Glasade utrymmen för ett resurseffektivt, socialt och hälsofrämjande boende, Del 2. Designstöd för arkitektonisk utformning och teknisk design med avseende på användning och komfort

Report, 2021

The purpose of the Spaces Project is to investigate glazed spaces in residential buildings from both a building physical and architectural point of view and to provide descriptions of how they work, with regard to thermal comfort and to social aspects. This has resulted in tools for the design of glazed spaces that take into account the social aspects and the thermal comfort. A challenge for the architect is to determine and describe the geometry of the glazed space, which materials make up the connecting surfaces and what properties the surrounding glass surfaces should have. With very little time, it is desirable in the design phase to get clear indications of temperature conditions in the glazed space, in particular how high the temperatures will become in summertime.

The Spaces project began with a literature study on glazed spaces, dealing with geometry of the spaces, glazing, ​​usage, thermal comfort, ventilation, energy, social aspects and cultivation. Subsequently, eight relevant buildings were identified, called case studies, which were examined in detail during study visits and with the help of drawings and measurements of temperature and daylight. The buildings are located in Malmö, Eslöv, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Umeå and on Hönö.

For all case studies, interviews have been conducted with residents and with professionals such as consultants, managers, architects, project managers, about the glazed space and how it works, mainly with regard to social sustainability but also technical functions. The residents have also responded to a survey and rated qualities in the areas of thermal comfort for different seasons, air quality, daylight, social activities and relaxation. With the help of the material from this part of the project, a checklist for the design of atriums has been produced which, for example, includes social activities, visibility, furnishability.

In order to assess thermal comfort, an excel-based calculation tool, Spaces Calculator, for calculating temperatures in glazed spaces was created. The calculation model was designed so that architects, during the design stage, have access to a tool that is easy to start using, and where parameters can be varied quickly (e.g. geometries, glazing and materials), since in the design stage is desirable to be able to investigate many alternatives.

The results from Spaces Calculator have been compared with results from the building simulation program IDA ICE, and user-friendliness has been tested by architects. Manual for Spaces Calculator and a number of examples of thermal variations when you change parameters for a building are produced. These examples show, for example, that a taller building reduces problems with overtemperatures in the summer, that heavier surface materials (with higher heat storage capacity) facing the glazed space dampen temperature fluctuations and how much a reduced g-value on skylights can reduce overtemperatures.
 
To sum up, there are four main outcomes of the Spaces project; the literature survey, the case studies with interviews, the calculation tool Spaces Calculator with parameter studies, and the design checklist.