The Gallerias Glare

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The Gallerias Glare
Environmental Technology III Benjamin T
Rantilla Professor Adil Sharag-Eldin
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First Floor Plan

• The Galleria is a 200,000 square foot shopping
  complex.
• Located in downtown Cleveland on East 9th
  Street.
• Developed by RE Jacobs Group
• Opened in 1987

3
Second Floor Plan

• The the architectural firm of Anthony Belluschi
  Architects designed the Galleria.
• The mall is designed in a traditional arcade
  style.
• The corridor or atrium is designed with an
  entirely glazed roof.

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The Atrium

• Two Story Space
• Retail located on both floors
• Second floor is primarily catwalk, creating a
  large undivided space
• The roof is a glass barrel vault

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Questions Raised

• Does the vast amount of glazing on the southern
  exposure create glare in the atrium space?
• If there is the presence of glare does it create
  a problem?
• Hypothesis
• The southern exposure will create glare when the
  atrium is exposed to direct sunlight. While the
  southern exposure creates problems, it is also
  one of the most controllable directions of the
  suns glare.

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Types of Glare

• Disability Glare causes vision to become
  indistinct in an area around a large, bright
  light source.
• Objects appear hazy in contrast to the bright
  background.
• Monitors reflect images making the projected
  image impossible to see.
• Discomfort Glare the more common of the two, is
  caused by a bright light source in the line of
  vision as seen against a darker surface.

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Effects of Glare

• Discomfort glare does not impair vision
• Can be caused from patches of light falling on
  dark backgrounds.
• Mullions or frames seen against the sky.
• Objects between a person and the light source
  will be seen as silhouettes.
• Generally, glare can be attributed to light
  intensity ratios that are greater than 10 to 1.
• However, discomfort glare is a perceived effect,
  and is different to every viewer.
• one persons sparkle may be another persons
  glare.

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Solutions to Glare

• Glare can be prevented through a variety of
  means.
• The main factor is to create evenly distributed
  light levels throughout the space.
• In existing spaces that have problems of glare,
  different shading systems can be used. Examples
  shading louvers, films, light shelves, reveals,
  etc.
• The used of light colored materials around the
  source of light can provide a smooth transition,
  eliminating some glare.

Vinyl extruded shading devise. Glued to the
underside of the glazing.
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Process
Using an illuminance meter data was gathered from
the atrium. The data was used to determine the
reflectivity of the main surfaces throughout the
space.
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Process
The data gathered was then used to build a model
to replicate the conditions at the space. The
model could then be used to determine if and when
glare was present in the atrium of the
Galleria. A heliodon was used to replicate
lighting conditions at various times of the year.
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The Model
The model represents the entry of the building
and the corresponding five bays.
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Conditions
December 21
January 21 November
February 21 October
March 21 September
April 21 August
June 21
May 21 July 21
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Enhanced Conditions
December 21
January 21 November
February 21 October
March 21 September
April 21 August
June 21
May 21 July 21
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Solar diagram
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January 22. 1200pm
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February 26. 1200pm
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March 26. 1200pm
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April 23. 1200pm
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May 28. 1200pm
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June 25. 1200pm
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July 23. 1200pm
22
August 27. 1200pm
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September 24. 1200pm
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October 22. 1200pm
25
November 26. 1200pm
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December 24. 1200pm
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Louvered Shade
December 21
January 21 November
February 21 October
March 21 September
April 21 August
June 21
May 21 July 21
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Screened Shade
December 21
January 21 November
February 21 October
March 21 September
April 21 August
June 21
May 21 July 21
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Cloud Cover
31
cloudy days
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Conclusion
The Galleria's daylighting conditions create a
problem of glare when exposed to direct sunlight.
However, due to the infrequency of this
occurrence the problem seems to be of little
significance. The solutions suggested would
create a more evenly distributed light, but the
costs would out weigh the benefits. The view of
the sky and surrounding buildings would be
limited, and the financial cost would be high.
With an average of only 66 days a year of clear
skies, the direct sunlight issue becomes very
limited.