Illuminating the Design Incorporation of natural lighting analyses in the design studio using BIM

The growing demand for sustainable architectural design motivates the integration of BIM technologies and novel design processes into architectural education. This paper presents the results from a set of educational case studies for the incorporation of BIM-based daylighting simulations and analyses into the design studio. With a carefully devised studio setting and the participation of interdisciplinary consultants, the experimental case studies simulated an integrated design process based on rapid information exchange and collaborative decision making. The implemented method enables students to use BIM models and daylighting simulations as significant sources of design information for performance-based architectural design.