ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Indoor Environment
Harnessing Daylight Strategies for Maximizing Visual Comfort in Architectural Design Studios
Provisionally accepted
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
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Lighting quality in educational facilities impacts visual comfort, particularly in architectural design studios where drawing and drafting require optimal conditions. This study examines daylighting in a design studio located in Nigeria to improve visual comfort. The research employed questionnaire surveys, full-scale illuminance measurements, and Dialux Evo-9.2 simulations, with measurements validated within an acceptable error margin of ≤20%. Survey results showed that 72% found the lighting to be either too bright or dim, while 73% reported poor daylight distribution. Respondents agreed daylight was adequate near windows but insufficient at the center. Measurements confirmed illumination levels below the required 500 lux, averaging 54.36, 147.97, and 140.25 lux across the locations, validating an uneven distribution. Simulations showed that high-level windows and clerestory openings would improve illuminance levels. The optimal orientation had the longer side (the longer façade side with a greater proportion of openings) facing the southern hemisphere, yielding the highest illuminance. The Daylight Glare Probability (< 0.3) and uniformity ratio (>0.4) were within acceptable limits. The study recommends practical strategies to enhance daylighting efficiency in design studios, ensuring visual comfort, energy conservation, and optimal learning environments for future studio planning and policy.
Keywords: daylighting, Design studio, Glare index, Illuminance, Opening, simulation, visual comfort
Received: 07 Nov 2025; Accepted: 23 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mohammed. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mohammed Alhaji Mohammed
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