Assessment of the Daylight Performance in Residential Buildings: The Impact of Setback Regulations in the Jordanian Building Code

Abstract

Daylighting is critical for residential apartments in densely compacted areas, which promotes studying new urban laws that do not contradict natural energy resources and sustainable design. This study evaluated the daylight performance of a typical residential apartment in Amman, Jordan, by investigating the relationship between current setback distance and daylighting for four residential classes based on local urban planning regulations. Three different research phases that connected macro and micro levels were used in this study. The Honeybee and Ladybug plugins from Grasshopper and Rhino software analyzed 312 scenarios. Results revealed unequal and varied daylight adequacy in residential classes, where sDA(300/50%) and UDI(100-3000lux) are directly associated with the largest setback, making only front-setback at class “A” accepted based on IESNA and LEED daylighting standards. Setback orientations indicated a close effect on sDA (300/50%) compared with UDI(100-3000lux) sensitivity for south orientation. Rooms with two-central windows showed the best daylighting results over other configurations. Conversely, despite several design parameters that increase daylighting levels, no scenario in class “D” showed nominal at 2.5m.
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