Incorporating Natural Lighting into a Theatre Space - Research Proposal Example

INСОRРОRАTING NАTURАL LIGHTING INTО А THЕАTRЕ SРАСЕ STUDENT’ NAME CLASS INSTRUCTOR’S NAME NAME OF THE INSTITUTION: COURSE CITY DATE METHODOLOGY The ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is an inert material that was developed for use in the aerospace industry. Its wide range of application stretches to its utilization in the green houses, solar cell coatings and in architecture. Single layered ETFE Multiple layered Triple gazing The single layered ETFE are reinforced with wire cables that are light since they easily reach their yield limits at minimal stress and reduced strengths. Alternatively employed to boost the stability and shape of these ETFE are the lightweight steel and the aluminum. In a double and triple layered ETFE there is the use of the pneumatic system for the maintenance of the air between the double layers of the film attached in aluminum extrusion. These ETFE layers equally use the lightweight structures to provide them with support. Like in the single layered ETFE, small cables are used in double-layered ETFE in providing reinforcement. They are poor in conserving heat They are power effective especially the uPVC triple glazing types. It is because the triple gazing have a lower U-values effective for use in low energy. The noise reduction levels realized with the double-glazing is not so effective. Have a superior noise reduction level especially when further upgraded. Single layer of medium weight ETFE has an approximate 85% light transmission. This is slightly reduced in the double layered. This translates to the rate of 380-780nm in the entire visible light region. Their transmission across the ultraviolet region is at 320-380nm Double-glazing provides better light penetrations than the triple layered and is usually cheaper. The light penetration in the triple glazing is reduced due to the additional glass layer that it has and they are expensive as compared to the double-glazing. The double gazing does not undergo the phenomena of occasional condensation. The triple gazing has poor heat transfer from inside to outside making it to easily undergo condensation. The single layered ETFE has U value of 5.6 w/m2K. Insulation properties for a double-layered ETFE films are more effective than for the double-glazed, which is at 2.9w/m2k. The double-layered ETFE has insulation property of 2.6 w/m2k. The insulation for the triple layered is 1.7w/m2k Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg (2009). The aim of having this section is to address the methods that are necessary to be employed in addressing the identified research questions and to draw eventually a conclusive answer to the project purpose. The identified research questions and objectives are developed to assist in accepting or rejecting the hypothesis of the study (Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg 2009). To ensure that the correct hypothesis is adopted, the methodology to be implemented must be accurate. In this section, the project is divided into research techniques to be used, alternative research approaches for the study, population sampling, materials, and equipment, and the personnel to be used. Adopted research technique The research methodology technique adopted is both the qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques. The qualitative research technique is essential in gathering the information and opinion of various civic center’s regarding the performance of the ETFE. It also supposed to assist in the determination of light transmittance and the solar shading in the instances where different ETFE layers are used. The qualitative technique to be used involves interviews to the selected members of different civic centers, participation in data collection, and the making of observations. To effectively perform this, the questionnaires would be adopted to find out how effective the users of different buildings with ETFE films experience the natural light. The use of other sources of written information from the published materials as the case studies, watch shows, books, and journals will b employed during desk studies to give a detailed information about the ETFE (Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg 2009). Quantitative techniques are important in quantifying the opinions from different selected groups during data collection. In this instance, measurable data is gathered to develop a pattern regarding people’s opinions based on the effectiveness of the ETFE and the possible improvements that they would recommend. Alternative research approaches for this study A part from the two research techniques adopted for use in this research paper there are other possible research approaches that could be implemented in understanding the how the buildings in which ETFE is used works and how it feels like to have such buildings (Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg 2009). In ensuring that the information gathered during the study compares with other studies being done a pragmatism technique could be applied during the data collection in the analysis ETFE application. To employ this technique, the research study could use various techniques all at the same time. The data collection from the identified civic center’s can be done through face-to-face interviews and at the same time, questionnaires may been used to gather the opinions and attitudes that can assist in the statistical analysis of the collected data. Regardless of the measures taken during data collection, the results can be later organized into a qualitative or quantitative data before analysis to give the clear picture on the performance of the films is drawn into a conclusion. Advocacy research technique is also another possible approach that can be implemented in this study. It may be done to ensure that the most vulnerable and marginalized groups are reached during the study. In this alternative, the study can be made to exhibit the most neutral state having a direct contact with the research participants (Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg 2009). The researcher may also opt to stay with and interact with different researchers who participate in the study interviews. The technique is proper as it makes the research findings to be reported in terms that are more personal and in a more precise way with correct terminologies. It thus makes the research more objective and easily understood. The method can highly assist in understanding the performance of the films through the site visits and can equally encourage recording, analysis, and suggestions. Material and equipment In conducting a day, lighting test there is the need of converting the AutoCADplans into millimeters as they are usually in meters. There is a need of a physical model that can be used in scaling down. Among the equipment that are supposed to be implemented in the project during laboratory testing include the physical model of the theatre that is scaled at 1.200, a light meter, and an artificial light simulator (Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg 2009). The main source of natural light to be employed in this project is the sun and the sky. Since the day light factor is dependent on the position of the sun and the climatic changes, the daylight factor formula will be employed to determine the total illuminance. DF = (Ei / Eo) x 100% Where DF is the daylight factor, the Ei is the daylight illuminance in the indoors working plane and Eo is the concurrent illuminance due to the outdoor on horizontal plane from clear hemisphere of the dull sky. The inverse square law should also be factored in to get the intensity of the daylight illuminance. Intensity1 /intensity2=distance22/distance12 In this law, the magnitude of the light shared in different regions varies due to the variations of the distance from the source (Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg 2009). It therefore affects the total light that each ETFE positioned in different places in the room. Using three layers of ETFE foils that are different from each other for instance using one that is printed and using another one that is clear can enhance the observations made on the glare effects. Data accessibility Accessibility of the primary data can be a great challenge since most of the civics centers are not comfortable in sharing their resources. There are also other possibilities of facing other sources of restrictions during site visits (Poirazis, Kragh, & Hogg 2009). Time is therefore needed in explaining the reasons why the information was needed and how confidential the gathered information will be kept. To avoid the inconveniences that may arise from these restrictions, it is necessary that the prior visit to the set places is done and an agreement made so that the data collection period is not affected. References List Poirazis, H., Kragh, M. and Hogg, C., 2009, July. Energy modelling of ETFE membranes in building applications. In 11th International IBPSA Conference, Glasgow, Scotland. Read More