Urban parameters and terrain slope influence over the daylight admission in residential buildings

Abstract In Belo Horizonte, the municipal urban parameters associated to the topographic characteristics of the city's urban mesh led to the belief that the amount of daylighting allowed in residential environments, especially on lower floors, could be greatly reduced. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the daylight admission in residential building in the city's urban mesh under the influence of several different topographic. The analysis addressed the slope, the vertical location of the unit in 4 geographic orientations. The evaluations were carried out according to RTQ-R and to NBR 15575-1 requirements using NBR 15215 parts 2 and 3 and computer simulations. Using the NBR 15575-1 method all illuminances were within the minimum values. Using computer simulation 6% to 9% of the values did not meet the minimum established values. The difference between the slope and the vertical location of the unit was noticed more significantly in the evaluation made according to the RTQ-R. The results showed that 19% of the first floor rooms and 50% of all rooms located in the worst slope meet the RTQ-R bonus requirements. It was indicated that the city urban legislation should be revised including the analysis of the worst terrain slopes.