The effect of building facade reflectivity on urban dwellers in tropics.

• Published in: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
• Main Author: Ishak N.M.; Hien W.N.; Jenatabadi H.S.; Ignatius M.; Yaman R.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Physics Publishing 2018
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85044461511&doi=10.1088%2f1755-1315%2f117%2f1%2f012038&partnerID=40&md5=b640b45b163da0afd925c8084e98eb72

With the rapid growth and use of modern architecture practices for high-rise buildings, highly reflective materials have been adopted extensively for aesthetical reasons. However, outdoor glare from highly reflective facades might cause thermal and visual problems towards the occupants of neighbouring buildings and outdoor dwellers, particularly pedestrians. In tropical countries, this negative impact can be greater due to the higher solar radiation received throughout the year. At the present, there are few building guidelines limiting outdoor glare, or daylight reflectance from a building facade. This study aims to introduce a framework for outdoor glare studies that focus on perceived glare from highly reflective facades by pedestrians in Singapore. The introduced framework includes age, glare time, glare duration, avoidance and sensitiveness. For this study, the survey is carried out with the application of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). This paper is helpful for planners, designers, and engineers to estimate the sensitivity of pedestrians' discomfort glare and towards the creation of sustainable architecture in Singapore. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.