Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

Goldsmiths College

Architect Allies and Morrison

Engineer Max Fordham

Client Goldsmiths College

The new Information Services Building at
Goldsmiths College in New Cross, designed
by the architects Allies and Morrison,
provides a major extension to the college’s
paper-based library facilities, adding 2000 m^2
of flexible accommodation comprising
information technology and language resource
facilities.
The client’s brief for the new building
required its fac° ade, which occupies a
prominent position facing on to the A20
Lewisham Way, to present a new public front
to the college and be a ‘showpiece.’ The
architectural response was for the fac° ade to
be predominantly glazed thereby providing a
highly visible view into the open plan of the
building, which should be as impressive at
night as during the day.
This approach required the designers to
resolve the conflicting requirements of a

highly glazed fac° ade with the intensive useage

of computer screens on the upper floors. This

left them with three issues to address.

1. To overcome the practical problem of
   natural light entering the building and
   causing glare to the computer screens,
   control of ‘sun glare’ and reflections on to
   the VDUs.


2. To maximize the use of daylight, not only
   to allow views out of the building, but also
   to economize on the use of electrical
   energy for the artificial lighting.


3. To eliminate any heat gains from direct
   sunlight so that there should be no need
   for air-conditioning.
   The solution adopted for the levels above
   ground floor on the north-east elevation
   consists of floor to ceiling clear glazing, with

external vertical fins which not only control

glare from the sun, but also allow generous

external views. At night the impression of the

building is of a luminous and transparent

fac° ade, thus fulfilling the client’s brief.

Collaboration between the architects and

consultants Max Fordham has produced an

elegant and practical daylight solution to the

problem posed by the universal adoption of

computer screens (VDUs) when used adjacent

to a completely glazed fac° ade.

To control glare a series of external vertical

fins or screens (brise soleil) have been fixed to

the glazing. The exact nature of the fins

resulted from model studies to determine the

size and patterning of the holes required to

give the required control, and the desired

transparency. The metal fins have a 12 per

cent free area, consisting of perforations on a

grid of 10.9 by 15 mm. The finish of the fins

132 Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

Plan at first floor level

Max Fordham