Ph.D

Maleki Morteza, P.H. D student will complete his P.H. D thesis on “An Indigenous Daylighting Metric for Evalouating and Optimizing Office Floorplate Patterns in Tehran" in  Dec 4^th 2017, at 07:30 Am.
Supervisor: Dr seyed majid mofidi shemirani
advisor: Dr mansoureh tahbaz

Abstract
The approach of this thesis has been the recognition of the existing conditions, the identification of the priorities of employees in relation to daylight conditions, and the representation of indigenous metric for evaluating and optimizing the patterns of an office plan. In this regard, the present research has been carried out in four main steps: 1. The previous research has been studied with the aim of obtaining a comprehensive model in relation to the variables and components affecting the determination of the daylight conditions, the main patterns of an office plan, and the appropriate geometric metrics for describing and analyzing them, 2. Field studies have been done to collect data needed for research and the effective components have been localized by the method of weighting and determining the employees' priorities, 3. The data has been analyzed using the algorithmic simulation method and the optimal patterns have been provided using the data obtained from the previous steps, and 4. Finally, the arbitration has been made to explain the indigenous  metric for the evaluation and optimization of the patterns of an office plan.
Accordingly, a significant part of the literature review has been dedicated to the explanation of the history and importance of the subject. Then, the previous research conducted on the subject has been presented according to the current research hypothesis and the various patterns of designing an office space have been investigated in terms of optimal efficiency of daylight. Next, the existing conditions and the employees' priorities have been assessed by selecting three office buildings in Tehran as case studies, while the daylight and artificial light in Tehran have been measured by a comparative method to identify the variables of the research. In addition to determining the variables of the research, the preliminary analysis of the findings has been made to present the models and strategies for increasing the efficiency of the daylight considering the indigenous criteria.
According to the findings from the library and field studies and their preliminary analysis, a metric has been presented in this thesis to evaluate the Geometric Potential for Daylighting (GPD) in the office floorplates. This metric is calculated based on the daylight values ​​during the year, the employees' priorities in relation to the daylight conditions, and the valuation of the plan layers based on the distance from the perimeter. In the simulation process, this metric and other geometric metrics such as Relative Compactness (RC) and the Average Perimeter Distance (APD) have been considered to describe and provide optimal models for an office plan.
Using daylight analysis software such as Radiance and Daysim, parametric studies have been done on the variables obtained from the analysis of data related to the existing conditions. To do automatically the modeling and simulation process with the aim of optimizing the patterns, Grasshopper software, Honey Bee plug-ins that connect Grasshopper to the Radiance and Daysim, and the Octopus plug-in that integrates the modeling process with the genetic algorithms and Pareto optimization have been used. The inputs of the software have been data resulted from the findings of the previous steps of the study and the preliminary analysis. In the process of modeling seven main patterns of the office plan, about 300 to 400 models were created for each one and they were evaluated in terms of daylighting metrics such as spatial Useful Daylight Illuminance (sUDI), Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE), and spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA).
The results of the present thesis have been presented in three sections. In the first section, optimal patterns have been identified using Pareto optimality as well as other geometric and Daylighting metrics. The comparison of the optimal patterns has represented effective components. Three characteristics of elongation, protuberance, and depth have been evaluated as the main components of the independent variable. In the second section, the relationship between the geometric values ​​and metrics related to the daylighting measured has been investigated for each pattern. Regression analysis has shown that the form of the pattern, except in the pattern involving an atrium or the Y- shaped pattern, has no effect on the received daylight, and the characteristics of elongation, protuberance, and depth affect the daylighting values. In addition, the type of relationship between each of the geometric metrics and the daylighting metrics has been identified. The relationship between GPD and daylighting metrics has been significant in the range of 50% to 80%. The two RC and APD metrics have also been evaluated as useful predictive metrics. In the third section, the point GPD, DA, and UDI values ​​have been calculated for all points of optimal patterns. Comparison of the values has ​​shown that the point-GPD can be a good descriptor to analyze plans and provide solutions for a more efficient design of interior spaces.
Keywords: Daylight; Natural light; Office floorplate patterns; Geometric Potential for Daylighting (GPD)