Main author
Multiple Author ArticleBREEAM Visual comfort Glare control
Contents |
[edit] Aim and benefits
To ensure occupant controls are considered at the design stage to ensure best practice in visual performance and comfort for building occupants. This involves reducing glare that can cause discomfort and distraction, and enabling occupant lighting control.
[edit] When to consider
The BREEAM assessor does not need evidential documents at a particular time, but designers may consider the potential opportunities for glare control as early as concept design.
Incorporating glare control at an early stage allows designers to propose building integrated options such as brise soleil or other innovative options, whereas if it is left to the end, blinds may be the only option.
[edit] Step-by-step guidance
Please note, not applicable to shell or shell and core assessments.
Check which areas will be relevant, i.e. areas where lighting and resultant glare control could be problematic, such as workstations, where projector screens may be used or sports halls.
Confirm with the design team which glare control method will be applied. Blinds are the simplest form of glare control. Where other methods are adopted, design data must be used to demonstrate compliance.
[edit] Questions to ask while seeking compliance
Shell and core - The design team must demonstrate how the glare control criteria will be met without a reliance on blinds when the building is occupied.
Compliant shading measures for meeting the glare control credit include:
- Building integrated measures.
- Occupant-controlled devices such as blinds (where transmittance value is <0.1 (10%)).
- Bioclimatic design.
- External shading or brise soleil.
[edit] Tools and resources
- BREEAM Manual.
- Solar glare control | WELL Standard.
- LG9: Lighting Guide 9 - CIBSE.
- BREEAM Knowledge Base.
- BREEAM Extranet.
[edit] Tips and best practice
All building facades will need some shading protection, even if the sun does not shine directly into some areas of the building.
Ask the developer for their standard, or project, specification. Are blinds (or other features, such as brise soleil) included in the base building, or fit-out works?
Has the designer assessed solar effects on the building users and considered protection from these effects.
Is it too late to amend the design to improve shading control (e.g. by using over-hangs)?
Remember that protection must provide shading from high-level summer and low-level winter sun.
Automatic controls may provide compliance, but are not essential to comply with the requirements.
Curtains (where used without other forms of shading) do not meet the criteria for the glare control credit.
There are many means of controlling glare, such as blinds, brise soleil, building overhangs and even natural protection for some schemes. Keep an open mind about the potential solutions, where possible.
[edit] Typical evidence
Design stage:
- Design drawings identifying relevant building areas, windows and any glare control such as the blinds specified.
- Specification of glare control system such as occupant controlled blinds (confirming transmittance value of <0.1).
- Drawings showing building integrated measures where applicable, such as the extent and height of eaves in relation to windows and building orientation.
- Drawings/specification of any external shading systems or brise soleil.
- Where fixed systems are used then design studies/calculations must demonstrate that sunlight will be prevented from reaching building occupants during occupied hours.
- The simplest form of glare control is occupant controlled blinds.
Post construction stage:
- As-built drawings/specifications for any glare control system - for blinds this could be manufacturer's literature confirming the transmittance value.
- Assessor site inspection photos and report.
[edit] Applicable Schemes
The guidelines collated in this ISD aim to support sustainable best practice in the topic described. This issue may apply in multiple BREEAM schemes covering different stages in the life of a building, different building types and different year versions. Some content may be generic but scheme nuances should also be taken into account. Refer to the comments below and related articles to this one to understand these nuances. See this document for further guidelines.
- BREEAM International New Construction 2016
- BREEAM UK NC 2011
- BREEAM UK NC 2014
- BREEAM UK NC 2018
- BREEAM RFO 2014
BRE Global does not endorse any of the content posted and use of the content will not guarantee the meeting of certification criteria.
This article created originally in a BREEAM workshop by Pantelis Levantis, Azita Dezfouli, Tom Abbott, Jane Morning, Martin Earl, Eleni Kalyva
--Multiple Author Article 21:54, 21 Apr 2018 (BST)
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Blinds
- BREEAM.
- BREEAM Internal and external lighting.
- BREEAM Reduction of night time light pollution.
- BREEAM Visual comfort Daylighting.
- BREEAM Visual comfort View out.
- Daylight benefits in healthcare buildings.
- Daylight lighting systems.
- Eaves.
- Exterior shutters.
- Fabric structures.
- Human-centric lighting.
- Lighting.
- Louvre (or louver).
- Retrofitting solar shading.
- Solar gain.
- Solar shading of buildings BR 364.
- Solar shading.
- When hospital buildings aren’t healthy.
Featured articles and news
Retrofit 25 – What's Stopping Us?
Exhibition Opens at The Building Centre.
Types of work to existing buildings
A simple circular economy wiki breakdown with further links.
A threat to the creativity that makes London special.
How can digital twins boost profitability within construction?
The smart construction dashboard, as-built data and site changes forming an accurate digital twin.
Unlocking surplus public defence land and more to speed up the delivery of housing.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill
An outline of the bill with a mix of reactions on potential impacts from IHBC, CIEEM, CIC, ACE and EIC.
Farnborough College Unveils its Half-house for Sustainable Construction Training.
Spring Statement 2025 with reactions from industry
Confirming previously announced funding, and welfare changes amid adjusted growth forecast.
Scottish Government responds to Grenfell report
As fund for unsafe cladding assessments is launched.
CLC and BSR process map for HRB approvals
One of the initial outputs of their weekly BSR meetings.
Architects Academy at an insulation manufacturing facility
Programme of technical engagement for aspiring designers.
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.
The restoration of the novelist’s birthplace in Eastwood.
Life Critical Fire Safety External Wall System LCFS EWS
Breaking down what is meant by this now often used term.
PAC report on the Remediation of Dangerous Cladding
Recommendations on workforce, transparency, support, insurance, funding, fraud and mismanagement.
New towns, expanded settlements and housing delivery
Modular inquiry asks if new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing.