Short Hollar #1: Skyscraper Glare - An Underrepresented Light Pollution



(Editors note:)
As I continue with work and my own architectural licensing pursuits, it is becoming clear that a more frequent listing of topics is needed, especially as this blog continues to grow in circulation size and scope.  Unlike a traditional newspaper, I continue to be limited in my time for postings....but will try to make it up to you, oh dear constant reader.  (Like Franz Kalfka, I continue to need my ‘bread job’ in the face of traditional DC food prices)

However, I will seek to step it up, to perhaps have a posting at LEAST once a month……..and at the minimum, bi-weekly attempts in a series of “short hollars”.  The new goal attempt is to post these short snippets: topics from others that have some relevance to this blog, or to skyscraper postings in general.

 So for the FIRST of these topics: skyscraper glare/light pollution.  With luck, it’ll help fill the gap, between the next true, worthwhile posting.  Oh, and I promise I’ll finish that white paper soon!! 



An Underrepresented Light Pollution - Skyscraper Glare
Glare from skyscrapers has long been, and continues to be a major problem for skyscraper designers (see here, here, and here for article examples).  In this week’s short holler, I wanted to bring attention to several new methods skyscraper designers can use, to design with daylight glare in mind.  While IBC and NCARB both have general rules of thumb for other skyscraper design applications (wind and earthquake), no major regulatory resources yet exist to mitigate this particular version of applicable light pollution.  Whereas windtunnel testing has become commonplace for most high-rise designs, solar glare continues to be an underrepresented aspect of skyscraper consideration. 

…and I haven’t even gotten started on internalized solar glare, or gain!!  ;)

Thankfully, a few consultants now offer the ability to help calculate reflected solar glare.  While these components are not overly easy to implement, nor cheap, they remain one option for designers seeking to expand upon available options.  With luck, LEED, BREEAM, or even IBC will soon incorporate such facets into their next published itterations, or else BIM tools can better incorporate potential apps, to further give architects further opportunities from the very design outset.   



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