IDL Daylighting Design and Simulation Laboratory
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The Integrated Design Lab maintains a full service Daylighting Design and Simulation Laboratory. The primary function of this lab is to provide design and simulation resources to the Puget Sound building design community, in order to assess the performance of daylighting design decisions in the context of an integrated design process. The Daylighting Lab also serves as a teaching and research lab for the University of Washington Department of Architecture.
The Daylighting Lab conducts theoretical and applied design research using advanced techniques in physical and digital simulation. Our facility includes a tilting earth Heliodon, Mirror Box overcast sky simulator, along with an array of digital simulation tools, photometric measuring equipment, and tools for specialized photography. We also maintain a library of glazing and material samples, light redirecting technology, window coverings, and solar control systems.
Since its inception, the Daylighting Lab has provided design assistance and project-based research on over 300 major building projects across North America and internationally, including numerous award-winning buildings.
We believe that daylight should be the primary source of illumination in the vast majority of commercial and institutional buildings. Buildings illuminated with daylight can provide healthier and higher-quality indoor environments for building occupants while meeting the demands of a low carbon future. Daylight-illuminated buildings have been shown to increase individual productivity and human comfort, promote healing, and provide the mental and visual stimulation necessary for the proper regulation of human brain chemistry.
For project inquiries contact Christopher Meek, AIA.
Daylighting Resources:
Building Daylight Models (PDF)
Radiance- Light simulation software from Berkeley Lab