Daylighting Optimisation Using Parametric Simulations (Grasshopper + Ladybug)

Oguntimehin, Abiodun Sunday PhD & Emehinola, Olusola Matthew, Volume 7 Issue 1, July 2026 Pages 1-13, Published: 2026-05-08

Abstract

Daylight is highly important in building design, affecting energy consumption, visual comfort, and occupant well-being. In tropical climates such as Nigeria, excessive solar exposure leads to glare and overheating, while insufficient daylight increases reliance on artificial lighting. This study optimises daylighting in a primary school classroom in Ogun State using parametric simulations with Grasshopper and Ladybugs. The design variables, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), orientation, shading devices, and interior surface reflectance were parametrically manipulated to generate 250 design scenarios that were evaluated against daylight autonomy (DA), useful daylight illuminance (UDI), and discomfort glare index (DGI). The results show that north-south-oriented classrooms with 35% WWR, a 0.7 m horizontal overhang, and 0.55 internal reflectance achieve optimal daylighting (DA: 68-72%) while maintaining acceptable brightness levels (DGI < 25). This configuration reduces dependence on artificial light by 25-30%, rather than being compared to conventional designs. Also, parametric workflows enabled rapid multi-criteria optimisation, demonstrating the potential to integrate computational tools into tropical building design to enhance visual comfort, reduce energy demands, and improve indoor environmental quality.