Architectural and daylighting performance: CENPES II, The new research centre from Petrobras, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the performance evaluation in terms of daylighting of the Petrobras New Research Centre (CENPES II) building design in the tropical climate of Rio Janeiro, Brazil, under a typical partially cloudy and bright sky. The architectural design encompasses an área over 100,000 m2, distributed among ten new buildings. According to the design brief, daylighting should be maximized in all interior spaces whenever allowed by functional requirements, providing both visual comfort and energy efficiency. In that case, the design challenges were related to the need for solar protection and avoidance of glare, due to climatic conditions, including a fairly bright sky. This paper is focused on the two main building of the Center. The performance assessments were carried out with the support of advanced computer simulations, being compared to national and international design criteria. The results indicate the positive effects of the adoption of some conventional design strategies, which are not widely used in commercial building design in Brazil.