I have also started working on what I want my shading device to achieve, I want it to have user control, be environmentally responsive, allow light to penetrate deep into the building, minimize glare, and provide views. I have also started looking at how different buildings deal with their facades, such as the Duke Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, for inspiration.

 Next I will start making small scale sketch models and start initial ideation for the facade.

Hello all, I hope the holidays have treated you well; I am already back in school. I have done some work for thesis, though not as much as I would of liked due to a fairly busy break; but I have gotten into contact with people about studies conducted at the Syracuse Center of Excellence and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center. Because of these connections, I have received quite a few reports on how day-lighting effects employee health, satisfaction and productivity. I have also completed a basic rhino model of a 5 x 5 block area of Chicago around the Sears Tower. I will bring this model into 3DS Max to evaluate the quality of the light in the existing suite I am using.

 (http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/reports_publications.asp)