Diachronic Analysis of Daylight Design and Management Techniques in Mediterranean Constructions: Fid-Bau Portal

Diachronic Analysis of Daylight Design and Management Techniques in Mediterranean Constructions

Tsikaloudaki, Katerina

Nowadays, the adoption of techniques found in vernacular architecture has been proposed by numerous researchers as the key to enhancing energy efficiency and upgrading the environmental performance of contemporary buildings. Undoubtedly, vernacular architecture has its routes on the temporal development of building construction. Daylight design and management have always been a key element in building design; nowadays, we pursue visual comfort and minimization of energy consumption for lighting, but in past eras, daylight was the primary means for covering the visual needs (together with oil lamps and torches), while daylight management had a special meaning for the significant buildings and served special purposes, often related to religious or other important aspects of everyday life.

In this chapter, the study of the perpetual relationship between building design and sunlight in the Mediterranean area is attempted. More specifically, typical residential and public buildings of past periods (from ancient history till recent times) are examined with regard to daylighting. The merit of light in science, philosophy, and religion is presented, in order to set the basis of the analysis and give insight into the design objectives. Moreover, for every historic period, certain building types are examined, given that the architectural characteristics are more apparent in the structures that received more attention in each era. For these selected buildings, the construction principles regarding daylight aspects, i.e., the design characteristics, the materials used, as well as the strategies adopted for admitting light into the buildings and exploiting its merits, are presented and explained. In parallel, emphasis is given to the special techniques used for creating sophisticated impressions in public buildings in order to support certain aims, such as the invigoration of faith.

Since the fulfillment of lighting requirements is illustrated on the buildings of each era, it is particularly interesting to observe the evolution of daylight management through the centuries by identifying the differentiations on needs and objectives. The study includes examples of vernacular architecture, where transformations of older principles and techniques are preserved. That shows that even today we can combine past knowledge with the advanced technological and scientific achievements and design well-lit environments, with a focus on the needs of the users, the character of the space, and the desired outcomes. After all, history teaches us that understanding the past has always been a decisive factor in designing the future.