The Efficacy of Shading Design in Commercial Buildings in The Semi-arid Climate of Lahore; Focusing on The Geometry of Horizontal Shade

Abstract

Building envelope acts as a barrier between outside and inside environmental conditions. Window in the building envelope is an important area as it is least resistant to the outside environmental conditions. An optimal shading device can create a balance in this context. It is important in semi arid climates like that of Lahore. This paper focuses on the geometry of horizontal shade that is desirable in Lahore’s climate and its impact on heat gain and daylight level in commercial buildings. Significance of this study is the calculation of depth of horizontal shade that can have a significant impact on heat gain in the climate of Lahore. Simulation is conducted as a next step to evaluate the performance of designed horizontal shade on a window with 40% WWR and double low E bronze glass on east, south and west orientations. Results show the efficiency of horizontal shade is more on south orientation in climate of Lahore.