l34.
a 4,062 m² private residential development on a pacific reef island. salt, onshore wind, east-facing rooms with sea views. the design was sized to bring daylight in without admitting radiation and heat.
daylight access increase.
useful daylight illuminance · vs. baseline scheme.
brief, approach, outcome.
the site is an artificial reef island on panamá's pacific coast. constant east-to-west onshore wind, salt in everything, and a residential program asking for sea views from rooms that face the sun.
east-facing glass is the easiest way to add cooling load in this climate. the design had to keep the views and the daylight without increasing the electricity bill.
the design was redrawn so that east glazing sat behind a deep planted veranda, a shaded outdoor room rather than a curtain wall. planting was specified for salt and wind from the start. the simulation resolved the trade between view, shade, and cooling on a room-by-room basis rather than as a global rule.
the decisions that shaped it.
views earned by shade, not borrowed against the electricity bill.