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Practical Implications of Tessellated Geometric Façades for Optimal Daylighting Performance
1  Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, 29040, Spain
Academic Editor: Jose Ramon Fernandez

Abstract:

Tessellated geometric façades are increasingly employed as performative building envelopes capable of modulating daylight, controlling glare, and mediating solar exposure. Composed of repetitive or rule-based geometric units, tessellated systems enable controlled permeability, pattern differentiation, and modular fabrication, allowing façades to operate simultaneously as environmental regulators and architectural expressions. Advances in parametric design and digital fabrication have further expanded their application, making tessellated façades attractive as climate-responsive shading systems. Despite growing academic interest and extensive simulation-based evaluation of their daylighting potential, their practical application remains limited by the lack of design-oriented guidance that translates parametric results into operational façade strategies. While existing studies successfully quantify daylight performance, the step from numerical evaluation to actionable architectural decision-making remains underdeveloped. This paper addresses this gap by focusing on the practical implications of tessellated geometric façades for daylighting performance, with particular emphasis on how parametric findings can inform façade design decisions. The study adopts a performance-informed design synthesis methodology, aimed at translating validated parametric daylighting results into design-operational knowledge. Rather than conducting new simulations, the research is based on a secondary analytical reinterpretation of an existing, peer-reviewed parametric dataset, allowing the study to shift from performance generation to design translation. This methodological approach positions simulation outputs as evidence for architectural reasoning, rather than as isolated numerical results. The methodological process reframes computational parameters, such as perforation ratio, geometric pattern, and spatial configuration, as architectural design variables that directly correspond to façade openness, geometric organization, and functional daylight demand. A comparative analytical framework is employed to examine how variations in façade geometry and porosity interact with different spatial functions, revealing recurring performance tendencies rather than singular optimized solutions. To support holistic interpretation, a composite daylight performance indicator is used as a synthesis tool to integrate multiple daylight metrics, while illuminance thresholds are applied as external design constraints to ensure functional adequacy. Through this interpretive process, tessellated façades are understood not as static decorative screens but as tunable daylight-modulating systems, whose effectiveness depends on the alignment between geometric logic, façade openness, and spatial use. The synthesis highlights how façade porosity and pattern organization jointly influence the balance between daylight sufficiency and visual comfort across varying interior conditions. The outcomes are consolidated into a simplified decision-support logic that enables rapid comparison of façade alternatives without reliance on complex multi-objective optimization workflows. By providing design-operational rules and a transparent evaluation logic, this study offers actionable guidance for architects and façade designers and supports the integration of tessellated façade systems into daylighting standards, design guidelines, and performance-driven architectural practice.

Keywords: Practical Implications; Tessellated Geometric Pattern; Façades Design; Perforation Ratio; Daylighting Performance; Visual Comfort

 
 
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