Detailed Shading

This 35-minute course offers a comprehensive understanding of 'Advanced Shading Design,' a sophisticated skill set for creating complex solar control systems within Better Building's platform. Through detailed hands-on instruction using multiple shading methodologies, participants will learn to design, specify, and optimise advanced shading systems ranging from simple overhangs to complex architectural features, trees, and neighbourhood context modelling.

Key Course Content:

Shading Design Fundamentals and Strategic Approaches The course begins by establishing the critical importance of shading in building performance, demonstrating multiple implementation pathways available within the platform. Participants explore the strategic decision-making process for selecting appropriate shading methodologies based on project complexity, design intent, and specification efficiency requirements. The session establishes fundamental principles of solar control design and the relationship between shading geometry and building performance outcomes.

Tagging-Based Shading Distribution Systems A key part of the course delves into the most efficient shading specification methodology using comprehensive tagging systems for rapid distribution across multiple building elements. Participants learn to create sophisticated shading tags, apply them to window and door elements simultaneously, and specify complex multi-surface shading devices including dual projections, horizontal and vertical combinations, and gap configurations. The session demonstrates advanced surface combination techniques for creating architecturally sophisticated shading solutions with minimal repetitive specification work.

Site-Level and Neighbourhood Shading Modelling Critical attention is given to external shading context including neighbouring buildings, landscape elements, and site features. Participants learn to model adjacent building masses with full geometric control including extrusion heights, base height adjustments, roof configurations, and surface opacity settings. Advanced techniques include complex building form creation, tree modelling with trunk and canopy elements using offset geometries for realistic tapered forms, and the strategic use of opacity settings for seasonal variations in vegetation shading.

Level-Based Architectural Shading Features The session extensively covers sophisticated architectural shading elements created at the building level including balcony systems with integrated balustrades, canopy structures at building entrances, pergola-type installations with repeated geometric elements, and complex multi-level shading inheritance using duplication and modification workflows. Advanced topics include screen height configuration, transparency settings for glazed balustrades, and efficient workflows for repetitive architectural elements across multiple building levels.

Shading Performance Analysis and Optimisation Participants gain extensive experience with shading coefficient analysis using Better Building's advanced solar analysis tools. The course demonstrates transitioning to designer workflow mode for detailed shading impact assessment, configuring seasonal analysis periods for summer and winter performance evaluation, interpreting shading coefficient results for individual windows and building facades, and optimising shading designs to achieve specific performance targets. Advanced applications include comparative analysis of different shading strategies and quantitative validation of solar control effectiveness.

Complex Shading Geometry and Environmental Context Advanced topics include sophisticated geometric shading creation using projection combinations, rotation and offset parameters for complex architectural forms, multi-surface shading devices with varying depths and configurations, environmental context modelling including realistic tree representations with seasonal opacity variations, and integration of shading systems with overall building envelope performance strategies. The course emphasises both aesthetic design considerations and quantitative performance optimisation approaches.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, participants will be thoroughly equipped to design, specify, and optimise sophisticated shading systems that effectively balance solar control performance with architectural design intent using Better Building's comprehensive shading design capabilities.

Course Completion:

A Certificate of Completion will be awarded upon achieving an 80% pass mark on the final quiz.

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