The VAC
Vandal Athletic Center CASE STUDY
Tristan Van Slyke, Glenn Edward Ostrom, Justin Matsukawa
ANALYSIS
HYPOTHESIS #1
The amount of glazing on the east facade causes solar heat gain during the morning hours.
Survey Opinions:
- 20% of surveyors stated no heat gain
- 60% of morning surveyors were satisfied
- 40% of afternoon surveyors were satisfied
Conclusion:
The users feel that there is a slight heat gain, however results vary due to different comfort levels between each individual.
Hobo Graphs:
The users feel that there is a slight heat gain, however results vary due to different comfort levels between each individual.
Examine:
H2 (between shade and glazing)
H3 (post inside of shade and glazing)
H5 (located above the coaches office)
H9 (located on second floor railing)
H2 - 9:00 AM - 72 degrees
2:00 PM - 70 degrees
7:00 PM - 67 degrees
H3 - 9:00 AM - 89 degrees
2:00 PM - 68 degrees
7:00 PM - 62 degrees
H5 - 9:00 AM - 69 degrees
2:00 PM - 68 degrees
7:00 PM - 67 degrees
H9 - 9:00 AM - 70 degrees
2:00 PM - 69 degrees
7:00 PM - 68 degrees
June 21: luminance readings (cd/m²)
| FIRST FLOOR | ||
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| 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
Obviously there is a significant amount of direct sunlight during the morning hours (without the shades down), however the shading devices are lowered every night so that the sun can't reach into the space. The shades do an effective job at blocking the direct sun, and a moderate job at reflecting the solar heat.
HYPOTHESIS #2
The mechanical and passive systems utilized within the space are effective in maintaining thermal comfort
Survey Opinions:
- 80% of the surveyors were satisfied with the shading devices
- 50% of the morning groups responding neutrally
- 30% of the morning groups said that it enhances their workout
- 35% of the afternoon groups responding neutrally
- 40% of the afternoon groups said that it enhances their workout
Conclusion:
The majority of the users were pleased with the systems that are used, and
the athletes were very pleased with the shading devices.
Hobo Graphs:
Examine:
H2 (between shade and glazing)
H3 (post inside of shade and glazing)
H4 (located on the first floor in the HVAC)
H9 (located on second floor railing)
H2 - 9:00 AM - 72 degrees
2:00 PM - 70 degrees
7:00 PM - 67 degrees
H3 - 9:00 AM - 89 degrees
2:00 PM - 68 degrees
7:00 PM - 62 degrees
H4 - 9:00 AM - 69 degrees
2:00 PM - 72 degrees
7:00 PM - 69 degrees
H10 - 9:00 AM - 69 degrees
2:00 PM - 69 degrees
7:00 PM - 68 degrees
The users of the space were very please with the roll down shading devices. The HVAC system seemed to control the space very efficiently with only a 3 degree difference in temperature from the morning to the evening. The systems tend to work together very well.
HYPOTHESIS #3
The curtain wall on the east facade and lack of glazing elsewhere causes uneven light distribution to the back of the space.
Survey Opinions:
- 30% of the afternoon surveyors were fine with the amount of light in the space
- 40% of the afternoon surveyors were dissatisfied with the amount of light in the space
- 60% of the morning users were satisfied with the lighting
- 80% of the morning users would not change the lighting
Conclusion:
The users in the morning were pretty unanimous with concluding that the light levels during the morning hours were pretty good. The afternoon surveyors felt a little different, with almost half the users being dissatisfied with the light levels and distribution.
The light levels at the back of the space are much less than those near the east facade. The second floor is relatively dark compared to the first floor. The windows in the rear don't let much light in due to the trees and the Kibbie Dome blocking western light exposure.
December 21: luminance readings (cd/m²)
| SECOND FLOOR | ||
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| 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| FIRST FLOOR | ||
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| 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
The images show the contrast from the front of the space to the back of the space. The front is much bright than the rear.
The light levels in the space are obviously not perfect, however the east facade wall actually does a significant job at letting light enter into the space. The darkest part of the gym is on the second floor in the back, right below the row of eight windows. The lower level on the west wall is actually brighter than originally anticipated.
HYPOTHESIS #4
The curtain wall on the east facade and lack of glazing elsewhere causes glare issues.
Survey Opinions:
- 60% of the surveyors were fine with the visual comfort
- 25% of the surveyors were satisfied with the visual comfort
- 70% of the surveyors checked glare as an issue
Conclusion:
The majority of the surveyors were somewhat pleased with the visual
comfort in the space. However, after explaining what glare is to a majority of the users, 70% checked that glare was an issue.
Culpite
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This image from Culpite shows the spots where glare is an issue. The picture to the left shows the normal space, and the picture to the right shows the bright spots in the space. Glare does not necessarily have to come from outside, the lights can create large glare areas too.
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| Interior Perspective | False Color Exposure |
The picture on th left was taken in the mirror box, overcast sky simulator. By taking a series of photos from extreme over exposure to extreme underexposure, and utilizing PHOTOSPHERE, we were able to generate this high dynamic range image, allowing a better visual perception of the brightness gradient.
The red areas represent the brightest areas, while blue represents the darkest.
This image is of the physical model in the skybox. The picture to the right shows the actual conditions and the image to the left shows the levels of light in the space.
The majority of the users in the space stated that glare is an issue. The entire east facade is covered in glass, and the light colored structural columns don't help minimize the bright spots. There are definitely different areas at different times of the day that cause bright spots which is known as glare.